BBC to hold 'urgent talks' with football show in crisis and potentially facing axe
BBC show Football Focus could be scrapped with the programme struggling to attract viewers
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The BBC will reportedly hold 'urgent talks' over Football Focus with viewing figures dropping and not up to scratch.
The programme has been going for 49 years, with the first episode broadcasted all the way back in 1974.
However, it's struggling to get viewers these days with the show losing more than one third of its early-season audience in the space of four years.
Football Focus' average weekly viewing figures for August have fallen from 849,000 in 2019 to just 564,000 last month.
BBC show Football Focus has been running since 1974
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For now, the show isn't under immediate threat of being axed.
But the corporation's new director of sport will need to address the issue and there are fears it may eventually be scrapped.
The huge fall in viewing figures has also coincided with Alex Scott replacing Dan Walker as the programme's host two years ago.
BBC bosses reportedly aren't blaming Scott, however.
She is said to be 'highly regarded' and they plan on giving her a 'prominent presenting role' at the Olympics in Paris next summer.
Former Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson, who was a regular on the show before leaving last year, has claimed the increased competition has contributed to Football Focus' decline.
"It has served its time," he told the Daily Mail.
"It's a football magazine show but there are so many other options for viewers these days and so much competition.
"It doesn't surprise me.
"Football Focus is coming up to 50 years, which is an unbelievable run, although there was no competition 50 years ago."
A spokeperson from the BBC is also quoted as saying: "Football Focus continues to herald the start of a whole weekend of sporting coverage across BBC Sport.
"Week-on-week it is the most watched programme during that time slot and iPlayer viewing figures are also strong, so we know its popularity is enduring for fans."
Should Football Focus be scrapped, it'll be the second football show to suffer that kind of fate.
Sky Sports controversially axed Soccer AM last year, much to the annoyance of many supporters.
They made the decision because the drop in weekly viewers was simply too big to ignore.
Its Saturday morning slot has now been taken up by Saturday Social.
YouTubers and other social media stars are usually prominent figures - with bosses hoping to appeal to younger audiences.
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The BBC are refusing to blame Alex Scott as Football Focus struggles
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Many feel it's a poor substitute, however. And whether the BBC ultimately opt to axe Football Focus remains to be seen.
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