ITV Sport has confirmed that Mark Pougatch is to replace Adrian Chiles as the channel’s main football presenter with immediate effect.
In a surprising switch midway through the season, Pougatch, who has presented FA Cup, Europa League football and IPL cricket coverage on a freelance basis for ITV since 2010, will now be the leading face of the broadcaster’s live football coverage in place of Chiles.
Pougatch enters one of the most high-profile roles in televised sport as the 2014/15 Champions League and Europa League seasons enter their knockout rounds and England’s Euro 2016 qualifying stages are set to resume.
He will appear alongside ITV’s established panel of pundits, commentators and reporters for its live England international and European football programmes, starting with Chelsea’s Champions League tie away at Paris St-Germain on February 17.
Bringing with him a wealth of experience in sports broadcasting over 20 years, Pougatch has presented major events such as World Cups, European Championships and Olympics Games, primarily for BBC Radio 5 live, while his TV credits include all of the BBC’s flagship football output, including Match of the Day and Final Score, Channel 5’s boxing coverage and ITV’s Indian Premier League cricket coverage.
Pougatch has presented several live Europa League games and highlights programmes on a sporadic basis across ITV’s football coverage over the past four years as a freelancer, and was the host of the FA Cup draw for the channel over the past two seasons.
He will continue to present sports programmes for BBC Radio 5 Live alongside his new ITV role, though not as its main anchor, as well as continue in his post as a presenter for the Premier League’s global TV channel.
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, which confirmed recently that the contracts of its long-standing co-commentator Andy Townsend and presenter Matt Smith were not being renewed at the end of the season, refused to discuss the reasons behind the sudden presenter switch.
The broadcaster has also declined to comment on whether Chiles, who joined in 2010 following a high-profile defecion from the BBC ahead of the World Cup, would have a continuing role with the ITV going forward.
Although the reasons for Chiles’ departure remain unclear, ITV’s reduction in staff may be linked to their dwindling broadcast rights and the cost of Chiles’ reported £500,000 a year contract.
ITV’s deal to screen FA Cup games ended last season after losing out to the BBC, while they will not show the 2015/16 Champions League campaign after losing out on the rights to BT Sport.
Commenting on the signing of Pougatch, Niall Sloane, ITV’s Director of Sport, said: “Mark is a highly-respected sports journalist and an outstanding broadcaster. We’re delighted to welcome Mark to the ITV Sport team.”
ITV will show exclusive live coverage of all England’s European Championship and World Cup qualifying matches and friendlies, both home and away fixtures, until 2018.
The channel also holds the rights to show Champions League and Europa League matches and highlights until the end of the 2014/2015 season, after which it will show Champions League and Europa League highlights.
Thankyou for all the kind messages. Delighted to be joining @ITVSport & looking forward to Paris & meeting up with @LeeDixon2 & the team 1/2
— Mark Pougatch (@markpougatch) January 23, 2015
Blimey! @itvfootball have been busy in the transfer window. Wish @markpougatch all the very best.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 23, 2015
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