BBC quietly axe Match of the Day spin-off fronted by Jermaine Jenas
Match of the Day spin-off present MOTDx has been quietly axed by the BBC. The Jermaine Jenas-fronted programme, geared toward Gen Z and Millennial viewers, held a Thursday night slot on BBC 2 and BBC Three for 4 years all through the Premier League marketing campaign however did not return for a fifth season in August.
Two months later, the BBC has lastly confirmed that MOTDx is gone for good after one other failed try by Beeb to attraction to youthful audiences. A BBC spokesperson insisted that the choice had been made earlier than the beginning of the season, in an announcement given to the Daily Telegraph.
“We have made some changes to our football output this season which means we will be producing even more digital content for audiences across BBC Sport platforms. Whilst we are proud of MOTDx and would like to thank everyone involved, it will no longer continue,” the assertion learn.
This comes after considerations have been raised about the way forward for one other of the BBC’s soccer reveals, Football Focus. Former host Dan Walker and his successor Alex Scott bought right into a public spat on X (previously Twitter) after Walker claimed the present was “struggling”.
“It’s hard to see Football Focus struggling,” Walker tweeted. “I loved it growing up and it was an honour to present it and I still miss it. We poured everything into that show every week and worked hard to keep it relevant. I hope it stays part of the TV landscape.”
Former Arsenal right-back and England centurion Scott, who took the reins from Walker back in 2021, didn’t take too kindly to the remark and replied simply: “Interesting.” Some saw that as a dig at her predecessor.
Walker then responded: “I’m not saying you haven’t [worked hard] Alex. It’s a saturated market and it’s arduous work each week. I hope you will have an excellent present right this moment.” According to the Daily Mail, Football Focus has misplaced greater than a 3rd of its viewers during the last 4 years, with the common weekly viewing figures falling from 849,000 in 2019 to simply 564,000 in August of this yr.
In Walker’s final season on the helm, Football Focus had a median weekly viewership of 827,000 earlier than dropping to 809,000 in 2021 and 599,000 12 months later. It is at round 564,000 this yr.