Goalhanger Podcasts Ltd[1] is a British podcast production and distribution company.
 | |
| Industry | Media |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gary Lineker Tony Pastor Jack Davenport |
| Headquarters | Kennington, London, England |
| Products | Podcasts |
| Website | goalhanger |
According to the company, its 15 main shows collectively receive more than 75 million full-episode streams per month.[2]
History
editGoalhanger is a British media company co-founded by sports broadcaster and former professional footballer Gary Lineker, along with Tony Pastor, former ITV controller of sport, and Jack Davenport, a former senior journalist at the BBC. Originally established as Goalhanger Films, the company initially focused on producing sports documentaries featuring figures such as Wayne Rooney.[3]
In 2018, the company expanded into podcast production, beginning with Behind Closed Doors, a football-focused series featuring Lineker and broadcaster Danny Baker. In April 2019, it launched We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a podcast centered on World War II, co-hosted by historian James Holland and comedian Al Murray.[4]
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Goalhanger increased its focus on podcasting. In November 2020, the company launched The Rest Is History, hosted by historian Dominic Sandbrook and author Tom Holland.[5]
The company has since launched several other podcasts, including The Rest Is Politics (first published in March 2022), hosted by Alastair Campbell — an advisor to former Labour prime minister Tony Blair — and Rory Stewart — a former Conservative MP who held various ministerial portfolios; Empire (first published in August 2022), presented by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand; and The Rest Is Football (first published in August 2023), co-hosted by Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards. [6]
During the 2024 United Kingdom general election campaign, The Rest Is Politics and Leading recorded over 21.6 million downloads and full-episode views on YouTube.[7] During the 2024 UEFA European Championship, The Rest Is Football received a combined total of 19.6 million downloads and full-episode views on platforms it was published on.[7]
Since 2023, the company has introduced a subscription-based model for some shows, providing early access, bonus material, and priority entry to live events - contributing to steady growth in their paying audiences. [8] An interview with Davenport in 2025 revealed that Goalhanger has over 200,000 paying members.[9]
In December 2025, Netflix signed a deal with Goalhanger to carry The Rest Is Football podcast during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[10]
In January 2026, The Chernin Group (Peter Chernin’s investment group) took a minority stake in Goalhanger.[11]
Programming
edit| Title | Genre | Hosts | First released |
|---|---|---|---|
| We Have Ways of Making You Talk | History | Al Murray and James Holland | April 2, 2019 |
| The Rest Is History | History | Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook | November 2, 2020 |
| The Rest Is Politics | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | March 2, 2022 |
| Battleground | History | Patrick Bishop and Saul David | April 4, 2022 |
| Empire | History | William Dalrymple and Anita Anand | August 16, 2022 |
| The Rest Is Politics: Leading | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | January 16, 2023 |
| The Rest Is Football | Football | Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards | August 7, 2023 |
| The Rest Is Money | Economics | Steph McGovern and Robert Peston | August 30, 2023 |
| Sherlock & Co. | Scripted podcast | Paul Waggott as Doctor John Watson, Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes, and Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra | October 10, 2023 |
| Football Clichés | Football | Adam Hurrey, Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker | October 17, 2023 |
| The Rest Is Entertainment | Entertainment | Richard Osman and Marina Hyde | November 28, 2023 |
| Walking The Dog with Emily Dean | Interview series | Emily Dean | December 23, 2023 |
| The Rest Is Politics: US | Politics | Anthony Scaramucci and Katty Kay | May 24, 2024 |
| The Rest Is Classified | Intelligence | David McCloskey and Gordon Corera | November 27, 2024 |
| Journey Through Time | History | David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell | March 20, 2025 |
| The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness | Football | Millie Bright and Rachel Daly | April 15, 2025 |
| The Rest Is Football: LaLiga | Football | Gary Lineker and Alex Aljoe | August 19, 2025 |
| The Rest Is Science | Science | Michael Stevens and Hannah Fry | November 25, 2025 |
| The Book Club | Literature | Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett | February 17, 2026 |
References
edit- ↑ "Goalhanger Podcasts Ltd overview - Find and update company information - Gov.uk". Companies House. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ↑ Ponsford, Dominic (2 October 2025). "UK's biggest podcast producer Goalhanger is now a video company". Press Gazette. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
- ↑ White, Peter (17 June 2022). "Gary Lineker's Goalhanger To Expand Podcast Output After Signing With WME". Deadline. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Inside Gary Lineker's Goalhanger podcast empire as host ends Match of the Day tenure". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 December 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ Parker, Robin (4 November 2024). "Goalhanger: the evolution of a podcast powerhouse". Broadcast. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Home". Goalhanger. Retrieved 18 March 2025.[non-primary source needed]
- 1 2 "Goalhanger Celebrates Record-Breaking Podcast Success". podnews.net. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "How Goalhanger used video on Spotify to reach 50 million monthly plays and increase earnings". creators.spotify.com. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ↑ Ponsford, Dominic (2 October 2025). "UK's biggest podcast producer Goalhanger is now a video company". Press Gazette. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ↑ "Gary Lineker takes The Rest is Football podcast to Netflix for 2026 World Cup". BBC News. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ↑ Goldbart, Max (28 January 2026). "The Chernin Group Takes Minority Stake in Gary Lineker's 'The Rest Is…' Firm Goalhanger". Deadline. Retrieved 5 February 2026.