Yahoo Sports Who decides the Match of the Day running order?
Several factors are at play when deciding the order in which games are shown on Match of the Day (MOTD).
But each week, the relative importance of these factors can change.
Who decides which matches are featured first?
The MOTD programme editor has the final call on the running order the programme will follow.
They watch all of the games alongside the pundits and presenter before coming to that decision. So, it's a collaborative process with presenter Gary Lineker, in particular, very much involved.
A producer is assigned to each Premier League game, and they oversee the television edit of that match. They will be given a fixed duration the edit must meet.
The first match shown is generally the longest. The time given to analysis around the game usually depends on where a certain match edit sits in the running order.
As part of the pre-show planning, each week the MOTD team will speak to the Premier League to get clarity about VAR decisions and bookings, which will inform the discussions in the live programme.
Does the most exciting game always go first?
Not necessarily - but it is often the case.
The running order is decided by considering various factors: the number of goals, the importance of the result in the title race or relegation battle, any particularly controversial VAR calls or penalty decisions, and the overall quality of the game.
On top of this, the programme editor will take into account where we're at in the season. Galless draws will not normally sit at the top of the programme, but towards the end of the season this result could be more significant if it feeds into a story around the title race.
Early in the season, there is no particular urgency to reflect on the standings. So high-scoring games will generally become top picks to start the programme.
But there's no set formula.
When does the title race start influencing the running order?
While this depends on how the season is playing out - and whether there are any teams running away at the top - this might become a stronger influence on the running order in March-April time.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said: "Like any sporting event, you generally focus on the leaders - particularly in the second half of the season."
Teams sitting in the middle of the table towards the end of the season may end up being shown near the end of the programme, as they no longer have as much to play for as those battling at the top or bottom.
Can teams end up top of the programme in consecutive weeks?
Absolutely.
Each week the programme editor will start with a blank canvas, and the order in which the matches are shown are on merit of the day's action alone.
Which teams are most regularly shown first on MOTD?
While this changes every year, the data below is for the 2023-2024 season.
At the bottom, you have the teams in order of where they finished in the league last season. The vertical bars represent the average position each team featured in the MOTD running order.
You can see that the mid-table teams were, on average, featured more towards the end of the programme, whereas those in contention for the European places, or those fighting to avoid relegation, more often featured towards the start.
