BBC Match of the Day's new trio of hosts 'to be paid less combined than Gary Lineker'
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Match of the Day’s three new presenters could receive a lower salary combined than what Gary Lineker was paid. Lineker’s departure from the BBC’s flagship football programme was announced in November, with the 64-year-old stepping away at the end of the 2024/25 Premier League season in May. It marks the end of an iconic 25-year stint as host, though Lineker will still be on hand to front the broadcaster’s coverage of the 2025/26 FA Cup as well as the 2026 World Cup.
After much speculation surrounding his successor, it is now being reported that Match of the Day 2’s Mark Chapman, long-time BBC sports presenter Gabby Logan, and Sky Sports’ Kelly Cates will all take on the role, sharing the responsibility between them.
However, according to football finance expert Dr Rob Wilson, the combined salary of all three is unlikely to match the mammoth contract Lineker was on for the role. Speaking to Card Player, Dr Wilson, a professor of Applied Sports Finance at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "I don’t think that Kelly Cates will take a pay cut and I also think that the sum total of the three presenters will be less than what they were paying Gary Lineker.
"So I think the BBC will end up making a financial surplus on Gary moving on and new presenters moving in, notwithstanding the fact that the new presenters will probably be on a little bit more than they were in their previous jobs.". Lineker’s £1.35million-per-year salary, thanks to his work on Match of the Day, the FA Cup, Euros and Sports Personality of the Year award, made him the BBC’s highest earner for a number of years. His new contract is understood to pay at least £500,000 less, as per The Sun, due to the reduced workload.
