I am proud of the show we've created and thoroughly enjoy working with Terry, Ally and the team and shall continue to present it at the new regular time

Des Lynam

The move follows several weeks of speculation in the press that the show was not performing well enough to sustain its prime-time position.

David Liddiment, ITV director of channels, said he had hoped to give the show more time to "consolidate", but pressure on the performance of the schedule and advertising revenues meant "we simply cannot sustain the current position".

'Disappointed'

He added that the show was "performing well" in its own right, with an average of half a million more viewers each week than its predecessor.

Liddiment: "Proud" of The Premiership team

The show's veteran presenter, Desmond Lynam, said: ''I am disappointed that ITV are moving The Premiership's start time as I feel confident that it would have achieved higher audiences in due course.

"However I am assured that the move is for economic and not editorial reasons," he said, adding he was proud of the programme.

ITV's bid to showcase Premiership football began in August with what is thought to be the network's worst Saturday night audience for five years.

Move 'denied'

ITV paid �183m for the rights to show premiership football over three years.

But since the early problems, the programme added more than one million viewers to its ratings, taking its top audience to about five million viewers.

Lynam: Moved to ITV from the BBC in 1999

ITV's Director of Sport Brian Barwick admitted he too was disappointed by the move, but stood by Liddiment.

Last week the Mirror newspaper reported that the show was to be moved and its presenter was considering leaving it as a consequence.

At the time ITV denied any plans to move The Premiership.

Fresh

Mr Liddiment said that the now confirmed change will not affect the quality of the show, which he said was "first class".

"The team have embraced the challenge of producing a fresh and dynamic programme with relish and I am very happy with the show editorially."

The last 7pm edition of The Premiership will be on 3 November.

The programme will return in its new slot on 17 November after a week's break in the Premier League calendar on 10 November due to international fixtures.