Good news for ITV

[Feral Fox]

Never rated any of those mentioned so all in all, a result!

 

Adrian Chiles has been replaced as the lead presenter of ITV's football coverage with immediate effect.

ITV has not given a reason for the change.
 

© ITV

Adrian Chiles

Pougatch said: "I am absolutely delighted to be joining ITV and to be given this great opportunity.

"I'm looking forward to working with ITV's talented pool of commentators and pundits on some of the very best football there is."

ITV Director of Sport Niall Sloane added: "Mark is a highly-respected sports journalist and an outstanding broadcaster.

"We're delighted to welcome Mark to the ITV Sport team."
 

© BBC / Andrew Hayes-Watkins

Mark Pougatch

Pougatch will host ITV's next live football match, the Champions' League clash between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain on February 17.

He is understood to be continuing to work for rival BBC Radio 5 Live despite his new appointment.

Earlier this month, it emerged that pundit Andy Townsend and presenter Matt Smith would be leaving their roles at the broadcaster.


ITV has lost the rights to Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League games to other channels.

Live FA Cup rights are currently shared between the BBC and BT Sport, while BT Sport has bought the rights to live Champions League and Europa League games for three years from the 2015/16 season.

It emerged last year that ITV was considering placing a significant bid for Premier League highlights rights for the 2016-19.

Read more: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a623752/adrian-chiles-replaced-by-mark-pougatch-on-itv-with-immediate-effect.html#~p2ceGtUOsv0r1M#ixzz3PeNW63QD 
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[PTID1862]

Metro's take on it...http://metro.co.uk/2015/01/23/adrian-chiles-replaced-as-itv-football-presenter-with-immediate-effect-5033127

Could it be over a twitter storm, poor ratings, or something far more sinister?

Let the speculation begin...../

[Cobby]

I've never really been a big fan of ITV coverage, but I don't think it was just Adrian who ruined it for me.  Could be a sign of better things to come I suppose?

[Northants Pie]

Adrian Chiles is about as funny as a crack in a glass eye and engaging as a person with rigor mortis, how he got that job in the first place is the question people should really ask

[Feral Fox]

Adrian Chiles is about as funny as a crack in a glass eye and engaging as a person with rigor mortis, how he got that job in the first place is the question people should really ask

That my friend is 1000 % correct.

[Chris]

I don't mind Chiles, I actually like him and I find him interesting.

Personally I don't get why so many people dislike him, I do remember when people ranted and raved about him but I think the move into covering more football killed it, either that or it's Match of the Day when he did that.

[Fan of Big Tone]

I used to like him on BBC2 MoTD2 but when he moved to ITV I felt he didn't come across quite so well, all those "we'll be back after this short break" doesn't help, the show doesn't flow.

[PTID1862]

For me it isn't down to liking or not, I don't really have an opinion on that... it is what's behind the story???

 

 

DUN DUN DERRRRRRRR

[tucsonan]

I'm not getting a tv until sometime next week. Have I missed much?

[PTID1862]

@tucsonan not much really, some American film maker hired a warehouse in the Arizona desert and spoofed a moon landing... ALLEGEDLY

[PTID1862]

A mistake, says Jim White in The Telegraph... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/11366039/Adrian-Chiles-is-a-hugely-talented-broadcaster-and-ITV-have-made-a-mistake-in-removing-him-from-our-screens.html

[super_ram]

A lot of the commentators and pundits irritate me.

[liampie]

i dont mind him, i think it would be better to go with someone on screen who you know and perhaps an ex footballer but we have no choose at the end of the day. no idea who the new guy is.