BBC Sport make major change to when Premier League highlights will be shown in move that will impact Match of the Day

THE BBC will show Premier League highlights much earlier on Saturday nights – amid a shake-up of their weekend football coverage.

Presenters like Alan Shearer, Joe Hart and Alex Scott were among 200 people at a summit at Gary Neville’s Hotel Football to discuss changes.

Reuters

Gary Lineker is departing MOTD at the end of the season[/caption]

Getty

Alex Scott is one of three presenters replacing Lineker[/caption]

From next season, a new TV deal means highlights and analysis from Saturday action will be available from 8pm online and via the iPlayer.

Flagship show Match of the Day will escape much of the Beeb’s revamp – apart from the long-known exit of Gary Lineker as host after 26 years.

Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan will instead share the MOTD helm from 2025-26.

It’s understood the hotel meeting heard the programme will stick to its tried and tested format of highlights and pundits’ assessments.

Nonetheless, BBC chairman Samir Shah has hinted that won’t last for too much longer.

The Manchester United fan told the Times MOTD “should not be built around highlights”.

Shah added: “It should be built around analysis and examination of the match to give viewers a deeper insight.” 

But Saturday lunchtime programme Football Focus WILL get an overhaul next term.

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The hotel summit, headed by BBC director of sport Alex Kay-Jelski, was told the pre-match show would get a sharper edge.

That includes players facing tougher interviews, with more sparring between pundits and fewer softer features.

The announcements came a day after the BBC offered voluntary redundancy to most of the staff in their sports department.

That’s seen as part of a move towards focusing more on online output.