BBC Ends "Iconic" Sports Programme After Five Decades – and Reveals Why
- On Tuesday, the BBC announced the end of Ski Sunday after nearly 50 years on air, concluding the iconic winter sports programme following careful consideration by BBC Sport.
- BBC Sport cited "changing audience behaviours and the tough financial decisions needed to meet savings requirements" as reasons for discontinuing the programme to "deliver value for licence fee payers."
- Originally launched in 1978, Ski Sunday featured the theme tune "Pop Looks Bach," with four-time Olympian Chemmy Alcott and Ed Leigh presenting alongside reporters Graham Bell and Phil Young.
- Philip Bernie, head of BBC Sport Events, paid tribute to "the extraordinary people who have worked on the programme throughout its history," as the cancellation follows Football Focus ending after 52 years earlier in 2026.
- Despite the cancellation, the BBC remains "committed to bringing audiences the very best of winter sport, above all at the Winter Olympics, across BBC Sport's platforms.
14 Articles
14 Articles
BBC scrap iconic sports show after nearly 50 years on air
BBC scrap iconic sports show after nearly 50 years on air . The BBC has confirmed it is pulling the plug on Ski Sunday, bringing to a close a programme that has graced British television screens for nearly half a century
BBC ends "iconic" sports programme after five decades – and reveals why
BBC has called time on "iconic" winter sports show Ski Sunday after nearly 50 years on our screens.The much-loved programme has brought all the biggest snow sports stories and athletes into British homes since its debut in 1978.Ski Sunday has been a central part of UK winter sports coverage over the past five decades and, alongside its unmistakable theme tune, included a combination of event highlights, interviews and features.However, the broad…
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