Adrian Chiles OUT, Mark Pougatch IN as part of ITV shake-up

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Adrian Chiles poses with the rest of the ITV team at the launch of the channel's World Cup coverage.
ITV have dropped Adrian Chiles as their main football host - and brought in Mark Pougatch to replace him.

Chiles has been ousted just weeks after it was revealed the broadcaster wouldn't be renewing the contracts of pundit Andy Townsend and Chiles' deputy for presenting duties Matt Smith.

ITV has made no comment on why Chiles is being replaced, but the channel will be left with only limited live matches from next season. Live Champions League games are transferring to BT Sport after ITV and Sky Sports lose the rights to screen matches at the end of this season. FA Cup matches have already been snatched from ITV and are now screened by BT and the BBC.

ITV sports boss Niall Sloane hailed Pougatch - best known for his work on BBC Radio 5Live - as a "highly-respected sports journalist and outstanding broadcaster".

Poutgatch himself described his new ITV job as a "great opportunity". He will be seen for the first time in the role on ITV's next live game, Chelsea v Paris St Germain next month.

He will still work on 5Live for the BBC and on the weekly Premier League highlights and preview shows produced by the league itself.

ITV will still screen Champions League highlights next season, despite the loss of live rights. It also has rights to England internationals and the World Cup and European Championships.