Match Of The Day Continues Technological Legacy With New Podcast

Match of the Day, or MOTD as it is affectionately known, has a special place in the hearts of English soccer fans.

Ever since the first episode of Britain’s first-ever regular soccer show was broadcast on August 22, 1964, generations of fans have tuned in on a Saturday night for a review of the day’s action. From the iconic theme tune to the goal of the month competition, MOTD is entrenched in soccer culture.

The origins of the show owe much to the suspicion of broadcasting technologies held by English soccer authorities. They feared live coverage would negatively impact attendance at matches, and an ill-fated attempt by ITV in the early 1960s reinforced this view.

The Football League was, however, much more receptive to the idea of a weekly highlights show.

MOTD podcast

Even though the BBC was banned from revealing the identity of the match it was covering in advance, the show went from strength-to-strength and now covers every single Premier League match.

MOTD has maintained its relevancy through a combination of tradition and technology. In an era when fans can watch up to five live Premier League matches each weekend and have access to highlights on their smartphones, MOTD offers a more considered approach than two-minute clips.

However, from its inception, MOTD has been a technological showcase for the BBC. One of the reasons that England won the rights to host the 1966 World Cup was that it had promised FIFA that all matches would be captured using electronic cameras. MOTD was a way for the BBC to train camera crews and production teams ahead of the event.

The first episode was transmitted on BBC 2, which offered a clearer 625 line picture rather than the 405 line image that British viewers were accustomed to, while the 2000s saw the introduction of high definition broadcasts and the 2010s has seen the BBC dabble with 4K Ultra-High Definition. Viewers can now watch MOTD whenever they want via the BBC iPlayer streaming service.

The latest stage in this development is the launch of a podcast, building on the legacy of BBC Radio and the recent investments in the BBC Sounds audio streaming platform.

Technological legacy

Each week, presenter Gary Lineker and pundits Alan Shearer and Ian Wright will produce a top 10 on a variety of topics. For example, one episode will focus on Premier League captains, while another will focus on modern-day goalkeepers.

“Pulling a top 10 together seems an easy task but when you think back over the years we soon found out it was quite a challenge and one that sparked off many a debate,” says Lineker. “There are so many amazing talking points in football, past and present, so it’s a pleasure to have Alan and Ian round my place to discuss these for the podcast.”

“We know not everyone is going to agree with our final top 10 lists but we want the podcast to create a wider conversation and buzz,” added Wright.

It is a timely launch given that MOTD is off the air due to the suspension of the Premier League, while the fact it is recorded in Lineker’s kitchen means the team won’t have to travel to work.

It’s also another example of the BBC bypassing its linear radio networks. The corporation will hope Match of the Day: Top 10 will replicate the success of the award-winning That Peter Crouch Podcast and ensure the corporation remains relevant in the digital era.

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