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Match of the Day Viewership Drops Amid Lineker's Exit

1/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Match of the Day's traditional viewing fell by 770,000 to 6.88 million weekly views since December 2024.
8pm highlight clips on BBC platforms drew 1.52 million viewers, boosting digital views to 61.9 million, up from 45.4 million last year.
The BBC's sports team signed highlights deals with La Liga and the Bundesliga.
Gary Lineker, host of Match of the Day, departed after 26 years, contributing to linear-viewer decline.

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Story summary

Match of the Day's traditional viewing fell by 770,000 to 6.88 million weekly views since December 2024.
8pm highlight clips on BBC platforms drew 1.52 million viewers, boosting digital views to 61.9 million, up from 45.4 million last year.
The BBC's sports team signed highlights deals with La Liga and the Bundesliga.
Gary Lineker, host of Match of the Day, departed after 26 years, contributing to linear-viewer decline.