Article body analysed
By ADRIAN BISHOP, SPORTS REPORTER Published: 03: 12 AEST, 11 August 2025 | Updated: 03: 30 AEST, 11 August 2025 12 View comments TNT Sports have announced who will be replacing Rio Ferdinand as part of the broadcaster's punditry team for the 2025-26 season. Ferdinand had spent more than a decade at TNT, after initially arriving under the BT Sport banner, but announced in May that he would be departing at the end of the season. The former Manchester United defender released a statement noting that he would be leaving to focus on his various business interests and thanked the broadcaster for the opportunities they had provided him. In Ferdinand's place, TNT Sport have drafted in former Wales and Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale according to a report from The Guardian. Bale is said to have impressed TNT executives with his analysis during the Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United in May. The 36-year-old has signed a deal to serve as part of the broadcaster's coverage of the Premier League and the Champions League throughout the coming campaign. Former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale will join TNT Sports' punditry team for the 2025-26 season The 36-year-old will replace Rio Ferdinand in the role, who announced his departure after 12 years with the broadcaster in May He will be joined on punditry duties by the likes of Joe Cole, Peter Crouch, Steve Mc Manaman and Karen Carney. TNT have the exclusive rights for 52 top-flight games this season, starting with Aston Villa's clash with Newcastle on Saturday. Bale called time on football career in 2023 following a brief stint in MLS with Los Angeles FC that saw the team claim their first MLS Cup title. The five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid also captained Wales at the 2022 World Cup after the country qualified for the finals for the first time since 1958. When he announced his decision to leave TNT Sports, Ferdinand 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 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. Bale announced his retirement from football after captaining Wales at the 2022 World Cup The Welshman will join the likes of Peter Crouch and Joe Cole as part of the broadcaster's punditry team '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. '
Share what you think
The comments below have not been moderated.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mail Online.
By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd