Former England footballers Gary Lineker and Gary Neville have built competing digital media companies, Goalhanger and The Overlap, which are changing how sports content is consumed.
Introduction
Gary Lineker and Gary Neville, former England internationals who never played together, have become well-known figures in the digital media sector. Each leads a separate content production company: Lineker co-founded Goalhanger in 2014, and Neville co-founded The Overlap (via Buzz16) in 2021. Their platforms have attracted large audiences and investment, raising questions about their impact on traditional broadcasters.
Main Body
The Overlap, co-founded by Neville and Scott Melvin, is a video-first business. Its main show, "Stick to Football", is sponsored by Skybet and received 2.2 billion views across platforms in 2025. The company recently bought the YouTube channels of Mark Goldbridge (Brent di Cesare), a content creator known for using strong language in his match commentaries. These channels have 3.7 million subscribers. Buzz16, the parent company, reported £11.6 million in revenue last year. A majority ownership was sold to Global, a European commercial radio company. The Overlap has expanded into cricket and rugby content and obtained rights to show live German football (Bundesliga). Goalhanger, co-founded by Lineker and Tony Pastor, focuses on podcasting. It claims over 75 million monthly downloads and 250,000 paying members. The company reported profits of more than £3 million in the second half of 2024. An agreement with Netflix will see "The Rest Is Football" shown daily from New York during the 2025 World Cup. Goalhanger has also partnered with DAZN for Club World Cup coverage and has a three-year agreement to show clips from Spain''s La Liga. It received a small investment from a private equity firm to support expansion in the US. Goalhanger''s podcasts lead Spotify''s top 40, with shows on politics, history, entertainment, football, and science. On Apple''s charts, it holds the top four positions. On YouTube, The Overlap has 1.66 million subscribers, three times more than Goalhanger''s "The Rest Is Football". Both executives say they are not direct competitors. Melvin described Goalhanger as the leader in podcasting, while noting that The Overlap focuses on video. Pastor emphasized Goalhanger''s wider range of topics, stating that the companies have different business models. Industry observers have given different opinions. Jimmy Worrall, founder of The Football Boardroom podcast, described both companies as serving a specific audience but having influence, with relatively small revenues compared to traditional media. He noted that they do not have top live sports rights but are flexible and have access to money, allowing them to grow quickly. Roger Mosey, a former BBC executive, argued that traditional broadcasters face limits of being fair and following rules, while athlete-driven podcasts can be more lively and full of opinions. He mentioned Lineker''s direct comments during the 2024 Euros and his later leaving the BBC after a social media post about Zionism as examples of the conflict between making independent content and having a traditional role. Neville still works as a commentator for Sky, and Goldbridge has said he will keep his direct style. Worrall pointed out possible conflicts of interest for Neville, because he works for Sky and also pays for Goldbridge''s critical comments about Manchester United. Melvin insisted that the two activities are separate, and that the purchase aimed to add the ability to produce content quickly every day, giving an example of a 10-day period with no content after a manager was fired. This trend is not limited to Lineker and Neville. Rio Ferdinand left TNT Sport to start his own content company, saying he could avoid the limits of traditional broadcasting. Mike Carr of Crowd Network said that the market does not have one clear winner and that Lineker and Neville have helped teach companies and viewers. Pastor said he hopes Goalhanger shows that it is possible to build a modern media company with long, thoughtful content.
Conclusion
Lineker and Neville have built important digital media operations that attract large audiences and investment. While their businesses currently have small revenues compared to traditional broadcasters, they are affecting how sports content is produced and consumed. The long-term sustainability of such talent-led platforms remains uncertain, but they have speeded up changes in the media landscape.