BBC cancels long-running Football Focus

Football Focus

NEWS BRIEF: UK public broadcaster BBC One has cancelled Saturday lunchtime staple Football Focus, which it has been airing since 1974, providing fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the sport ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

The BBC said changing audience behaviours meant fans are now increasingly consuming football content in different ways and it needs to “respond appropriately as we face difficult decisions around how the licence fee is spent.” The pubcaster said it would significantly increase its digital output across its platforms as well as making exclusive content for YouTube. From next season, The Football Interview will move to Saturday at 12.45 on BBC One.