Gary Lineker risks reprimand from the BBC for appearing to share data

Gary Lineker risks reprimand from the BBC after appearing to share sensitive data of the broadcaster’s most streamed programmes

• Gary Lineker tweeted a photo of iPlayer streaming figures to his 8.8m followers

Gary Lineker has risked a further reprimand from BBC officials after appearing to share the broadcaster’s internal data on social media.

The Match of the Day presenter – the corporation’s top earner – tweeted a picture of iPlayer streaming figures to his 8.8 million followers, giving details of the BBC’s most streamed programmes and customer viewing habits.

It showed that September 16’s episode of the Saturday night football highlights show received more than two million streaming requests, ahead of five different half-hour episodes of soap EastEnders.

The Strictly Come Dancing series launch, which attracted nearly 1.8 million streaming requests, and three further EastEnders episodes completed the top ten.

Lineker, 62, gloated: ‘We’re top of the IPL… @BBCiPlayer league.’ But social media users said the former England striker could be in hot water for sharing internal BBC data, which differs from the BARB viewing figures that are routinely made public.

Gary Lineker (pictured) has risked a further reprimand from BBC officials after appearing to share the broadcaster’s internal data on social media

One replied on Twitter to Lineker’s post, saying: ‘These are internal figures that no one outside the BBC can see.’

The user added: ‘You shouldn’t have published these.

‘What’s done is done, but these figures aren’t public because they’re more accurate than any other source that BBC competitors have. BBC doesn’t have the equivalent for Netflix etc.’ Another user said: ‘Is this publicly available data? If no, then why are you sharing it on a public platform, just make the point and move on?’ The BBC last night refused to comment.

It comes after veteran broadcaster Melvyn Bragg highlighted the gulf between his BBC salary and the £1.35 million that the corporation paid to Lineker last year, given that their main shows – Radio 4’s In Our Time and Match of the Day – get ‘about the same audience’.

Asked if they should earn the same amount, Bragg said: ‘He is paid 27 times more than I am. Something like that.

The Match of the Day presenter – the corporation’s top earner – tweeted a picture of iPlayer streaming figures to his 8.8 million followers, giving details of the BBC’s most streamed programmes and customer viewing habits

‘It would be great if he was paid what I was paid. That would be fine. Which is perfectly all right.

‘He’s good, he’s very good… talks very well, knows the game inside out, nothing wrong with that. And I’m not using this to get at him. I just think this is an example of the way the BBC is in a fix.’

Lineker was temporarily taken off air earlier this year after he criticised the Government’s asylum policy on Twitter – prompting a walk-out in his support from his fellow sports presenters. It meant a Match of the Day episode was broadcast as a much shorter highlights-only programme without punditry, analysis or commentary.

He was reinstated after talks with BBC bosses, who said the corporation would launch an independent review of its social media guidelines.

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