ADRIAN CHILES IS to be replaced as the face of ITV football with BBC Radio 5 Live’s Mark Pougatch taking his place with immediate effect.
With ITV recently confirming that Andy Townsend’s contract would not be renewed at the end of the season – not to mention former analysts Roy Keane and Martin O’Neill currently occupied with Ireland duty – it marks the latest in a series of significant changes for the broadcaster over the last couple of years.
Chiles joined ITV from the BBC five years ago when he was signed to anchor both their football coverage and a new breakfast show called Daybreak. While the latter was subsequently dropped, Chiles became synonymous with football on ITV even if his presenting style was somewhat divisive.
ITV, of course, will lose the rights to Champions League football at the end of the season as BT Sport takes over having paid nearly £900 million for a three-year exclusive deal.
Pougatch will assume his role as anchor when he presents the broadcaster’s live coverage of Chelsea and PSG in the last-16 of the Champions League.
A well-respected broadcaster, Pougatch will continue to present shows on 5 Live but no longer retains his role as the station’s lead football anchor.
