Gary Lineker’s new BBC boss is Alex Kay-Jelski – former editor of The Athletic

The BBC has appointed Alex Kay-Jelski as its new director of sport in a move that has stunned staff at the corporation.

Kay-Jelski, who succeeds Barbara Slater, will become one of the youngest and least-experienced senior executives in sports broadcasting when he takes charge of managing the likes of Gary Lineker this summer.

His appointment caps a meteoric rise for the 40-year-old editor-in-chief of The Athletic, who was also sports editor of the Daily Mail – the first openly gay man in such a role – and The Times in his early thirties.

Kay-Jelski had not previously been touted as a contender to succeed Slater, who announced she was quitting in September after 14 chequered years as director of sport and 40 with the BBC.

Philip Bernie, who replaced Slater in an interim capacity this year, and colleagues Ben Gallop, Jonathan Wall and Stephen Lyle, and ITV’s head of diversity Ade Rawcliffe, were all publicly linked with the role.

But they lost out to Kay-Jelski, who Charlotte Moore, the corporation’s chief content officer, said had a “clear vision about how to take BBC Sport into the future”.

There was a mixed response from within the corporation from an announcement said to have come completely out of the blue.

Question marks over his lack of experience

Some welcomed the appointment of a complete outsider, while others questioned his lack of experience negotiating broadcast rights contracts at a time the BBC faces a fight to avoid the Six Nations joining a long list of major rights surrendered during Slater’s tenure.

Among the on-screen talent for whom Kay-Jelski will become responsible will be star football presenter Lineker, who last year plunged the corporation into one of its worst crises after publicly comparing the Government’s flagship illegal immigration bill to Nazi Germany.

Slater, who presided over her department’s response to the row, quit less than six months later.

Kay-Jelski said: “I am so excited to be joining BBC Sport in the summer and to have the chance to work with so many incredible people. Like most people, so many of my sporting memories have been lived with the BBC there to guide me through and having the chance to shape what that should look like in the coming years is a brilliant challenge.

I am emotional leaving The Athletic and all the wonderful people there. It means so much to me and I’m incredibly proud of all of them.”

Moore added: “Alex is a dynamic and creative editorial leader who has a clear vision about how to take BBC Sport into the future. He joins us from the highly respected digital sports subscription service The Athletic, where he has been responsible for developing and growing the brand from scratch in the UK to become a leading force in the industry, and overseeing phenomenal growth.

“Alex has always embraced innovation. His editorial judgement and expert knowledge is impressive and he brings with him a wealth of experience in telling stories and delivering sports content to audiences in a digital world. Barbara Slater leaves BBC Sport in rude health with an incredible summer of sport ahead, and I’m looking forward to Alex leading us for the next generation of unrivalled sports broadcasting.”

Athletic staff were given an hour notice of departure

Kay-Jelski’s switch also stunned staff at The Athletic, who were given an hour’s notice of an emergency meeting announcing his departure and the appointment of his deputy, Laura Williamson, as interim editor.

Both joined the start-up almost five years ago during its expensive expansion in the UK to cover domestic and international football.

The US-based firm’s move has been a mixed success, amid a growing subscriber base and plenty of praise and awards for its content but ongoing financial losses running into millions of dollars.

It was bought two years ago by The New York Times, which controversially shut its own sports desk as a result.

That prompted a formal grievance to be filed by staff, leading to major turmoil there.