with 37 episodes premiered on August 22, 1964

Match of the Day begins on 22 August 1964, for coverage of Liverpool versus Arsenal. Kenneth Wolstenholme opens the programme with the words: "Welcome to Match of the Day, the first of a weekly serie… see more

with 33 episodes premiered on October 2, 1965

Despite attempts by some clubs to prevent its return due to fear over ticket sales, Match of the Day returned to the BBC in October 1965 two months after the start of the new season. The duration of… see more

with 40 episodes premiered on August 20, 1966

In the year that saw England win the World Cup, Match of the Day moves to BBC ONE.

with 42 episodes premiered on August 5, 1967

Once again, protracted negotiations during the summer ensured the return of the show. In order to secure the deal the BBC had to agree to broadcast five matches from Division Two and two from Divisio… see more

with 38 episodes premiered on August 3, 1968

Grandstand presenter David Coleman begins regularly presenting Match of the Day.

with 40 episodes premiered on August 2, 1969

From 1969, the programme becomes live and studio based, rather than being pre-recorded at the ground of the featured match, and there were now two games seen each week.

with 43 episodes premiered on August 8, 1970

1970 saw the introduction of the Goal of the Month competition, which led to thousands of postcards being sent to the BBC.

with 43 episodes premiered on July 31, 1971

John Motson makes his debut as a Match of the Day commentator.

with 43 episodes premiered on July 29, 1972

The current contractual agreement meant that Match of the Day had to lead with a Division Two fixture, and twice with a match from Division Three.

with 42 episodes premiered on August 11, 1973

Match of the Day appoints Jimmy Hill as the new presenter, after signing him from LWT. He was the first to both present the programme and offer expert analysis.

with 43 episodes premiered on August 10, 1974

Match of the Day signs a new three-year contract with the Football League.

with 43 episodes premiered on August 9, 1975

with 43 episodes premiered on August 14, 1976

with 41 episodes premiered on August 13, 1977

Match of the Day celebrates its 500th edition, marked with a special Radio Times cover and a new set of opening titles with hundreds of school children holding up cards that depicted Jimmy Hill's fac… see more

with 41 episodes premiered on August 19, 1978

In November ITV signed a secret three year deal with the Football League to show edited highlights on Saturday nights instead of Sundays in an attempt to break away from the joint negotiating strateg… see more

with 46 episodes premiered on August 11, 1979

For the first time Match of the Day was allowed to screen additional games, and on 13 weekends there were highlights from three different matches.

with 40 episodes premiered on August 17, 1980

After 16 seasons in the Saturday night slot, Match of the Day moved to Sunday afternoons.

with 42 episodes premiered on August 22, 1981

The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.

with 37 episodes premiered on August 29, 1982

with 37 episodes premiered on August 20, 1983

Match of the Day was back on Saturday nights as a highlights show but was supplemented by live matches on Friday evenings. The BBC and ITV had been allocated seven games each with the commercial chan… see more

with 39 episodes premiered on August 25, 1984

The show celebrated its 20th anniversary and matches were still being broadcast on Fridays. Most other sports were now seen live on television so the production team wanted to continue the football e… see more

with 14 episodes premiered on August 10, 1985

In 1985 the television rights came up for renegotiation and BBC and ITV offered £16m for four years. This was in return for 19 live games plus weekend highlights. The Football League met on Valentine… see more

with 14 episodes premiered on September 21, 1986

With highlights out of fashion there were only 14 editions of Match of the Day all season and the only League action came in the seven live games on Sunday afternoons.

with 19 episodes premiered on August 29, 1987

The focus was still on the big clubs and the shows were very irregular. They followed the same format as the previous year with a mixture of live League games on Sunday afternoons and highlights show… see more

with 13 episodes premiered on August 20, 1988

Match of the Day celebrated its 25th anniversary and had to cope with the fact that, for the first time since its inception in 1964, it couldn't broadcast any League football. Instead, the team settl… see more

with 16 episodes premiered on August 12, 1989

Des Lynam continued to present the show, joined by Jimmy Hill and Terry Venables as regular pundits.

with 21 episodes premiered on August 18, 1990

In the third season of the new contract there were 20 editions of Match of the Day but they were still restricted to covering FA Cup matches.

with 22 episodes premiered on August 10, 1991

After several years of speculation it was announced in February that a new, breakaway FA Premier League was going to be formed. ITV were expected to win the TV rights but the BBC and BSkyB combined t… see more

with 46 episodes premiered on August 15, 1992

With the new season came a new Premier League, a new contract and a new show, fronted by Des Lynam. Des was joined by new regular pundits, Alan Hansen and Trevor Brooking, and the show reverted to th… see more

with 50 episodes premiered on August 7, 1993

with 53 episodes premiered on August 14, 1994

Match of the Day celebrated its 30th anniversary.

with 53 episodes premiered on August 13, 1995

When Alex Ferguson's side were discussed on Match of the Day on the opening day of the season Des remarked that "United were scarcely recognizable from the team we've known over the past couple of se… see more

with 53 episodes premiered on August 11, 1996

with 71 episodes premiered on August 9, 1997

A new four year deal secured Premier League highlights on the BBC. Mark Lawrenson joined Trevor Brooking and Alan Hansen as a regular pundit during the second half of the season.

with 55 episodes premiered on August 15, 1998

Des Lynam presented 36 of the 45 League and Cup programmes plus eight more UEFA Cup shows. Gary Lineker also fronted five editions with Ray Stubbs hosting the remaining four.

with 90 episodes premiered on August 7, 1999

Before the season began, on 2 August, Des Lynam resigned from the BBC and moved to ITV to become their main football presenter. Gary Lineker took over as the main presenter for the show.

with 57 episodes premiered on August 19, 2000

ITV won back the Premier League highlights as part of a three year deal. They also obtained Nationwide League rights whilst the BBC regained the FA Cup and England games. It was a major blow to the B… see more

with 93 episodes premiered on August 12, 2001

With Saturday night highlights now being shown on ITV's The Premiership, Match of the Day reverted to covering live FA Cup and England matches as well as some UEFA Cup games.

with 51 episodes premiered on August 11, 2002

with 113 episodes premiered on August 10, 2003

In August 2003, it is announced that the BBC has won back the right to show Premiership highlights from 2004, for three years.

with 81 episodes premiered on August 8, 2004

Match of the Day returns to the BBC for the new season, as part of a new football package on the BBC.

with 136 episodes premiered on August 7, 2005

with 82 episodes premiered on August 13, 2006

with 72 episodes premiered on August 5, 2007

with 59 episodes premiered on August 16, 2008

with 132 episodes premiered on August 8, 2009

with 63 episodes premiered on August 7, 2010

with 93 episodes premiered on August 7, 2011

with 83 episodes premiered on August 18, 2012

with 108 episodes premiered on August 14, 2013

with 41 episodes premiered on August 10, 2014

with 74 episodes premiered on August 2, 2015

with 46 episodes premiered on August 7, 2016

with 45 episodes premiered on August 6, 2017

with 48 episodes premiered on August 5, 2018

with 50 episodes premiered on August 4, 2019

with 59 episodes premiered on August 29, 2020

with 48 episodes premiered on August 14, 2021

with 44 episodes premiered on August 6, 2022

with 46 episodes premiered on August 12, 2023

with 8 episodes premiered on August 17, 2024