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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rio Ferdinand takes his 'Last Dance' as Man United legend ends his TNT Sports career alongside Steven Gerrard and Laura Woods at the Champions League final in Munich
Saturday was a big day for Rio Ferdinand as the former Manchester United and England defender made his final appearance as a TNT Sports pundit. The 46-year-old was part of the broadcaster's coverage of the UEFA Champions League final in Munich. Before kick-off between Paris Saint-Germain faced Inter Milan, Ferdinand joined ex-England team-mate Steven Gerrard and presenter Laura Woods pitchside. Ferdinand and Gerrard was pictured deep in conversation with Gerrard, who recently rejected an offer to resume his managerial career with Rangers. He was also seen embracing Inter Milan striker Marko Arnautovic in a warm exchange as the players inspected Allianz Arena pitch. Saturday's farewell appearance marked the end of Ferdinand's 10-year run with TNT Sports and its predecessor BT Sport. The Last Dance 🎤 #UCLfinal — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 31, 2025 He had become a regular face on both domestic and European football coverage. Around half an hour before Saturday's game got underway, Ferdinand tweeted a photo of himself next to Gerrard and Woods, captioning it: 'The Last Dance', followed by a microphone emoji. Confirming his departure earlier this week, Ferdinand had said: 'After 10 incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League final. 'Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports.' He went on to thank behind-the-scenes staff, his family, and management team for their support over the years and said he would now focus on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast and other ventures.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Why is Rio Ferdinand quitting TNT Sports?
RIO FERDINAND shocked the sporting industry when he announced that he will be QUITTING his punditry role on TNT Sports - and the reason why has been revealed. The Manchester United and England legend is set to hang up his TNT Sports microphone after tonight's thrilling Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan. 2 And it is set to be a huge loss for the channel as he quickly became one of the most notable faces since joining its predecessor, BT Sport in 2015. Ferdinand, 46, acted as both a pundit and co-commentator for domestic and European football, including Spurs' Europa League final win over his former club, Manchester United. His knowledge and experience of the game has led to him becoming one of the first names many look forward to hearing commentate. But in a lengthy social media post, Ferdinand has revealed why he is quitting TNT Sports. Why is Rio Ferdinand quitting TNT Sports? Rio Ferdinand explained: 'After 10 incredible years. I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League final. 'Since retiring from football it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sports and TNT Sports. 'I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen, but has been essential to our success. 'To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday, and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals. 'The network continues to thrive with more rights than ever, and I look forward to following its progress and the exciting future that lies ahead. 'Lastly, I would like to thank my family and my management company New Era for their ongoing support. 'They have supported me to travel all over the Europe following the best players and watching the best matches. For a football fan like me, it's been a dream come true. 'As I turn the page to the next chapter. I carry with me countless memories. 'I'm excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents and my other business interests. 'I hope to stay connected with all of you in different capacities. Thank you once again for everything.' What could Rio Ferdinand be doing next? Despite being incredibly busy with TNT for the last decade, Ferdinand has managed to cultivate a massive podcast. His ' Rio Ferdinand Presents' podcast, which was previously called 'Vibe with Five', has over 1.3 MILLION subscribers on YouTube and thousands of listeners on Apple and Spotify. If not that, although Ferdinand plans to focus on his other interests, an immediate move to one of TNT's rivals isn't off the cards. 2 Sky Sports have just freed up a boatload of cash by culling multiple presenters and reporters in a wave of redundancies. And it could be used to finance a potential swoop for Ferdinand, who would draw huge numbers along with former England team-mates Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. A move to the BBC could also be on the cards following Gary Lineker 's departure from Match of the Day. Ferdinand could use his downtime to focus on the 'Rio Ferdinand Foundation', which he set up back in 2012 or, the Manchester United could try to become a professional boxer once again. He did this following his retirement in 2015 but was denied a license by the British Boxing Board of Control. Another thing on the cards for Rio is stepping back into the food industry. He entered the restaurant world in 2009, opening Rosso Restaurant & Bar in Manchester's city centre. But Rosso, which was visited by A-listers galore, closed its doors after 15 years of service back in September 2023. Ferdinand could look to revive the defunct restaurant or open a new one.
