BBC announces Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan as new Match of the Day presenters

The BBC’s flagship soccer present, Match of the Day, shall be introduced by Kelly Cates, Mark Chapman and Gabby Logan from subsequent season.

For the primary time, the function of lead presenter throughout the BBC’s iconic Premier League highlights programmes, Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, and the most recent addition to the BBC’s soccer highlights portfolio, Match of the Day Champions League, shall be shared by three presenters.

The extremely revered trio, who additionally work throughout different components of BBC Sport, shall be on the coronary heart of BBC Sport’s stellar soccer crew that features Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Alex Scott, Jason Mohammad, Kelly Somers, John Murray and Steve Crossman.

Gary Lineker, who’s stepping apart from Match of the Day this summer season after 26 years, continues to be an enormous a part of the BBC Sport household, presenting the boys’s FA Cup and males’s 2026 World Cup.

Match of the Day first aired in 1964 and the trio are the sixth set of principal presenters for the weekly soccer highlights programme. It’s simply as treasured by audiences now because it was again then, bringing individuals collectively week in, week out. Final season 33 million viewers tuned in throughout all Match of the Day Premier League and FA Cup programmes on BBC TV and iPlayer, whereas hundreds of thousands extra benefit from the opinion and evaluation on the BBC Sport web site, app and social channels.

Gabby Logan, who can also be on the coronary heart of the BBC’s rugby and athletics protection, mentioned: “It’s at all times an actual second [sitting in the chair] as a result of it has such historical past. It’s nonetheless so related to so many individuals now and talked about in a panorama the place TVs modified a lot.

“There’s an unlimited duty to ensure we proceed to evolve whereas on the similar time respecting the traditions of Match of the Day. Folks wish to see the objectives, they wish to see the incidents, they wish to see the moments everybody’s speaking about, so whereas we will tinker on the edges, the core is the soccer.”

On changing into one of many presenters Kelly Cates, who can even proceed her function with Sky Sports activities, mentioned: “As soon as I sit in that chair and the theme music begins, I simply know that’s going to be a extremely unimaginable second. I’ve labored with a variety of the pundits earlier than they usually’re all unbelievable, so I’m simply wanting ahead to getting began.

“I’ve identified Gabby and Mark very well for years so to convey all of it collectively, embracing the digital facet of issues, it appears like a extremely complete soccer package deal for followers and that’s what makes it so thrilling too.”

On sharing the function with Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan, Mark Chapman, mentioned: “This isn’t concerning the three of us, it’s concerning the three of us plus our pundits, plus our editors, plus our analysts and stats individuals and manufacturing individuals, radio and on-line. Genuinely that is about all of us as a division working collectively.

Mark Chapman, who will proceed his common programmes on BBC Radio 5 Reside, together with Saturdays with the enduring Sports activities Report, added: “I do know the historical past of a variety of radio programmes and TV programmes and I do really feel honoured to be following within the footsteps of the people who we’re following in and respectful of what they’ve finished.”

Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport added: “I do know viewers will love these three unimaginable broadcasters and journalists on the coronary heart of our soccer protection subsequent season. They’re sensible at what they do and Match of the Day viewers might be positive they are going to be effectively taken care of as the massive soccer speaking factors are expertly analysed.

“Gary has finished an outstanding job at Match of the Day for the final 26 years, he’ll be missed tremendously and all of us nonetheless get to get pleasure from him on our screens throughout a few of soccer’s biggest tournaments.

“Outdoors of Match of the Day we’ve obtained some nice new reveals, voices and surprises lined up for the 2025/26 season throughout audio, video and digital and we sit up for sharing them with you all later within the 12 months. It’s a very thrilling time for BBC Sport’s soccer protection.”

BBC Sport stays the house for soccer followers from throughout the UK, bringing collectively as much as 5 million viewers each weekend with its Match of the Day programmes, plus Champions League highlights, FA Cup and Girls’s Tremendous League, in addition to stay radio commentaries of the most important video games on BBC Radio 5 Reside and Sounds and being the go-to vacation spot for stay textual content and on-line protection for followers.

This summer season, the Lionesses will hope to retain their title as European Champions on the Girls’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland. The BBC will ship stay protection throughout TV, radio and on-line all through the competitors.

RM4