Kelly Cates Leaves Sky Sports and Joins BBC Team

Kelly Cates leaves Sky Sports to join the 'BBC', becoming part of a new presenting team on 'Match of the Day'.

In a significant hit to Sky Sports, Kelly Cates is set to join the BBC and become part of a new 'three-person hosting team' on 'Match of the Day', according to reports. It was confirmed last month that Gary Lineker would step down as host of MOTD at the end of the season, marking the end of his 26-year tenure. He is also slated to officially exit the BBC after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Lineker's annual salary of £1.35 million will be reduced at the end of 2024/25 before he completely leaves the BBC in a year and a half. 'I believe now is the right time,' the former England manager remarked about his decision. 'I think with the new [highlights] contract, they're looking to do Match of the Day slightly differently, so it makes sense for someone else to take the lead,' he added on The Rest is Football podcast.

Rumors suggest that after Lineker's departure, Match of the Day 2 host Mark Chapman quickly emerged as the favorite replacement, though Gabby Logan and Sky Sports' Kelly Cates were also reportedly top candidates. There were whispers of possibly selecting more than one host, which seems to be the direction the BBC intends to go.

According to reports, 'Cates is joining the BBC to host MOTD, in a major blow to Sky Sports'. The 49-year-old will apparently form a 'three-person presenting team' alongside Logan and Chapman. The Glasgow-origin daughter of 'Liverpool' legend Kenny Dalglish has extensive experience working on radio with BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT, as well as television for ESPN, STV, Channel 5, among others.

The report claims that Cates has been identified by the BBC as the leading external candidate to replace Lineker, with duties on MOTD and MOTD 2 to be shared among all three hosts. The 63-year-old Lineker, who took on the presenting role of the iconic BBC show in 1999, will end his run after 26 years. Newly appointed sports director Alex Kay-Jelski and executives intend to shift the show in a fresh direction.