Gary Lineker Reveals BBC’s Contractual Agreement with Premier League for Match of the Day
In a recent revelation, Gary Lineker has shared that the BBC has a contractual agreement with the Premier League that limits the amount of game time that can be shown on Match of the Day. This agreement came to light as only two Premier League games took place on Saturday, with Arsenal hosting Crystal Palace and Brentford facing Nottingham Forest.
The unusual fixture scheduling resulted in alterations to the BBC highlights show, allowing host Alex Scott and pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams more time for analysis. However, former Manchester City star Micah Richards jokingly commented that Shearer spoke too much during the 35-minute show.
During an episode of The Rest is Football podcast, Richards humorously criticized Shearer for over-analyzing a situation, particularly focusing on Martin Odegaard’s socks. Shearer defended their extensive analysis by explaining that they had two hours to spare in the afternoon and needed to fill the time.
Gary Lineker then joined the conversation to shed light on why the pundits were forced to spend more time on analysis. He revealed that the BBC is only allowed to use a limited amount of match footage, with a maximum of approximately 12 minutes per game. This contractual obligation influenced the decision to have longer discussions when there are fewer games to cover.
While discussing Arsenal’s 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace on the show, Ashley Williams noticed a potential set-piece “trigger” from Martin Odegaard involving the midfielder adjusting his socks. Williams explained that there is often a signal or indication for specific movements during set-pieces, and Odegaard’s consistent behavior with his socks caught their attention.
In conclusion, Gary Lineker’s revelation about the BBC’s contractual agreement with the Premier League sheds light on why Match of the Day sometimes features longer analysis segments. The limited amount of match footage available to the BBC necessitates more in-depth discussions when fewer games are played.