BBC’s Ski Sunday is Axed
1st September 2026
After almost 50 years the BBC has dropped the programme from its schedules. For us skiers and snowboarders it has been something of an institution. UPDATE
It comes as no great surprise as the axe has been hovering over the programme for some years.
The BBC said it was constantly assessing how it provided value across all its platforms, and that Ski Sunday had been “retired” as part of that ongoing evaluation.
The head of BBC Sport events, Philip Bernie, described Ski Sunday as “iconic” and spoke of the pride the BBC had taken in the role it had played in bringing world-class winter sport to British audiences across generations.
Such decisions, he conceded, were never easy — but he stressed that the BBC remained committed to winter sports, particularly around the Olympic Games.
Cortina, 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Image © David Pearce/Team TB
Ski Sunday, which first aired in January 1978, did not simply report on the sports.
It brought the mountains and the snow into the living rooms of skiers and non-skiers alike.
The announcement is, quite simply, the end of an era.
It began two years after the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck where an Austrian ski racer, Franz Klammer, captured the imagination of millions beyond his home country with his famous victory in the downhill.
The BBC recognised a growing interest in skiing and it was a time when mass-market ski tourism was also developing.
The then BBC sports presenter and commentator, David Vine, was the face of the programme for two decades.
It recorded the historic moment when the GB racer, Konrad Bartelski, took silver in Val Gardena in the Dolomites, Italy.
He remains the only British male downhill alpine ski racer to stand on a World Cup podium.
As the decades passed the programme had a knack of developing with the times and turned into more of a magazine- style programme.
The ex-racer, Graham Bell, took over at the helm with the snowboarder, Ed Leigh, joining him some years later as snowboarding and freestyle grew in popularity.
In latter years the ex-racer, Chemmy Alcott, become a co-lead presenter.
She has reacted to the news:
View this post on Instagram
There is likely to be some hostile reaction from UK skiers and snowboarders.
PlanetSKI readers have reacted on the PlanetSKI Facebook page:
Brian Logan: “The BBC coverage wasn’t great but it was better than nothing. “Dropping Ski Sunday will change the way I feel about their ‘what does the BBC do for me’ adverts. “Time to consider if I really do need a TV licence!”
Graham Michael Coleman: Ski Sunday lost its USP when Eurosport arrived providing live coverage from the Alps. But scrapping SS will mean lower visibility for skiing which has implications for funding and sponsorship.
Edward Bunn: Absolutely diabolically crap decision from the BBC and BBC Sport.Should be lengthening the time it’s on our screens not dropping it. Sort sighted, narrow minded nitwits in control. For shame BBC, for shame!!
Mick Coles: This is a terrible decision I really would love to know just what the bbc are doing with our license fees.
Wyn Richards: Like most people , i grew up watching Ski Sunday and it encouraged me to go skiing at the start , 42 years ago. Terrible decision and stick that where the sun doesn’t shine.
Nigel Loaring: BBC seems to make a serious effort to ensure we all don’t pay the licence fees
Elaine Kent: Great shame, but I’ll still keep my ringtone.
Susan Holton: I watched it until the last 10 years or so .. when it became an ‘explainer ‘and a nice gig for a couple of people i lost interest
Harriet Green: Disgusting!
Louise Craig: David Vine will turn in his grave.
The BBC has said it needs to make £500 million savings target by 2028 and every programme must justify its existence.
Ski Sunday failed that test.
PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, worked at the BBC for more than 20 years.
He worked in BBC News rather than BBC Sport, but had ties with the programme and its presenting & editorial team over the years
Here are his thoughts:
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