Match of the Day has experienced a notable decline in conventional viewership, with figures falling by roughly 770,000 compared to the same period last year.
Between August and December 2024, the programme averaged 7.65 million weekly viewers across television and iPlayer.
This dropped to 6.88 million in the equivalent months in 2025.
This season marks a significant transition for the long-running programme.
Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan took over presenting duties following Gary Lineker's departure at the end of last season.
The former England striker turned presenter departed the show following significant backlash over a social media post he shared that included an illustration of a rat, an image historically used as an antisemitic insult.
The incident was the latest in a series of impartiality rows, including a temporary suspension in March 2023 over comments criticising the government's asylum policy.
Lineker apologised for the post.
Match of the Day has experienced a notable decline in conventional viewership
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He claimed he had not seen the image and would "never knowingly share anything antisemitic".
The presenter described stepping back as the "responsible course of action".
BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski addressed the decline in viewers across television and iPlayer.
The corporation maintains that the success of its digital highlights offering has more than offset the decline in traditional viewing.
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Gary Lineker left over an antisemitism row
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He said: "We are meeting audiences on their terms and it’s great to see how many people are enjoying that.
"By evolving the format and embracing digital platforms, we’re engaging more people than ever and increasing the reach of this iconic show.
"Match of the Day plays a huge role for millions of football fans, whether that be on TV, iPlayer or on people’s phones."
The BBC's flagship football show now has to rely on its online presence in an attempt to combat the decline.
Gary Lineker later apologised for his comments
| PASince the new Premier League broadcasting agreement came into effect at the start of the current campaign, the BBC has been permitted to publish match clips from 8pm on Saturdays.
These early highlights have averaged 1.52 million weekly views from August to December 2025.
Digital engagement has also grown substantially compared to previous seasons, with requests up 87 per cent compared with the August to December period in 2022-23.
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