Kelly Cates to replace Gary Lineker on BBC’s Match of the Day
Reports indicate that football presenter Kelly Cates is set to depart from Sky Sports to take over for Gary Lineker on the BBC's Match of the Day.
Cates, a well-known broadcaster and the daughter of ex-Liverpool footballer Kenny Dalglish, is reportedly set to be part of a fresh presenting lineup that will feature Mark Chapman, the host of Match of the Day 2, along with BBC sports presenter Gabby Logan, for the upcoming season.
When contacted by the Guardian, the BBC stated that it does not provide commentary on unconfirmed rumors. Meanwhile, a representative from Sky Sports mentioned that they were aware of the reports regarding Cates' exit but had no further comments to provide.
According to the Daily Mail, Sky executives were said to be "profoundly upset" by the passing of Cates, 49, who had been the face of the channel's Premier League broadcasts since 2017. The BBC had recognized her as the top outside contender to take over for Lineker.
Cates, who frequently hosts for BBC Radio 5 Live, is expected to take turns sharing the hosting duties for Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 with the two other presenters.
The three will take over from Lineker, who is set to leave at the end of the season. He has been the host of Match of the Day since 1999 and plans to depart from the BBC completely after the 2026 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
On his podcast, The Rest is Football, Lineker mentioned that he recognized the executives wanted to reinvent Match of the Day a bit. He believed it was reasonable for them to find a new presenter to take his place.
The revamped approach of the show is anticipated to emphasize a stronger digital presence, following the BBC's agreement on rights for the 2025-26 season. This deal is believed to permit the BBC to share clips of every goal scored in the Premier League on its website.
Even though the audience is becoming more divided, with younger fans sharing pirated match clips on social media and catching highlights on YouTube just moments after the game ends, senior leaders at the BBC reportedly believe there is “unrealized opportunity” in a revamped version of the brand.
There are whispers that the new format will feature more news-related content, along with an increase in written material and in-depth analysis.
Although overall television viewership has dropped by 26% since 2015, the audience for sports programming on TV has remained fairly strong, decreasing by only 3%.
