Final whistle blows on BBC's Football Focus after more than 50 years on air

BBC said that “changing audience behaviours” had prompted it to act.

Dion Dublin presents on Football Focus by BBC Sport (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

The BBC says Football Focus will be taken off air at the end of the season after more than 50 years.

The Saturday lunchtime programme was first broadcast in 1974 but the corporation said in a press release that “changing audience behaviours” had prompted it to act.

The BBC’s head of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, said the decision had been made before last week’s announcement that it needed to make £500million worth of savings over the next two years.

“Football Focus has been a hugely important programme in the history of BBC Sport and has played a key role in telling the stories of the game for generations of viewers,” Kay-Jelski said.

“This decision was made before last week’s wider BBC savings announcement, reflecting the continued shift in how audiences engage with football and our commitment to evolving how we deliver content to reach fans wherever they are.” 

Kay-Jelski added that regular Football Focus presenter Alex Scott would “remain at the heart” of the BBC’s sport output, including its coverage of next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil.