Match of the Day 2 confirmed for rebrand as new presenting era dawns
The popular Sunday night show will be simply known as Match of the Day.
Match of the Day 2 has been rebranded for the start of a new era ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season, Radio Times magazine has confirmed.
As of this weekend, the popular Sunday night show, previously hosted solely by broadcaster Mark Chapman, will be simply known as Match of the Day, in line with the Saturday night flagship edition.
Chapman is part of a new trio set to host Match of the Day on Saturday, Sunday and for continental highlights during midweek, to be known as Match of the Day: Champions League.
He will lead coverage of the first Saturday night show of the new era at 10:20pm, before Gabby Logan takes position on the sofa this Sunday evening at 10:30pm.
Kelly Cates, predominantly known for her work hosting live Sky Sports match coverage, will also be part of the rotation, and will make her on-screen BBC debut with a short Premier League preview show at 11:10pm on Wednesday 13th August.
Wayne Rooney will be a key presence across the Match of the Day titles throughout the season after signing a deal worth a reported £800,000 to offer his insights.
The shake-up follows the departure of Gary Lineker following a series of battles with BBC bosses over his social media use.
In November 2024, Lineker was announced to be stepping down from Match of the Day hosting duties at the end of the season, though was due to front the BBC's coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
However, he left the corporation with immediate effect following the final Match of the Day episode of the 2024/25 season after sharing a controversial post deemed anti-Semitic by various groups on social media.
The former England striker continues to feature alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards on the popular The Rest Is Football podcast, which is produced by his company, Goalhanger. He is also set to host new ITV Saturday night game show The Box.
Saturday night's Match of the Day will feature highlights from Aston Villa v Newcastle, Tottenham v Burnley, Wolves v Man City and more.
Sunday will show the best of the action from Chelsea v Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest v Brentford and a huge showdown between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday 12th August – subscribe here.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
