BBC presenter opens up on exit and fears for future of Match of the Day
John Inverdale has opened up on his departure from the BBC after 30 years, after undertaking his final position with the broadcaster at Wimbledon.
Inverdale, 65, is a legendary figure in sports presenting, having fronted coverage of events including the Olympics, the Grand National and the World Cup across the BBC and ITV. He was the face of the BBC's rugby coverage but announced in 2021 that he was stepping down after taking a role on the RFU board.
His last presenting job was in the Six Nations that year but he has continued to work in the commentary booth at Wimbledon since then. Inverdale has now hung up his mic for good, having signed off at the men's doubles final earlier this month.
"Whenever a football manager leaves they leave by mutual consent, and you go ‘yeah right’. For the first time ever, this was by mutual consent. We both felt it was probably time," he told the Telegraph.
Inverdale is one of a number of iconic broadcasters who have left their respective roles in recent times. His former colleague Sue Barker stepped down after Wimbledon a year ago, while the likes of Jeff Stelling and Martin Tyler have departed Sky Sports before the new Premier League season.
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He admits the sports broadcasting industry is changing after realising in his new role that rugby fans couldn't even watch highlights lower down the pyramid. Inverdale, who has also presented the World's Strongest Man, concedes: "It’s very hard to know how the old way of doing something fits.
"People say ‘oh we’ve got to get a younger audience in’. Why? Because the 40-year-olds will be 60 in 20 years time, then you’ve got your audience, so don’t worry about it. I think you can go off in a kind of mad pursuit of something that doesn’t really exist, when actually it will come to you.”
John Inverdale presented a number of major events for the BBC (PA)Inverdale also suggested iconic shows such as Match of the Day may soon be a thing of the past, with BBC showing Premier League highlights since the competition's inception in 1992.
“Will Match of the Day exist in 10 years’ time? I really don’t know," Inverdale admits. "Part of me thinks, why would it? Not because it’s not any good, but what void is it filling?”
Gary Lineker is again set to present highlights of the opening weekend matches when the new campaign gets underway on August 12. BBC will again screen Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights this season.
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