Saturday night’s much-changed Match of the Day show was watched by 2.6 million viewers which saw an increase of 500,000 from the previous week despite all the controversy surrounding the show.
That is according to BBC News via the Daily Star as the Premier League highlights programme was viewed by nearly half a million more than last Saturday’s show despite being radically different.
Match of the Day ran for only 20 minutes and did not include accompanying commentary or analysis from pundits or even its famous theme tune – instead broadcasted only short highlight clips of the day’s matches similar to that of Sky Sports.
This was a result of the saga regarding Gary Lineker as the former footballer has been temporarily removed from his duties regarding the highlights show due to a tweet that criticised the British government and that brought about solidarity from his fellow professionals and friends.
When Lineker and company will be back on Match of the Day is unknown as the saga still rolls on but it is easy to explain the viewing figures.
Due to the coverage this story got, it is highly likely that more people tuned in to see how the show would look without everything normally attached to it removed.
Last night’s episode of the highlights show was a one-off and therefore, was always likely to do bigger numbers, and the 2.6 million doesn’t even include the regular viewers who decided to boycott it.
Please can we carry on without them so much more enjoyable after all we tune in to watch the football not listen to those over paid x pro’s who think their opinion is all that matters,
No one should be paid that much money to present a programme and the people that refused to work without him should lose there jobs as well ,look at how much of our licence money we would save
Regards Mr N R Middleton
I miss the expert analysis and dont see that freelancers pay is a big issue. Sacking these people would not effect your licence fee but might limit other licence fee payers’ enjoyment of sports programmes.
Tory M.P.s objecting to accusations of Germany 1930s language don’t do their cause any good by stating that people with different opinions to their own will be closed down and sacked.
Totally agree.
THE BBC ARE A DISGRACE PAYING YOUR MONEY TO LINEKER A £million + HIS VIEWS ARE NO MATTER THEN JOE BLOKES GET RID OF THE OVER PAID TWEET
LET RETAIR TO AN OLD PEOPLES HOME AND GOOD RIDENCE TO HIM
Football will continue to be watched on BBC without the over paid pundits it’s the game that’s important
I’m just wondering whether Gary Lineker would of followed suit if the roles were reversed say Ian Wright had been suspended! I for one dint think he would of done….stories of him being far too above his station, arrogant, standoffish, rude, are all words that have been used to describe Lineker this past week !!!
What a lot of dinosaurs commenting on this issue.
This is how highly you value the freedom of expression the county fought a war to defend? What’s wrong with you people?
The stereotype of some football fans isnt that far from the truth is it?
Forgetting the real issues the revised MOTD was a joke. Only someone who hates both football and their fellow human beings could be deluded by that.