How Gary Lineker’s BBC salary compares to Alan Shearer, Mark Chapman and more after 'pay cut'
Gary Lineker's BBC salary significantly outstrips that of his Match of the Day colleagues, even after he agreed to a £350,000 pay cut.
Lineker, 63, is due to meet with BBC executives next month to discuss a new contract, as his current one expires in 2025. The future of the iconic presenter, who has been at the forefront of the flagship football highlights show since 1999, has been a hot topic of conversation recently.
However, with rumours about his potential successor quietening down, it's reported that Lineker will enter discussions with the broadcaster regarding an additional two-year contract, which would see him earn an annual salary of £1million. This is a significant drop from his disclosed salary of £1.35m for 2023/24, which made him the corporation's top earner.
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Despite this, his new salary still greatly exceeds that of other key BBC personnel, including his close friend and Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer. The Newcastle legend earned £380,000 across 2023/24, which was less than his £445,000 the previous year.
Mark Chapman, the long-standing presenter of sister show Match of the Day 2, received a considerably smaller sum of £260,000. Chapman also appears on Radio 5 Live Sport and the BBC's coverage of the Challenge Cup, reports Wales Online.
BBC Wales and Final Score's Jason Mohammad closely followed Chapman on the 2023/24 annual salary report, released in July. The Welsh presenter earned between £245,000 and £249,999.
Alex Scott has cemented her status as a leading figure in sports presenting with her extensive involvement on programmes like Football Focus, coverage of the Women's Super League, the 2023 Women's World Cup, and her role in Sports Personality of the Year, putting her earnings at £220,000. In comparison, tennis legend John McEnroe pocketed £195,000 for his commentary during Wimbledon.
Other high-profile BBC sports presenters, including Chris Sutton and Jonathan Agnew, are also believed to have taken home hefty sums of around £190,000 for their contributions across various sporting events.
Gary Lineker's voluntary pay reduction coincides with the dismissal of his colleague Jermaine Jenas, who was fired for inappropriate messages he sent to female colleagues while working on The One Show. Despite the rumours that had pointed to Jenas as a potential successor for Lineker on Match of the Day, his recent exit has left that position unfilled.
In anticipated contract negotiations, Lineker is expected to stay with the BBC beyond 2025, according to a source speaking to The Sun: "Gary is hugely popular with both fans and players alike. The sense is that, with so much uncertainty and scandal at the BBC, right now viewers are crying out for a safe pair of hands."
They added, "Gary has long maintained that the BBC provides excellent value for money - and has quite literally put his money where his mouth is, and offered to take a substantial pay cut."