The popular sports podcast, "The Rest Is Football," has reported a staggering 19.6 million downloads and full episode YouTube views during the Euro 2024 matches. This Goalhanger-produced podcast, hosted by renowned football personalities Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, and Alan Shearer, also achieved an impressive reach of over 66 million views on social media platforms throughout the tournament.
Jack Davenport, co-founder at Goalhanger, said:
“These numbers show that 2024 is the year Goalhanger evolved from an audio production company to a mass media publisher, speaking to tens of millions of people worldwide. We want to reach audiences wherever they consume content—whether they prefer podcasting, watching on YouTube, social media, linear TV, or even in print—you can find us there.”
Lineker's controversial headlines
Gary Lineker was particularly in focus during this period as he made headlines for his criticism of England's performance against Denmark on "The Rest Is Football." His comments sparked a debate among England players who called out media negativity following his critique.
Tony Pastor, co-founder at Goalhanger, said:
“The success of our shows proves that the so-called TikTok generation only wanting short-form content is a myth. Half of our audience is under 33 years old and enjoying long-form conversations between intelligent people, discussing everything from history to politics to sports and entertainment. In the build-up to the election, The Rest Is Politics went daily and attracted audiences north of 700,000 audio downloads an episode as people loved the insight of Rory and Alastair. We were able to be nimble, jumping onto YouTube and reacting quickly to breaking news, which proved massively popular with audiences. Similarly, on The Rest Is Football, Gary, Alan, and Micah were able to react to the games as fans and analysts, which viewers and listeners found hugely relatable.”
Gary Lineker, co-host of The Rest Is Football and co-founder at Goalhanger, said:
“Hosting The Rest Is Football during the Euros with Alan and Micah has been a blast. The fans’ response has been amazing, and it was fun sharing laughs, stories, and insights about the event’s highs and lows. Everyone has an opinion during a major tournament, but our listeners and viewers have shown they appreciate insightful discussion with a good bit of banter thrown in. Here’s to many more episodes as we approach the new Premier League season.”
Success across other podcasts
In addition to "The Rest is Football," Goalhanger also celebrated similar success with its other podcasts - "The Rest Is Politics" and "The Rest Is History." These shows too experienced a surge in listenership during this period. Jack Davenport, co-founder at Goalhanger expressed satisfaction over these achievements.
The impressive performance of the 'Rest is Football' podcast during Euro 2024, with approximately 19.6 million downloads and full episode YouTube views, underscores the growing influence of digital platforms in sports broadcasting. The podcast, hosted by Gary Lineker, Micah Richards, and Alan Shearer; reached an astounding number of more than 66 million viewers on various social media platforms.
Notably, Gary Lineker’s critique about England’s performance against Denmark stirred controversy among some English players which further fueled engagement with the show. In addition to this success story in sports broadcasting, Goalhanger also observed similar triumphs for its other podcasts - 'The Rest Is Politics' and 'The Rest Is History.' These achievements highlight how podcasts are not only providing fans with engaging content but also shaping conversations around major sporting events. This data underscores the growing influence of digital platforms in sports broadcasting. Podcasts like "The Rest is Football" are not only providing fans with engaging content but also shaping conversations around major sporting events.
