VETERAN sports presenter Ray Stubbs is to leave the BBC to lead ESPN’s live Premier League coverage.
The Wirral-born former professional footballer, who spent five years with Tranmere Rovers before turning sports journalist with BBC Radio Merseyside, presented Match of the Day, the BBC’s darts and snooker coverage and hosted the Saturday afternoon Final Score slot.
ESPN acquired the live rights to 46 top flight football matches for the coming season after the collapse of Setanta.
Stubbs will make his debut at the Everton v Arsenal match at Goodison Park on August 15.
He said: “This was always going to be a difficult decision. But the opportunity of joining one of the world’s leading sports broadcasters on day one of the new ESPN channel was just too good to turn down.”
