The Newshound

BBC Sport to axe 41 jobs as part of corporation's biggest cuts drive in nearly 15 years

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026 · last updated 25 September 2026.

The BBC Sport studio in Salford, where director Alex Kay-Jelski announced 41 redundancies on Wednesday, scrapping lunchtime and overnight sports bulletins to save £2.5m.
The BBC Sport studio in Salford, where director Alex Kay-Jelski announced 41 redundancies on Wednesday, scrapping lunchtime and overnight sports bulletins to save £2.5m.
Alex Kay-Jelski, whose salary of between £275,000 and £279,999 exceeds the £245,000 advertised when the BBC recruited for the role, is leading cuts that include four senior producer positions.
Alex Kay-Jelski, whose salary of between £275,000 and £279,999 exceeds the £245,000 advertised when the BBC recruited for the role, is leading cuts that include four senior producer positions.

BBC Sport is to cut 41 positions as part of a £2.6 million savings drive within the department. Five new roles will be created, bringing the net loss to 36 jobs. Director-general Tim Davie has launched a voluntary redundancy process and warned that around 100 content division roles will go by the end of the financial year. The sports cuts sit within a corporation-wide plan to slash up to 2,000 jobs and deliver £500 million in savings over two years. Chief content officer Kate Phillips has told staff the BBC aims to cut commissioning spending by £80 million in 2027-28.

The wider restructure would represent the deepest wave of redundancies at the corporation in close to 15 years.

Around 550 roles at BBC News and TV and radio are also set to go, delivering around £160 million in savings.

The director-general, a former Google executive, has also pledged to cut senior leadership by 'at least' 10% to make the organisation 'simpler and faster'.

MoreThe IndependentBBC Sport to cut 41 jobs as part of huge savings drive across corporationEvening StandardBBC announces 41 job cuts across sports department amid £2.6m savings driveAOL News UKBBC to cut 41 roles within its sports departmentDaily MailStaff mutiny at 'toxic' BBC Sport as boss set to cut jobs
Read today's full feed at The Newshound →