John Dykes
John Dykes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 Essex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Sports broadcaster, commentator, journalist |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Presenting The John Dykes Show on Disney+, Premier League Productions lead presenter, ESPN STAR Sports football coverage |
John Dykes is a Singapore-based sports broadcaster, commentator, and journalist. He is widely recognized for presenting "The John Dykes Show" on Disney+, previously aired on Fox Sports Asia. Dykes served as the principal anchor for the Premier League's international broadcaster content service. He established his reputation in Asia through more than ten years of hosting ESPN STAR Sports coverage of the Premier League, European football, and other major global sports events.
Biography
Born in Essex, England in 1964, Dykes attended Brentwood School before his family relocated to Hong Kong. Since 1997, he has been based in Singapore, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.
Early career
Dykes started as a college radio DJ while pursuing English Literature at Warwick University. In Hong Kong, he worked for the South China Morning Post as a Sports Writer, Feature Writer, and Entertainment Editor for the Sunday edition. Additionally, he hosted showbiz segments on TVB, including five years of live coverage of the Academy Awards. He later returned to sports broadcasting as a football commentator and presenter with STAR Sports.
Initial stint with ESPN Star
During his time at ESPN STAR in Singapore, Dykes presented tournaments across various sports such as tennis, golf, cricket, and rugby. Notable assignments included anchoring the 1999 Cricket World Cup held in England, covering Grand Slam tennis alongside Vijay Amritraj, and reporting from Augusta during Tiger Woods' 2001 Masters triumph. He also hosted Inside Cricket, the Formula One pre-race show Raceday, and launched Sportsline—the forerunner to SportsCenter—in India.
Football with ESPN Star
Between 2001 and 2010, Dykes was the lead football presenter on ESPN Star Sports, hosting Premier League Live Matchday broadcasts, post-match program Final Score, Football Focus, and First Edition. His Up Close series featured exclusive interviews with football legends such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Michel Platini, and Sir Bobby Robson. Alongside Sky Sports' Richard Keys, he co-hosted First Edition, providing summaries of European football news. Dykes departed ESPN Star Sports in March 2010 following his coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Premier League Productions
In March 2010, John Dykes was appointed as the lead presenter for the Premier League's content service which launched in August that year. Based in London, this 24/7 channel catered to licensees by showcasing all 20 Premier League clubs through English-language studio content aimed at international broadcasters. Each weekend, Dykes anchored Matchday Live and also hosted Football Today twice weekly. His role extended to world feed broadcasts of the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong (2011 and 2013) and hosting BPL Live fan events held in Mumbai (2014) and Cape Town (2016).
In 2016, Dykes transitioned to commentating on simultaneous 3pm kickoffs known as "Goal Rush," while Manish Bhasin assumed hosting duties for Matchday Live on Saturdays. Subsequently, Dykes took charge of the Sunday edition of Matchday Live.
Due to his international appeal, Premier League licensees including SuperSport (Africa), Star Sports (India), Orange (Indonesia), mioTV (Singapore), nowTV (Hong Kong), and CTH (Thailand) enlisted him for editorial and marketing initiatives to strengthen their association with the Premier League.
Dykes concluded his tenure with Premier League Productions following the 2016-17 season.
Return to Singapore
On 29 May 2017, Dykes made his way back to Singapore to launch a fresh English football program on Fox Sports Asia, rejoining his former ESPN Star Sports colleagues following the network’s acquisition and rebranding.
The John Dykes Show debuted on 31 July 2017 as a thrice-weekly interview series centered on English football. In addition to hosting, he acted as an event presenter for the Asian Football Confederation and contributed editorial content to foxsportsasia.com.
After Disney acquired Fox Sports International, Dykes became involved with ESPN International’s SportsCenter and frequently appeared as a guest during Euro 2020 coverage.
In November 2021, Disney introduced The John Dykes Show on Disney+ Hotstar in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, with a subsequent launch in Singapore and Hong Kong in January 2022. This weekly program highlights Southeast Asian football leagues alongside prominent European and English football discussions. Michael Owen regularly features as a guest, accompanied by co-host Rhysh Roshan Rai.
Expanding his reach into India in February 2022, Dykes began hosting “The Top Corner with John Dykes,” a weekly show on Sony Sports Network dedicated to Indian football.
Personal life
Dykes holds Singaporean citizenship and lives in Singapore with his wife and their two daughters.