Exclusive: BBC named “Match of the Day” for Gen-Z

Jermaine Jenas leads Match of the Day spin-off Photo: BBC

MOTDx, Match of the Day led by Jermaine Jenas spin-off off was quietly axed, raising further questions about the wisdom of the BBC's «youth focus».

The corporation confirmed that the show aims to capture the coveted 16-34 year old market by mixing football, music and culture. canceled after four years.

News of its closure comes less than a month after the row over the future of Football Focus erupted, which has troubled viewers since Alex Scott replaced Dan. Walker as presenter.

It also comes weeks after Jenas, who has been leading a campaign to defend football match officials, was forced to apologize for calling a referee a «complete bastard» on X after his former club Tottenham Hotspur's Premier League draw with Arsenal.< /p>

Stressing that the decision to cancel MOTDx was made before the start of the season, a BBC spokesman said: “We have made some changes to our football production this season, which means we will be producing even more digital content for audiences across BBC Sport platforms.

“While we are proud of MOTDx and would like to thank everyone involved, it will no longer continue.”

The BBC Three program provided a platform for Jenas, who now co-hosts primetime show The One Show, to hone his presentation skills, prompting talk of him being groomed to replace Gary Lineker in the actual Match of the Day.

Football Focus row

Scott has also been linked with a Match of the Day role, but her bid may have received a boost last month when it emerged that Football Focus had seen viewing figures fall sharply since she replaced Walker.

This news caused a stir. public row between the pair after Walker, who moved to Channel 5 last year, wrote on X: “Hard to imagine Football Focus struggling. I loved this show growing up and it was an honor to present it and I still miss it to this day.

“We put everything into this show every week and worked hard to keep it relevant. I hope it remains part of the television landscape.”

Scott responded with «interesting» to what online readers perceived as a dig at her predecessor, before Walker said the series was facing challenges in a competitive market.

«I'm not saying you don't [ worked hard] Alex,” Walker said. “It’s a saturated market and you have to work hard every week. I hope you have a good show today.»

Mark Lawrenson, who was sacked last year after appearing on the program for 25 years, said Football Focus had «served its time» but the BBC insisted on showing. remained popular with viewers.

The corporation's ongoing search for a young audience recently suffered a setback when a survey found that young people found it uncool.

This comes two years after the announcement her. plans to revive youth-focused BBC Three with a £72 million budget in a bid to attract viewers under 34.

In 2020, Ofcom found that over 55s were unhappy with the broadcaster's new direction.

Last year, Tim Davie, the director general of the BBC, announced that the «yield to youth» would be ended.