Welcome to The Addition, where I cover the crossover between culture, media and sport.

Hate to say I told you so. Ok, I don't. It has been revealed that Gary Lineker is leaving Match of the Day at the end of this season. He will leave the BBC completely at the end of the 2026 World Cup. I've said for a while that I thought this would be his last season presenting the flagship football highlights show, and that is how it has turned out.

The truth is, this just works for everyone. As The Sun pointed out, Lineker can focus on his growing podcast presence. And he can post even more on social media without having to worry about BBC rules. Aunty itself will get to save some money by having its highest-paid presenter leave.

It's fair to say Lineker's departure is not being universally mourned. There has long resentment about the fact he could get away with commenting in a way many other colleagues, from Carol Vorderman to regular newsroom staffers, could not. One former BBC staffer, who referred to Lineker as a "sanctimonious pain in the arse" said that "it's good for the DG [Director General Tim Davie] he’s gone." It probably means there will be fewer public rows and presenter strikes for him to clear up.

Another former Beeb employee told me that they doubted the exit would "make a huge difference to the BBC or BBC Sport. MotD doesn’t stand or fall on its presenters." They also thought it wouldn't stop the Daily Mail's anti-BBC campaign, "because Lineker was never the issue for the Mail. The issue is undermining the existence of the BBC."

​Read more​

WSL Media Fixes Much, But Not Timing Clashes

Back at the start of the season, I pondered (and hoped) that the introduction of YouTube into the WSL media mix might help it have a breakthrough moment like the WNBA enjoyed in its latest season. A new media deal shows that things are really looking forward.

In brief, the new deal is with Sky and the BBC. It lasts five years and Sky is putting the bulk of the money in. Consequently, it gets the bulk of the games. Sky can show up to 118 matches, 78 exclusively, 34 will be shared between Sky and the league’s YouTube channel, with seven on both Sky and the BBC. Fans are going to be able to watch every WSL game from next season. The whole thing is worth 82% more than the existing deal. All-in-all, it’s a significant development for media coverage of the women’s game in the UK.

One of the big issues that needs to be sorted out, but only partially has with this deal, is the clashes with men’s football. Often the men’s and women’s teams from the same club can be playing on the same day, sometimes at exactly the same time, making it impossible for fans to follow both. The men’s side will usually be the winner in these circumstances.

​Read the full article more with a paid subscription.​

£5.00 / month Paid Newsletter Take out a paid subscription to The Addition for member-only newsletter containing extra insights and scoops about the... Read more Get it now!

​

​