BreakingNews.ie
7 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Rio Ferdinand announces he is leaving TNT Sports pundit role
Rio Ferdinand has announced he is leaving his role as a pundit with TNT Sports to focus on his business interests. The former Manchester United and England defender has been part of the broadcaster's punditry team for a decade but will stand down after its coverage of Saturday's Champions League final. Advertisement 'Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching BT Sport and TNT Sports,' he said in a statement published on his X account. 'I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success. 'As I turn the page to the next chapter, I carry with me countless memories. I am excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents and my other business interests. 'I hope to stay connected with you all in different capacities. Thank you once again for everything!' Advertisement Sources close to TNT Sports have told the PA news agency that this is an amicable parting of ways, and that the door is being kept ajar for future opportunities. Ferdinand first announced he was working as part of the BT Sport team in May 2013, with BT rebranding as TNT Sports in the summer of 2023. The 46-year-old has become a regular part of the presenting line-up for the broadcaster's European club football coverage but is now set to spend more time working on his personal content channels. His Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel currently has 1.32 million subscribers. Advertisement Ferdinand will sign off as part of TNT's presentation team for the Champions League final between Paris St Germain and Inter Milan in Munich on Saturday. Earlier this month Ferdinand was forced to miss a number of matches after being hospitalised by what he later described on his YouTube channel as a 'mad virus', admitting at one point he thought it was 'lights out' for him.
New York Times
7 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Rio Ferdinand announces TNT Sports departure after 12 years
Rio Ferdinand has announced he will leave UK sports broadcaster TNT Sports following Saturday's Champions League final after 12 years as one of the key faces of its coverage. Ferdinand, 46, has been a pundit for TNT Sports, formerly BT Sport, since 2013 and has featured prominently in TNT Sports' coverage of the Premier League and Champions League. Advertisement He said following his departure he will focus on his podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, and his other business ventures. 'I have made the difficult decision to step away from TNT Sports after the Champions League Final,' Ferdinand said in a statement issued on Wednesday. 'Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching on BT Sport and TNT Sports. I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success. 'To everyone at TNT Sports, we have a brilliant end to the season to look forward to on Saturday and for now all focus will be on what I think could go down as one of the great European finals.' Statement: After ten incredible years, I have made the difficult decision to step away from @tntsports after the Champions League Final…. — Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) May 28, 2025 Ferdinand was still playing for Manchester United at the time of his first punditry appearance for what was then BT Sport in 2013. The former England defender was announced as one of TNT Sports' main pundits upon its rebrand in 2023, alongside Peter Crouch and Joe Cole. Paul Scholes, Robbie Savage, Steve McManaman and Owen Hargreaves also regularly feature in its Premier League and European coverage, while Karen Carney joined the company in September 2024. He was one of TNT's most prominent pundits for their biggest matches, but at times faced criticism from viewers for his perceived partisan coverage of Manchester United matches. Ferdinand made 455 appearances for United during his playing career, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. Ferdinand's exit comes amid the British broadcaster's growing slate of sports coverage. In February 2024, TNT Sports announced it had agreed a four-year deal alongside the BBC to broadcast the FA Cup. It has rights to the majority of European matches in the UK, including Champions League — alongside Amazon Prime — as well as all Europa League and Conference League games with several Women's Champions League games. It also secured rights to 52 Premier League matches in the 2024-25 season. Advertisement TNT also gained broadcasting rights to cycling, tennis, the Olympics and winter sports after integrating with Eurosport in February. 'As I turn the page to the next chapter, carry with me countless memories,' Ferdinand added. 'I am excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents & my other business interests. I hope to stay connected with all of you in different capacities.'
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Rio Ferdinand to leave TNT Sports
Rio Ferdinand is leaving his role as a pundit with TNT Sports to focus on his business interests. The former Manchester United and England defender has been part of the broadcaster's punditry team for a decade but will stand down after its coverage of Saturday's Champions League final. 'Since retiring from football, it has been a privilege talking about the game I love for a decade for sports fans watching BT Sport and TNT Sports,' he said in a statement published on his X account. 'I want to acknowledge the tremendous support from the team behind the scenes, whose hard work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success. 'As I turn the page to the next chapter, I carry with me countless memories. I am excited about what the future holds, spending more time with my family, focusing on Rio Ferdinand Presents and my other business interests. 'I hope to stay connected with you all in different capacities. Thank you once again for everything!'
