Sky finally confirm Soccer AM will be axed as date set for final episode
Sky bosses have confirmed that Soccer AM will be axed at the end of the season after nearly three decades on screens.
Reports that the long-running Saturday morning breakfast show would be coming to an end in May first started in March and Sky have now confirmed that the last show will air on May 27.
A statement said: "Following a thorough consultation process, Sky can confirm that the final live broadcast of Soccer AM will be on Saturday 27 May – the final weekend of the football season. Soccer AM has been hugely popular with audiences over almost three decades, engaged hundreds of celebrity guests and musical acts all brought together by a shared love of football."
Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht added: “We’d like to thank the Soccer AM team for their professionalism during a difficult period. We would also like to thank them, and all their former colleagues, for their contribution to Sky Sports over three amazing decades.”
Indeed, following consultations, those within the Sky hierarchy have made the decision to scrap the programme, with the show scheduled to run for 90 minutes on May 27 to be the last.
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It is a decision that will certainly leave many fans with a mix of sadness and nostalgia, given that at one time Soccer AM was part of many supporters' pre-match tradition.
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Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy used to present Soccer AM at its peak (REX/Shutterstock)Combing many fans' love of music and football in 1995, Soccer AM played a vital part in providing a solid platform to a number of bands who have since gone on to achieve great things within the music industry.
It was Soccer AM who was responsible for a popular campaign calling for the introduction of a gold star to England’s shirt to recognise the 1966 World Cup win.
While the show has seen a number of presenters host the show, the pair that enjoyed the most popularity were Tim Lovejoy and Helen Chamberlain, who left in 2007 and 2017 respectively.
A number of regular features on the programme became cult offerings such as the Fans of the Week, the Car Park Game and the Soccerette, though the latter was dropped in 2015 after facing severe criticism.
Though in its pomp Soccer AM was watched by millions, the programme has seen both viewership and its run-time reduce in recent years. Once a four-hour long programme, the current length is a mere 90 minutes.
Speaking to Mirror Sport, current host Jimmy Bullard previously revealed how testing it was to keep the programme relevant.
"It's hard trying to refresh a show every single week with all the new material," he said. "We also sling in there a bit of comedy and also us being serious doing nice chats so putting it all together is not easy."
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