Gary Lineker is set to leave the BBC and walk away with a multi-million pound fortune after signing a lucrative deal with Netflix.
Gary Lineker has reportedly signed a multi-million pound deal with Netflix to host his podcast The Rest Is Football during next summer’s World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. The Sun reports that the former England star’s production company Goalhanger has agreed to sell the rights to the show to a major US streaming company.
His new deal reportedly dwarfs his previous BBC deal, which earned him £1.35 million hosting Match of the Day and other shows. This means Lineker will face off against his former BBC colleagues in a tournament next summer as Netflix begins to expand its podcasting efforts.
‘The Rest Is Football’ will reportedly air daily instead of its current three-weekly format, and co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will also be in attendance. The BBC ended its licensing agreement with The Rest is Football in May, but the podcast remains available on other platforms and has been viewed more than 8 million times on YouTube.
The deal is expected to be announced on Tuesday. A source told the newspaper: “This is a really exciting deal and Gary is excited too. After all, he will be playing in the World Cup.”
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“This is Netflix’s first serious foray into soccer coverage with daily programming built around podcasts. It will also introduce Gary to a whole new international audience.”
“Netflix first approached his company a few months ago and his son Harry will also be coming to the US as a producer, so it’s going to be a real family affair.”
Lineker left the BBC earlier this year after sharing a social media post about Zionism that included the rat emoji, which has historically been used as an anti-Semitic insult. The 65-year-old shared an emotional social media message later announcing that he was retiring by mutual decision, saying he had not seen the rat when he reposted the article and apologizing for the offense caused by the post.
Following the incident, Lineker posted an emotional message on social media, saying: “For as long as I can remember, football has been at the center of my life, both on the pitch and in the studio.
“I care deeply about this game and the work I’ve done at the BBC over the years. As I’ve said, I would never consciously repost anything that was anti-Semitic. It goes against everything I stand for.”
“However, I recognize the mistake and upset I have caused and reiterate how sorry I am. I feel it is the responsible course of action to withdraw now.”
Mr Lineker is a passionate defender of human rights and has previously clashed with his former bosses over the BBC’s impartiality rules. He was briefly removed from hosting Match of the Day in 2023 after comparing the then Conservative government’s asylum policy to Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
As a result, co-hosts Shearer and Ian Wright boycotted the show, but the show continued without post-match analysis.
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