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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
