Inside Sky Sports overhaul with new strategy explained after Geoff Shreeves exit
The latest Sky Sports departure was confirmed on Tuesday, with reporter Geoff Shreeves saying goodbye after 32 years in the job.
Shreeves has been part of Sky's coverage of the Premier League since the division was launched in 1992, spending much of his time talking to managers and players in the tunnel. Yet the famous phrase "cheers Geoff" will no longer be heard on Sky.
"You always have to know the best time to leave even the greatest party," said Shreeves on his departure - a sentiment many of his former colleagues share. A number of Sky favourites have left the broadcaster since the start of 2023.
The likes of Martin Tyler, Jeff Stelling and Graeme Souness have said their farewells in recent months, while popular show Soccer AM was axed in May. It's been described by fans as the biggest overhaul at Sky for three decades. So, why is all this change happening now?
Here is the story of the ongoing exodus...
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Jeff Stelling's time as Soccer Saturday's host is over (Getty Images)Writing on the wall
For many years, Sky's strength was its consistency. The same voices were heard on their Premier League coverage, the same pundits appeared on screen, the same four legendary ex-footballers sat alongside Stelling in the Soccer Saturday studio.
Change started to happen in August 2020 when Matt Le Tissier, Charlie Nicholas and Phil Thompson left Soccer Saturday. Their departures took English football by surprise, as the trio were popular among fans and had worked for Sky for years.
Stelling described the decision as "out of the blue". He also described it as "one of my saddest days ever at Sky with the departure of three of my mates". After that, it seemed like only a matter of time before Stelling would be on his way too.
Just 14 months later, Stelling confirmed he would leave Sky in May 2022. He described it as "the best job in the world" but insisted he wouldn't be retiring. It was clear the departures of Le Tissier, Nicholas and Thompson had rocked the Hartlepool United fan.
Stelling changed his mind in March 2022 and carried on for another season alongside a new cast of pundits, but it was obvious his time at Sky would end sooner rather than later. Yet the departures of Shreeves and others have taken viewers by surprise.
A year of change
Graeme Souness wanted to stay at Sky Sports for another year (YouTube/Sky Sports)Sky's first big exit of 2023 was Graeme Souness, who confirmed his departure in April. The Liverpool icon fought back the tears as he spoke about his exit, saying: "I’m going to miss you guys, the guys behind the scenes, our make-up girl, I’ll miss you all."
He faced criticism over his controversial 'man's game' comments, although that incident is not thought to have had any involvement in his exit. His contract wasn't renewed and speaking to The Guardian last month, Souness said: "I was keen to stay another year. They thought it would be a good idea that we called it a day, gave their reasons and I accepted that and have zero complaints about Sky.
"I worked for them maybe 15 years solid – but it’s more like 20 years. They’ve been great for me, gave me the weekends to look forward to, the buzz of live football. But I’m talking to other people and we’ll go again. There’s life in the old dog yet."
Then came the news of Soccer AM's cancellation. The show was a permanent fixture on Sky for nearly three decades but its influence was waning. Lasting three hours in its pomp, the programme was cut to 90 minutes and had lost its edge.
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Soccer AM was a product of the 'lad mag' era and forced to adapt to suit a modern audience. It did that successfully, with the show running for several years under presenters John Fendley and Jimmy Bullard, but it was never as popular as it was in its heyday.
The Saturday morning staple's cancellation led to many staff members leaving Sky. John Fendley, better known as 'Fenners', recently said it was "full time" for him at Sky, while Soccer AM colleague Peter 'Tubes' Dale waved goodbye after 21 years with the company.
John Terry described Tubes, who supports Chelsea, as a "legend" and Frank Lampard added: "You’ve been more than amazing there. Talented and a great lad. Always a pleasure to work with. Wishing you all the best mate."
Many had tipped Tyler, 77, to head for retirement after an incredible career as Sky's lead commentator ended last month. He announced he is still looking for opportunities. Tyler, regarded as 'The Voice' by many fans, has been replaced by social media favourite Peter Drury. The man who was at the heart of so many iconic Premier League moments has moved on.
Stelling's glittering Sky career was celebrated on his final Soccer Special appearance in May, but the company were unable to give Tyler the same send off due to illness. It's unclear if Sky will show a special tribute to later this year, but a Sky Sports YouTube compilation of his finest moments has had almost 200,000 views.
Tyler, Shreeves and Stelling, are not retiring and will surely be seen and heard when the new season gets underway. All of these presenters, pundits and reporters mutually agreed to leave Sky, but they aren't giving up on their careers.
Those exits of such big names are believed to be coincidental, rather than part of a coordinated revamp at the end of the season. Sky have previously insisted they want to "deliver the best experience for customers" by closely monitoring their "changing habits" and taking action when necessary.
On Shreeves' exit on Tuesday, Sky's director of football Gary Hughes said: "Geoff has been an integral part of the Sky Sports football team and the best tunnel reporter in the business, interviewing the biggest names at the biggest games for over 30 years. Geoff leaves with our sincere thanks and best wishes for the future. As Sir Alex always said, Well done, Geoff!"
What's next for Sky Sports?
Kelly Cates will continue to lead Sky Sports' coverage of the Premier League (Dave Shopland/REX/Shutterstock)The big question now is who will be the next to leave Sky? Several Soccer Saturday reporters - including Bianca Westwood and Guy Havord - are rumoured to be heading for the exit, with more fan favourites set to go before the start of the new season.
Yet Sky will bring in new reporters to replace those departing, with matchday reporter and content creator roles now live on their careers' page. "I've never known a time quite like it - and we are all still expecting plenty more change," a source told The Telegraph.
More female presenters, pundits and reporters are expected to be introduced, as Sky push their strategy to give women an equitable chance of succeeding at the company. Kelly Cates, for instance, has become one of Sky's main Premier League presenters alongside David Jones.
Former WSL stars Karen Carney, Izzy Christiansen and Sue Smith have become popular pundits on Sky, while Pien Meulensteen is viewed as a rising star in commentary. Meulensteen won the 'Ones to Watch - On Air' award at this year's Sports Journalism Awards.
Karen Carney is one English football's most respected pundits (Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images)As for Soccer Saturday, it's still unclear who will replace Stelling. Sky have no plans to scrap their flagship football results show, but fans can expect to see a new studio in August.
Sky have lost broadcasting rights to a number of events in recent years, such as Champions League football, Ashes cricket in Australia and Matchroom's boxing fights. Yet most live televised Premier League games in the UK are still shown on Sky.
They will continue to show Women's Super League and English Football League games after recently securing a new deal with the latter organisation. Sky's viewing figures for the WSL have risen by 45 per cent since England won the women's Euros a year ago.
Sky have also added a number of fresh shows to its channels in a bid to attract a new audience. Saturday Social is shown live on Saturday mornings, with prominent YouTubers and influencers - such as Thogden and Rory Jennings - often appearing on the programme.
Shows like Saturday Social don't just bring in new TV viewers, they also boost Sky's audience on social media. Sky's total social media following on their sport channels has risen to 91 million. They've also achieved more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube in the last 12 months.
Sky's coverage of the Premier League is regarded by many as the best in the business with former players - including Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards - leading the way. BT Sport's rebrand as TNT Sports will bring fresh competition - and possible opportunities - with former Sky and talkSPORT presenter Laura Woods expected to replace Jake Humphrey.
Sky Sports have always been ahead of the curve and, with competition only growing, saying goodbye to the likes of Stelling, Tyler and Souness might be a risk worth taking. Only time will tell if that risk pays off.
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