Former England striker and broadcaster Gary Lineker is set for a major financial windfall after securing a multi-million pound hosting deal with streaming giant Netflix for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lucrative Streaming Switch After BBC Departure
Gary Lineker has reportedly inked a multi-million pound contract to bring his popular football podcast, The Rest Is Football, to Netflix during next summer's tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to a report from The Sun, the agreement was signed by his production company, Goalhanger, which has sold the rights to the US streaming behemoth.
The substantial new deal is said to vastly exceed the £1.35 million annual salary Lineker earned during his tenure at the BBC, where he fronted Match of the Day and other programmes. This move positions him to compete directly with his former colleagues at the BBC's sports coverage when the tournament kicks off in June 2026.
Daily Podcast Format and Family Affair
As part of the new arrangement, The Rest Is Football podcast will shift from its current three-times-a-week schedule to a daily format throughout the World Cup. Co-hosts and former footballers Alan Shearer and Micah Richards are expected to be involved in the expanded coverage.
A source close to the deal indicated the announcement is scheduled for Tuesday, stating: "It’s a really exciting deal and Gary is thrilled. It means he will be at the World Cup after all." The source added that this marks Netflix's first significant venture into live football coverage, built around the daily podcast, and will introduce Lineker to a vast new international audience.
The deal also has a family element, with Lineker's son Harry, who works as a producer, set to join him in the United States for the tournament.
Background to the BBC Exit
Lineker's departure from the BBC earlier this year followed controversy surrounding a social media post. The 65-year-old shared a message about Zionism that included a rat emoji, a symbol historically used as an antisemitic insult. Lineker later stated his exit was by mutual decision and apologised for any offence caused, emphasising he had not seen the rat image when reposting the story and would never consciously share antisemitic material.
This was not the first time Lineker's outspoken views on social media caused friction with BBC management. In 2023, he was temporarily taken off air from Match of the Day after comparing the then-Conservative government's asylum policy to 1930s Nazi Germany, a move that prompted co-presenters Alan Shearer and Ian Wright to boycott the show in solidarity.
The BBC terminated its licensing agreement for The Rest Is Football podcast in May 2025, though the show remained available on other platforms and has accumulated over eight million views on its YouTube channel.
