Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Fresh

Match of the Day (1964)

08/22/1964 (EN) 62 Seasons
News Talk

Overview

BBC's football highlights and analysis. "The longest-running football television programme in the world" as recognised by Guinness World Records in 2015.

Seasons & Episodes

Season 1964/65

37 episodes

Match of the Day begins on 22 August 1964, for coverage of Liverpool versus Arsenal. Kenneth Wolstenholme opens the programme with the words: "Welcome...

Aired: Aug 22, 1964

Season 1965/66

33 episodes

Despite attempts by some clubs to prevent its return due to fear over ticket sales, Match of the Day returned to the BBC in October 1965 two months af...

Aired: Oct 02, 1965

Season 1966/67

40 episodes

In the year that saw England win the World Cup, Match of the Day moves to BBC ONE.

Aired: Aug 20, 1966

Season 1967/68

42 episodes

Once again, protracted negotiations during the summer ensured the return of the show. In order to secure the deal the BBC had to agree to broadcast fi...

Aired: Aug 05, 1967

Season 1968/69

38 episodes

Grandstand presenter David Coleman begins regularly presenting Match of the Day.

Aired: Aug 03, 1968

Season 1969/70

40 episodes

From 1969, the programme becomes live and studio based, rather than being pre-recorded at the ground of the featured match, and there were now two gam...

Aired: Aug 02, 1969

Season 1970/71

43 episodes

1970 saw the introduction of the Goal of the Month competition, which led to thousands of postcards being sent to the BBC.

Aired: Aug 08, 1970

Season 1971/72

43 episodes

John Motson makes his debut as a Match of the Day commentator.

Aired: Jul 31, 1971

Season 1972/73

43 episodes

The current contractual agreement meant that Match of the Day had to lead with a Division Two fixture, and twice with a match from Division Three.

Aired: Jul 29, 1972

Season 1973/74

42 episodes

Match of the Day appoints Jimmy Hill as the new presenter, after signing him from LWT. He was the first to both present the programme and offer expert...

Aired: Aug 11, 1973

Season 1974/75

43 episodes

Match of the Day signs a new three-year contract with the Football League.

Aired: Aug 10, 1974

Season 1975/76

43 episodes

Aired: Aug 09, 1975

Season 1976/77

43 episodes

Aired: Aug 14, 1976

Season 1977/78

41 episodes

Match of the Day celebrates its 500th edition, marked with a special Radio Times cover and a new set of opening titles with hundreds of school childre...

Aired: Aug 13, 1977

Season 1978/79

41 episodes

In November ITV signed a secret three year deal with the Football League to show edited highlights on Saturday nights instead of Sundays in an attempt...

Aired: Aug 19, 1978

Season 1979/80

46 episodes

For the first time Match of the Day was allowed to screen additional games, and on 13 weekends there were highlights from three different matches.

Aired: Aug 11, 1979

Season 1980/81

40 episodes

After 16 seasons in the Saturday night slot, Match of the Day moved to Sunday afternoons.

Aired: Aug 17, 1980

Season 1981/82

42 episodes

The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.

Aired: Aug 22, 1981

Season 1982/83

37 episodes

Aired: Aug 29, 1982

Season 1983/84

37 episodes

Match of the Day was back on Saturday nights as a highlights show but was supplemented by live matches on Friday evenings. The BBC and ITV had been al...

Aired: Aug 20, 1983

Season 1984/85

39 episodes

The show celebrated its 20th anniversary and matches were still being broadcast on Fridays. Most other sports were now seen live on television so the...

Aired: Aug 25, 1984

Season 1985/86

14 episodes

In 1985 the television rights came up for renegotiation and BBC and ITV offered £16m for four years. This was in return for 19 live games plus weekend...

Aired: Aug 10, 1985

Season 1986/87

14 episodes

With highlights out of fashion there were only 14 editions of Match of the Day all season and the only League action came in the seven live games on S...

Aired: Sep 21, 1986

Season 1987/88

19 episodes

The focus was still on the big clubs and the shows were very irregular. They followed the same format as the previous year with a mixture of live Leag...

Aired: Aug 29, 1987

Season 1988/89

13 episodes

Match of the Day celebrated its 25th anniversary and had to cope with the fact that, for the first time since its inception in 1964, it couldn't broad...

