Rio Ferdinand lifts lid on tense TNT Sports exit - 'I do my own s***'

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Rio Ferdinand has revealed he left TNT Sport after his ideas for the channel were pushed aside. The former Manchester United defender left the channel in May last year after a decade.

He departed following his final broadcast of the 2025 Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan. He was previously a regular face of the channel’s European, Premier League and domestic cup coverage.

And he has now opened up on why he chose to depart the channel, with Ferdinand keen for a new challenge, having seen his ideas for a freshen up with the broadcasters ignored.

Speaking to Men’s Health , the former defender said: “I like being tested. I like pressure. I had it fine at TNT. I could have signed a new contract at TNT. Easily. But that ain’t who I am really. It’s time for something new.

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“And with all due respect, I’d been trying to push [a new] side of things within the team and the group at TNT, and they weren’t really as receptive as I would’ve liked.

“So that was another big reason why I go, ‘Okay, if you’re not going to jump in two-footed with me and hold hands, then I move on. We’ll see how I do when I go on my own’.

“Because I saw the new world is that linear TV and live football are always going to be there, but there’s also another world outside the 90 minutes that intrigues me, which I look at like a fan.

“So I want to know what the f*** these guys are eating, how do they sleep, how do they recover? I want to get the public closer to that and I want to be at the forefront of that.

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“But at the same time, this is just who I am. I’m not trying to be no one, I’m me. I do my own s***. I’ve always been in my own lane.”

Since Ferdinand’s exit from TNT, he has continued his post-footballing career through a number of ventures. He has his own YouTube channel, where he regularly analyses the latest news from former club Man United. Ferdinand was also part of the draw for the 2026 World Cup.

The former defender rounded off his career in football in 2015 following a brief spell with Queens Park Rangers. Before that, he spent 12 glittering seasons with Man United, winning six league titles and the Champions League under legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson . Ferdinand also earned 81 appearances for England during his playing career.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.