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The group of three will replace Lineker, who will retire after 26 years in the hosting position.
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Chapman has now provided a glimpse of what viewers can anticipate from the trio.
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Mark Chapman has shared some insights into what viewers can anticipate from the upcoming Match of the Day lineup for the next season — and it’s pretty much business as usual.
Chapman will join forces with
Gabby Logan
and
Kelly Cates
to host the
BBC
‘s premier football program starting from the beginning of the upcoming season, with
Gary Lineker
resigning from the position after serving as chairman for 26 years.
When Cates, Chapman, and Logan start their new roles following Lineker’s exit, they will divide the responsibilities of hosting Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2 among themselves.
Chapman, who spoke at the
2024 Sports Journalism Awards
, has been a familiar face on the BBC for several years, often hosting the Match of the Day 2 coverage on Sundays.
He has similarly collaborated with Cates at Sky Sports, whereas Logan also brings hosting experience for the program.
Fans have gained insights into upcoming changes for next year directly from the source, as Chapman was queried about what to anticipate during the 2025-26 season.
‘There’s nothing different,’ Chapman says. I understand folks continue to say, “This will change,” or “That will shift.” However, I truly believe nothing will be altered.
‘It will still be showing all the highlights and having a bit of a chat. So, if you’re wanting a lot of change, I suppose you’re going to be a bit disappointed by it.
‘I believe we’ll simply end up discussing football, having a good time, and that’ll wrap things up.’
Logan, who was unveiled by the BBC in January, disclosed that both herself and the other hosts took significant measures to maintain confidentiality about the announcement prior to its release.
The three formed a covert WhatsApp group to talk about everything related to Match of the Day and strengthen their connection before the major revelation, going as far as deleting messages to ensure the information remained confidential among themselves.
“I didn’t share this with my mother,” Logan stated, revealing that he had only informed her husband and ex-Scotland rugby player Kenny about it.
I created a group chat named ‘The Match of the Day Three,’ and we had self-destructing messages because Chappers was quite paranoid about privacy. The only one who knew about it was Kenny!
As reported, BBC executives led by their newly appointed Director of Sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, are keen on steering the program towards a new direction through the addition of Logan, Chapman, and Cates.
Introducing a revolving group of hosts along with two women as presenters marks significant upheaval for Match of the Day, which has seen Lee Dixon in the lead role for more than 25 years.
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