The BBC has cancelled Ski Sunday, ending the winter sports programme's run of more than 50 years as part of a wider cost-cutting drive at the corporation. The show, first broadcast in 1978, became a fixture of British winter sports coverage and helped make household names of alpine skiers such as Franz Klammer and Michela Figini, while its "Pop Looks Bach" theme tune achieved iconic status in its own right. Its axing follows the cancellation of long-running football programme Football Focus just four months earlier, underlining the scale of the BBC's efforts to cut spending amid changing viewing habits.

Philip Bernie, Head of BBC Sport Events, said the decision was difficult but necessary to deliver value for licence fee payers as audience habits evolve, while stressing the broadcaster's continued commitment to winter sport coverage, particularly at the Winter Olympics. Ski Sunday was presented over the years by David Vine, Graham Bell and Ed Leigh, with former Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott joining the line-up five years ago. The news divided viewers on social media, with some expressing nostalgic sadness and others questioning what other shows might be cut next, while the BBC confirmed it will continue broadcasting major events such as the World Cups, the Olympic Games and Match of the Day.