BBC Cuts Ski Sunday as Wider Sports Shake-Up Continues

In a move that will be devastating for many skiers, BBC Sport has decided to say farewell to Ski Sunday, ending a remarkable run over nearly five decades.

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Since its debut in 1978, Ski Sunday has become an iconic part of the winter sports calendar, bringing the excitement, drama and beauty of the action on the snow to audiences across the UK

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Throughout its long run, the programme has played a key role in showcasing outstanding athletes and telling the biggest snow sport stories.

The success and longevity of Ski Sunday is a testament to the extraordinary people who have worked on the programme throughout its history, both on screen and behind the scenes. Their brilliance, passion, expertise and dedication have made the programme a trusted and much-loved destination for winter sports fans.

Pop Goes Bach, the show's theme tune and better known as simply the "Ski Sunday theme" has become a household staple and one of the most instantly recognisable pieces of music in the UK. In recent years, the show has moved away from being purely racing related to more of a magazine-style show, with ex-racer and Olympian Chemmy Alcott and co-presenter Ed Leigh at the helm.

Changing audience behaviours and the tough financial decisions needed to meet savings requirements mean BBC Sport must continually review how it delivers value for licence fee payers and serves audiences across all platforms. This decision forms part of that process.

BBC Sport will continue to showcase the biggest winter sports moments, including at the Winter Olympics.

Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sport Events, said: "Ski Sunday has been a truly iconic programme and a much-loved part of BBC Sport's output for many years. Generations of viewers have enjoyed its coverage of the best in winter sports. We are enormously proud of the role it has played in bringing these moments to audiences across the UK, and extremely grateful to the brilliant people who have delivered them, not least the current outstanding team.

"These decisions are never easy, but as audience viewing habits evolve and we work to deliver value for licence fee payers, we have to make tough choices. We remain committed to bringing audiences the very best of winter sport, above all at the Winter Olympics, across BBC Sport's platforms."

Former presenter Chemmy Alcott wrote on Instagram about the news "for 39 years, Ski Sunday has been part of my life. As a racer, being interviewed on the show made me so proud [and] holding that yellow mic will always be one of my proudest moments. Our winter sports community will miss Ski Sunday enormously."