Sky Sports have recently announced that they will be cutting half of their football broadcasting team as part of cost-cutting measures ahead of the new Premier League season. Six of the thirteen football reporters, including Guy Havord, Dickie Davis, Bianca Westwood, Greg Whelan, Lynsey Hooper and Jaydee Dyer, were made redundant after consultations were held on redundancies in April. Emma Saunders is the only female football reporter who was able to keep her job, while David Craig, Patrick Davidson, Jonathan Oakes, Johnny Phillips, and Luke Shanley will also remain.
A report suggested that broadcaster, Geoff Shreeves, was also requested to take a significant pay cut to keep his current position with the broadcasting company. Despite the news, Shreeves is now assessing his options since he has been with Sky Sports for over 31 years and is entitled to a substantial redundancy package if he decides to leave and work elsewhere.
Sky Sports’ football coverage will look very different this year with Martin Tyler stepping down as the company’s main commentator, and Jeff Stelling also leaving Soccer Saturday. Besides, Soccer AM, which aired its last episode on the final day of the Premier League season, was discontinued, replaced by Saturday Social, which aired before Soccer AM.
Tyler, who has been with the company for a long time, said that he is not retiring from commentary, clarifying his future plans for commentating outside of Sky Sports. Tyler expressed gratitude towards Sky Sports and said, Along the way, I have worked alongside legions of wonderful professionals in all aspects of the television industry. I thank them all for their support and expertise. It has been an honour to be a member of a very gifted team.
Overall, this news comes as a shock to many football fans who regularly tune in to watch their favourite teams. However, the broadcasting company’s cost-cutting measures signal the company’s intention to focus on areas that promote maximum profitability without compromising quality and relevance.
