The BBC recently released the viewing figures for Match of the Day's first year without Gary Lineker as host. The report indicated a decline in TV viewership since Lineker's departure, with average weekly viewing figures dropping from 7.65 million between August and December 2024 to 6.88 million during the same period in 2025, a decrease of approximately 770,000.
Despite this dip, BBC remains optimistic about its digital performance and believes that their success with digital highlights clips has more than compensated for this drop.
Under the new Premier League television deal that began this season, BBC has been able to make match highlight packages available from 8pm on Saturdays. This move seems to have paid off handsomely as average weekly views for these highlights across iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app stood at an impressive 1.52 million between August and December 2025. This figure not only represents a significant increase in digital reach but also indicates a shift in audience preference towards more flexible viewing options.
Increased engagement with digital content
The number of digital accounts accessing Match of the Day content on an average week rose by an impressive 21 per cent in comparison to last season - increasing from approximately 1.39 million to around 1.69 million during the course of one year (2025-26).
This figure includes views garnered by Saturday and Sunday programmes on iPlayer, as well as those tuning into watch highlight clips via both iPlayer and other platforms such as BBC Sport website or app.
Moreover, there is evidence suggesting that those who are accessing Match of the Day digitally are engaging with more content across various BBC platforms than before - indicating increased loyalty among viewers towards these platforms. Digital requests have surged by 36 per cent over the August to December period last season and by a staggering 87 per cent compared to the same period in 2022-23.
Fresh start with new presenters
The departure of long-standing host Gary Lineker at the end of last season marked a new era for Match of the Day. The show now boasts a fresh presenter line-up, with Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan taking over hosting duties.
While it's clear that Lineker's exit has had an impact on traditional TV viewership, BBC's digital strategy seems to be successfully attracting and engaging audiences. As sports fans continue to embrace digital platforms for their sports content needs, it will be interesting to see how this shift impacts future strategies for shows like Match of the Day.
