Gary Lineker's huge BBC wages compared to Alan Shearer and others as he 'offers pay cut'

Gary Lineker’s BBC wages dwarf his Match of the Day colleague Alan Shearer’s – even after offering to take a £350,000 pay-cut.

Lineker, 63, is set to meet BBC executives next month for talks over a new contract, with his current deal expiring in 2025. The future of the iconic presenter - who has hosted the flagship football show since 1999 - has been the subject of increasing speculation over the past few months.

But with talks of a potential replacement cooling, Lineker will reportedly enter negotiations with the broadcaster over an additional two-year contract which would give him an annual salary of £1million. That marks a significant pay-cut from his published salary of £1.35m for 2023/24, which made him the corporation’s top earner.

Yet his new figure is still gargantuan when compared to other key BBC personnel, including his close friend and Match of the Day pundit Shearer. The Newcastle legend earned £380,000 across 2023/24, which was less than his £445,000 the previous year.

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Mark Chapman, the long-time presenter of companion show Match of the Day 2, earned a significantly lesser sum of £260,000. Chapman also appears on Radio 5 Live Sport and the BBC’s coverage of the Challenge Cup.

BBC Wales and Final Score’s Jason Mohammad closely trails Chapman on the 2023/24 annual salary report, made public in July. Mohammad earned between £245,000 and £249,999.

Alex Scott’s growing role on Football Focus, coverage of the Women’s Super League, the 2023 Women’s World Cup and Sports Personality of the Year award saw her take home £220,000. Meanwhile, John McEnroe earned £195,000 for his coverage of Wimbledon.

Other notable BBC sports presenters on the list were Chris Sutton, who earned £190,000 for his roles on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport, Football Focus and Final Score. Cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew was paid a similar figure.

Lineker’s decision to take a pay-cut comes after the sacking of his colleague, Jermaine Jenas. The former Tottenham midfielder, who was one of the names most heavily tipped to replace Lineker on MOTD, was sacked for sending inappropriate messages to women whom he was working alongside on The One Show.

Lineker's new deal would see him remain at the BBC beyond 2025. A source told 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.

"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."

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