Goalhanger, the independent British production company behind The Rest Is Football, has turned a 40-day World Cup trial into a two-year deal with Netflix, a move that offers a masterclass for any UK business looking to punch above its weight with a global partner.
The show, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will return to Netflix for the 2026/27 Premier League season after a live show filmed in New York during the 2026 FIFA World Cup made it one of the biggest hits of the summer.
The numbers explain why Netflix is back for more. The series appeared on Netflix’s Daily Top 10 TV chart every day of its 40-day run, reaching No. 1 in the UK. The podcast itself, one of the biggest shows in the world, draws more than 7 million monthly streams.
The extended agreement takes the partnership to the next Euros, held across the UK and Ireland in 2028. New episodes are streaming on Netflix from August 2026, every Monday and Friday, with three hosts appearing across the full 40 weeks of the Premier League and Champions League seasons.
Trial run, modified
For SME owners, the structure of the agreement is as instructive as its scale. Goalhanger, which also produces The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Politics, used the World Cup as a proving ground, demonstrated demand with daily chart data, and negotiated a long-term contract from the powerhouse. Most importantly, the company remains the manufacturer, retaining control over the product it has built.
It’s the same playbook that supports Goalhanger’s new creator-led media businesses: own the intellectual property, manage the relationship with the audience, and let platforms compete for your content instead of others.
Tony Pastor, founder of Goalhanger, said: “We launched The Rest Is Football after the last World Cup, and it’s amazing to see how far the program has come in such a short space of time.
“Netflix has allowed us to preserve everything that makes the show so important: sometimes serious, often funny, but always sincere and warm. We are happy that Netflix enjoyed working with the show this summer and chose to extend the relationship for another two years.”
Keeping the core business running
Notably, the podcast was not made for a streaming deal. Goalhanger runs both in parallel, protecting the audience that made the program important in the first place, a common admonition for any founder who has diversified without abandoning their core bottom line. The show has form here, with record-breaking releases such as Marcus Rashford’s interview drawing 1.4 million streams in 48 hours.
Gary Lineker said: “We had a great time doing this show during the World Cup, and the response was unbelievable, so it’s great to be back on Netflix every week throughout the Premier League season. The Rest Is Football podcast will continue all week, while the Netflix show gives us another chance to stick to the biggest stories. Expect lots of ideas, lots of controversy, Mica, laugh with Mica.”
The deal comes as the big players in linear television continue to fly to broadcast and YouTube, and Ofcom’s study of Media Nations charts a steady migration of UK viewing away from broadcast schedules. Netflix made this game around the world during the World Cup, it was included in all programs.
For independent British producers, the message is clear: build something the audience wants, prove it with data, and the world’s biggest platforms will come to you.
