Gary Lineker’s The Rest is Football show will be broadcast daily on Netflix during the 2026 FIFA World Cup from a New York studio – as the BBC denied reports that it plans to cut back its presentation of the tournament.
The podcast, which Lineker presents alongside BBC pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, promises to give Netflix subscribers an “honest” analysis of England’s performances at the event, which is being jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The former Match of the Day presenter, who left the BBC in May after sharing an Instagram post featuring an antisemitic trope, said the multi-million-pound streaming deal was a “fantastic opportunity for the three of us to do what we love – talk football every day – but on a truly global stage”.
Confirmation of Lineker’s move arrived as his former employer fended off claims it planned to cover most of the summer tournament from its Salford-based Sport HQ, thousands of miles away from the action, instead of America.
The Daily Mail reported that the BBC was considering only sending commentators and analysts to the event from the quarter-final, or even semi-final, stage onwards.
The cost of sending staff to the extended tournament, now running for six weeks with 104 games and 48 nations, was cited as a reason to wait before sending over its big guns, according to the paper.
The reported move was criticised by MPs who said the BBC had an obligation to deliver comprehensive coverage of a “crown jewel” sporting event.
Insiders at Goalhanger Productions, Lineker’s expanding podcast business, said the former England star would consider any BBC request to use the Rest Is Football New York studio when the podcast is not on air.
Lineker said: “We’re getting a very cool location sorted in New York. The show will have all the glitz and glamour of the Big Apple. It’s quite exciting.”
The new show will dial in reporters from the England camp and from fanzones in the United States, and will include game analysis, special guests, interviews and insights.
Will Shearer and Richards have to choose between BBC or Lineker?
The Lineker deal is also set to give the BBC a selection headache.
Shearer, who earns £440,000 as a Match of the Day pundit, is expected to be a key figure in the line-up for the BBC’s World Cup coverage. He and Richards may have to choose whether to stick with the BBC or join Lineker’s team at the tournament.
BBC bosses were unhappy that Lineker – then still its lead football anchor – and Shearer had been scathing about an England performance when they appeared on The Rest Is Football during Euro 2024.
Harry Kane lashed out at “people with podcasts trying to promote their own channels” after Lineker branded England’s performance against Denmark “shit” on the podcast.
“Moonlighting was a sticking point with bosses. Gary and Alan were much more critical about England on the podcast than they ever were for BBC viewers,” a BBC insider said.
“The BBC got no benefit from the podcast, but it got lots of attention. It overshadowed the BBC’s coverage and damaged relations with the England team.”
Lineker’s promise that the team would continue to give “honest” unfiltered analysis at the World Cup could inflame relations with the England team once again, should they underperform.
Lineker, 65, was released by the BBC after he shared a social media post about Zionism, which included a rat emoji, historically used as an antisemitic insult. He had been due to anchor the BBC’s World Cup coverage in North America, but a one-year contract extension was torn up.
He apologised for the post and said: “I would never knowingly share anything antisemitic. It goes against everything I believe in,” adding that he deleted the post “as soon as I became aware of the issue”.
The Netflix deal is said to dwarf the £1.35m salary Lineker earned at the BBC, although a chunk of the money will be used to cover the production costs of taking The Rest Is Football to America.
A deal to air his independently produced podcasts, including The Rest Is Football, on BBC Sounds was agreed in November last year, but terminated when Lineker left the corporation in May. However, Shearer and Richards, who were given new Match of the Day contracts, have continued to appear on Lineker’s podcast.
The BBC sought to counter the threat by giving Wayne Rooney a two-year deal to become Match of the Day’s new star pundit, which included his own weekly podcast, where the former England star is encouraged to give controversial opinions on the week’s action.
BBC head of sport Alex Kay-Jelski wants the broadcaster’s coverage to reach new audiences across digital platforms, including YouTube, with podcasts playing a prominent role.
The BBC said it was not ready to announce its World Cup line-up. It is expected to field an international range of ex-players and current managers, to reflect the expanded tournament, which will feature 48 teams.
The new Match of the Day line-up of Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates is said to be competing for Lineker’s lead anchor role next summer, but the big games could be shared between presenters.
Lineker could become the streamer’s “face of football”
The Netflix deal illustrates the extent of both Lineker and Goalhanger’s ambitions.
The Rest Is Football licensed match footage for the first time when it covered Fifa’s Club World Cup this year, under a deal with sports streamer DAZN.
A former Barcelona player, Lineker has secured a three-year deal to show highlights from Spain’s La Liga, becoming the first podcaster to secure official rights to clips from a major European league.
It is unclear whether Goalhanger can secure World Cup highlights, with the BBC and ITV continuing to share exclusive rights next summer.
Lineker said: “We can’t wait to bring The Rest Is Football to Netflix for the 2026 World Cup.”
He added: “Expect all the usual analysis, honesty and plenty of laughs… just with a few more cameras pointed at us, all from the Big Apple.”
Also home to hits The Rest Is History and The Rest is Politics, Goalhanger enjoys monthly podcast downloads of 12 million and is seeking new shows to expand into the US.
The Rest Is Football, which reaches an audience of more than eight million on YouTube, is also currently available on Spotify and Apple. The Netflix deal gives the streamer a foothold in the soccer market as it moves further into live sports rights.
Lineker has also been approached for a presenting role in Netflix’s coverage of the 2027 Women’s World Cup, for its US subscribers.
Netflix is understood to be considering a bid for TV rights to some Premier League fixtures, after narrowly missing out on deals to show games from Uefa’s European club competitions.
Now a free agent, and boosted by winning best TV presenter at the National Television Awards, Lineker could become the streamer’s “face of football”
He will show his versatility next year when he presents The Box, a new ITV game show that transports celebrities to unknown locations and challenges them to compete in different games.
In an Evening Standard interview this week, the star, who frequently clashed with BBC bosses over his determination to express his political views, said his former employers had “tied themselves up in knots a little bit with their impartiality rules.”
Discussing the resignations of BBC director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness, Lineker claimed that the BBC board had succumbed to political interference.
After leaving Match of the Day after 26 years over the pro-Palestine Instagram video which featured the rat emoji, Lineker said in a statement that he did not see the image, and “would never consciously repost anything antisemitic”.
He added: “However, I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am. Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
