 | |
| Industry | Podcasting |
|---|---|
| Founder | Gary Lineker Tony Pastor Jack Davenport |
| Headquarters | Kennington, London, England |
| Products | See below |
| Website | www.goalhanger.com |
Goalhanger is a British podcast production and distribution company. In 2024, its podcasts received over 400 million downloads. [1]
According to the company, its 13 main shows collectively receive more than 50 million streams each month. [2]
Goalhanger 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 historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. [5]
The company has since launched several other podcasts, including The Rest Is Politics (March 2022), hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart; Empire (August 2022), presented by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand; and The Rest Is Football (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 the platform. [7]
Since 2025, the company has introduced a subscription-based model on certain shows, providing early access, bonus material, and priority entry to live events - contributing to steady growth in their paying audiences. [8]
| Title | Genre | Hosts | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| We Have Ways of Making You Talk | History | Al Murray and James Holland | 2 April 2019 |
| The Rest Is History | History | Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook | 2 November 2020 |
| The Rest Is Politics | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | 2 March 2022 |
| Battleground | History | Patrick Bishop and Saul David | 4 April 2022 |
| Empire | History | William Dalrymple and Anita Anand | 16 August 2022 |
| The Rest Is Politics: Leading | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | 16 January 2023 |
| The Rest Is Football | Football | Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards | 7 August 2023 |
| The Rest Is Money | Economics | Steph McGovern and Robert Peston | 30 August 2023 |
| Sherlock & Co. | Scripted podcast | Paul Waggott as Doctor John Watson, Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes and Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra | 10 October 2023 |
| Football Clichés | Football | Adam Hurrey, Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker | 17 October 2023 |
| The Rest Is Entertainment | Entertainment | Richard Osman and Marina Hyde | 28 November 2023 |
| Walking The Dog with Emily Dean | Interview Series | Emily Dean | 23 December 2023 |
| The Rest Is Politics: US | Politics | Anthony Scaramucci and Katty Kay | 24 May 2024 |
| The Rest Is Classified | Intelligence | David McCloskey and Gordon Corera | 27 November 2024 |
| Journey Through Time | History | David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell | 20 March 2025 |
| The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness | Football | Millie Bright and Rachel Daly | 15th April 2025 |