Mark Chapman has officially taken the reins as one of the new presenters of "Match of the Day," following Gary Lineker's departure from the BBC. The first episode of the season aired on August 16, 2025, at 10.20pm. Chapman is joined by Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates, with the trio rotating their presenting duties throughout the season.
Chapman, known as "Chappers," started the show with a lighthearted joke, acknowledging the changes while maintaining a sense of continuity. He quipped, "The Premier League is back and Match of the Day is back. You may have seen and heard there's a big change to the show this season, and that is that Wayne Rooney has joined is us as a regular pundit. Some things don't change though, and Alan (Shearer) is still here".
Gary Lineker's departure from "Match of the Day" came after 26 years at the helm. His exit followed a dispute over a social media post concerning Zionism, which he later apologized for. Lineker was originally slated to continue with the BBC, covering the 2026 World Cup and FA Cup. In his final broadcast, Lineker spoke highly of Chapman, Cates, and Logan, expressing confidence in their abilities to lead the show. When asked if he had offered any advice to his successors, Chapman recounted Lineker's response: "Why? What? What on earth would I be doing phoning you three up to offer you tips? Why would I be deemed to be that arrogant to do that?".
Mark Chapman has been a familiar face on BBC Sport for many years. He has hosted "Match of the Day 2" on Sunday nights since 2013 and has occasionally filled in for Lineker on the Saturday show. Chapman also presents various sports programs on BBC Radio 5 Live and was BBC Sport's chief rugby league presenter.
The new presenting team of Chapman, Cates, and Logan marks a shift for "Match of the Day," with two women joining the lineup. Kelly Cates noted that the new team is different from Gary Lineker, who had a high profile as a former England legend. Cates hosted a program previewing the new Premier League season alongside Rooney, Danny Murphy, and Julien Laurens. Gabby Logan is scheduled to host the Sunday night program.
The first "Match of the Day" episode of the season covered several Premier League matches, including Aston Villa v Newcastle United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City. Other matches analyzed were Liverpool v Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion v Fulham, Sunderland v West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley. The Sunday show was scheduled to cover Manchester United v Arsenal, Nottingham Forest v Brentford, and Chelsea v Crystal Palace. Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney joined Chapman on Saturday night to analyze the matches. Gabby Logan will host the Sunday night show with expert analysis from Joe Hart and Danny Murphy.