Aired: Aug 20, 1988

Season 1989/90

16 episodes

Des Lynam continued to present the show, joined by Jimmy Hill and Terry Venables as regular pundits.

Aired: Aug 12, 1989

Season 1990/91

21 episodes

In the third season of the new contract there were 20 editions of Match of the Day but they were still restricted to covering FA Cup matches.

Aired: Aug 18, 1990

Season 1991/92

22 episodes

After several years of speculation it was announced in February that a new, breakaway FA Premier League was going to be formed. ITV were expected to w...

Aired: Aug 10, 1991

Season 1992/93

46 episodes

With the new season came a new Premier League, a new contract and a new show, fronted by Des Lynam. Des was joined by new regular pundits, Alan Hansen...

Aired: Aug 15, 1992

Season 1993/94

50 episodes

Aired: Aug 07, 1993

Season 1994/95

53 episodes

Match of the Day celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Aired: Aug 14, 1994

Season 1995/96

53 episodes

When Alex Ferguson's side were discussed on Match of the Day on the opening day of the season Des remarked that "United were scarcely recognizable fro...

Aired: Aug 13, 1995

Season 1996/97

53 episodes

Aired: Aug 11, 1996

Season 1997/98

71 episodes

A new four year deal secured Premier League highlights on the BBC. Mark Lawrenson joined Trevor Brooking and Alan Hansen as a regular pundit during th...

Aired: Aug 09, 1997

Season 1998/99

55 episodes

Des Lynam presented 36 of the 45 League and Cup programmes plus eight more UEFA Cup shows. Gary Lineker also fronted five editions with Ray Stubbs hos...

Aired: Aug 15, 1998

Season 1999/2000

90 episodes

Before the season began, on 2 August, Des Lynam resigned from the BBC and moved to ITV to become their main football presenter. Gary Lineker took over...

Aired: Aug 07, 1999

Season 2000/01

57 episodes

ITV won back the Premier League highlights as part of a three year deal. They also obtained Nationwide League rights whilst the BBC regained the FA Cu...

Aired: Aug 19, 2000

Season 2001/02

93 episodes

With Saturday night highlights now being shown on ITV's The Premiership, Match of the Day reverted to covering live FA Cup and England matches as well...

Aired: Aug 12, 2001

Season 2002/03

51 episodes

Aired: Aug 11, 2002

Season 2003/04

113 episodes

In August 2003, it is announced that the BBC has won back the right to show Premiership highlights from 2004, for three years.

Aired: Aug 10, 2003

Season 2004/05

81 episodes

Match of the Day returns to the BBC for the new season, as part of a new football package on the BBC.

Aired: Aug 08, 2004

Season 2005/06

136 episodes

Aired: Aug 07, 2005

Season 2006/07

82 episodes

Aired: Aug 13, 2006

Season 2007/08

72 episodes

Aired: Aug 05, 2007

Season 2008/09

59 episodes

Aired: Aug 16, 2008

Season 2009/10

132 episodes

Aired: Aug 08, 2009

Season 2010/11

63 episodes

Aired: Aug 07, 2010

Season 2011/12

93 episodes

Aired: Aug 07, 2011

Season 2012/13

83 episodes

Aired: Aug 18, 2012

Season 2013/14

108 episodes

Aired: Aug 14, 2013

Season 2014/15

41 episodes

Aired: Aug 10, 2014

Season 2015/16

74 episodes

Aired: Aug 02, 2015

Season 2016/17

46 episodes

Aired: Aug 07, 2016

Season 2017/18

45 episodes

Aired: Aug 06, 2017

Season 2018/19

48 episodes

Aired: Aug 05, 2018

Season 2019/20

50 episodes

Aired: Aug 04, 2019

Season 2020/21

59 episodes

Aired: Aug 29, 2020

Season 2021/22

48 episodes

Aired: Aug 14, 2021

Season 2022/23

44 episodes

Aired: Aug 06, 2022

Season 2023/24

46 episodes

Aired: Aug 12, 2023

Season 2024/25

29 episodes

Aired: Aug 17, 2024

Season 2025/26

4 episodes

Aired: Aug 16, 2025

Match of the Day

Details

First Aired Aug 22, 1964
Last Aired Aug 16, 2025
Seasons 62
Episodes 3197
Language EN
Status Returning Series
Type Talk Show
In Production No

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