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Sky Sports News cuts leave fan favourite presenters and reporters' jobs at risk

Sky Sports News is set to undergo a major restructuring and a number of high-profile presenters and reporters will reportedly be leaving the broadcaster in the coming weeks

[The Sky Sports News studio]

The Sky Sports News studio(Image: Sky Sports)

Sky Sports is reportedly set to make a number of their top presenters and reporters redundant in a major shake-up.

The sports broadcasting giant broke the news to its staff on Tuesday, revealing that job cuts are on the horizon for Sky Sports News. The 24 hour sports news outlet is gearing up for major changes as bosses aim to make the channel 'more agile'.

While no specific names have been dropped yet, with a consultation period to come first, staff were said to be shocked after a briefing at Sky's HQ.

A spokesperson for Sky Sports News told The Daily Mail: "We've shared proposals with the Sky Sports News team to change how we're structured, aimed at making us more agile and better equipped to serve audiences across TV, digital and social.

"A small number of roles are impacted, and we are now entering a period of consultation with those colleagues."

[Sky Sports News]

Sky want to chase younger audiences(Image: @SkySportsPL)

In a bid to attract a the younger audience, Sky Sports has been gradually introducing influencers and online personalities into their broadcasts.

The network is eager to move with the times, and although they will still be delivering the latest breaking news, they're looking to diversify their content to fit viewer preferences.

According to figures from Ofcom released last year, fewer than half of those aged 16 to 24 are tuning into broadcast TV during an average week.

Sky Sports managing director Jonathan Licht told The Telegraph last year: "Generationally, there comes a time where the people that have been on screen for long periods and people that we've been hugely grateful for their exceptional service, there's going to be points of natural change.

"What happened last year... I think people were joining lots of dots that didn't necessarily exist. There were different circumstances."

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The sports broadcaster has seen its fair share of changes recently, with reporters Bianca Westwood, Guy Havord, Dickie Davis, Greg Whelan, Lynsey Hooper and Jaydee Dyer all bowing out in 2023.

This followed a major revamp of Soccer Saturday, which saw Jeff Stelling, who had anchored the show since 1994, replaced by Simon Thomas as part of Sky's mission to freshen up their shows.

Sky also opted to axe Soccer AM in 2023, seeing Jimmy Bullard and John "Fenners" Fendley lose their jobs. The iconic show had been a staple since 1995, drawing regular viewers when the show was hosted by Helen Chamberlain and Tim Lovejoy.

These latest exits are just part of a wider overhaul that began in 2020 when Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas and Matt Le Tissier were replaced on Soccer Saturday.

Reflecting on his time at Sky, Thompson said: "That was the great thing about Sky. They mixed things up. They created new programmes. They pushed the boundaries."

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