Match of the Day name change explained after Gary Lineker exit sparks huge BBC decision

BBC football highlights programme Match of the Day will be much-changed for the 2025/26 season. For the first time, the Sunday show will no longer be Match of the Day 2 - as the 2 has been dropped - and it will now also be known as Match of the Day.

The same applies to the midweek Champions League highlights show. Their rebrand aims to simplify the BBC football programming as all versions, whether Saturday, Sunday or midweek, share the same format and production style. The revamp comes after long-time presenter Gary Lineker left the BBC at the end of last season.

Gabby Logan, Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman will now share the hosting role, rotating through the three shows. The latter will host Saturday's show, alongside Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney, on the opening weekend. Micah Richards will also remain a regular in the studio this season despite not featuring on the first Saturday show.

READ MORE: Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham given transfer deadline ahead of Premier League fixtures

READ MORE: Chelsea champions, Arsenal £52m transfer flop, Eddie Howe sacked - Premier League predictions

Chapman has recently addressed to change of name. "I'm intrigued because I've never viewed Saturdays and Sundays as any different," he told the Radio Times.

Logan added: "There have been a lot of occasions where the Sunday show has been a stronger line-up. It's not Match of the Day 1, Match of the Day 2 - it's just Match of the Day."

Cates fronted the first midweek highlights programme of the 2025/26 campaign - following the UEFA Super Cup between Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain. Danny Murphy and Rooney joined her as pundits alongside the journalist Julien Laurens.

Much has changed since Lineker left, but the BBC remains confident that the new arrangement will help maintain Match of the Day's robust viewing figures. The programme has consistently drawn in around 3.5million viewers - in recent seasons - despite competition from live TV matches, streaming services and social media clips.