Netflix turns World Cup experiment into two-season Lineker deal
Netflix has renewed Goalhanger’s The Rest Is Football until 2028 as the streamer expands its sports-adjacent programming beyond major live events.
Netflix has extended its partnership with Goalhanger to carry The Rest Is Football across the next two club seasons, turning its World Cup collaboration into a regular football programming commitment.The video show will return in August with episodes released every Monday and Friday across the 40-week Premier League and UEFA Champions League season. Financial terms were not disclosed.Host Gary Lineker said: “We had a brilliant time making the show during the World Cup, and the response was incredible, so it’s great to be back on Netflix every week throughout the Premier League season.“The Rest Is Football podcast will continue across the week too, while the Netflix show gives us another chance to get stuck into the biggest stories. Expect plenty of opinions, plenty of laughs and, with Alan and Micah involved, probably a few arguments as well.”Lineker will continue to present alongside former England internationals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. The trio previously worked together on the BBC’s Match of the Day.The renewal follows a 40-day run of daily episodes produced from New York during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The programme featured in Netflix’s UK Daily Top 10 television chart throughout the tournament and reached the top position.The Rest Is Football will remain available as an audio podcast alongside its Netflix output. The podcast records more than seven million monthly streams, giving Netflix access to an established audience rather than requiring the platform to build a football format from scratch.Goalhanger co-founder Tony Pastor said: “We launched The Rest Is Football after the last World Cup, and it’s incredible to see how far the show has come in such a short space of time.“Netflix allowed us to preserve everything that makes the show special: sometimes serious, frequently hilarious, but always genuine and warm. We’re delighted that Netflix has enjoyed working with the show this summer and has chosen to extend the partnership for a further two years.”The agreement strengthens Goalhanger’s distribution relationship with a global streaming platform while leaving the company in control of production. Its wider network includes The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Entertainment.Netflix has increasingly used documentaries, live events, video podcasts and personality-led programmes to attract sports audiences without relying solely on the acquisition of full-season domestic rights.The renewal runs across the 2026-27 and 2027-28 club campaigns, extending the partnership towards UEFA Euro 2028 but not currently including coverage of the tournament itself.