Inside BBC concerns Lineker will blow their World Cup coverage out of the water

Gary Lineker has given the BBC a World Cup selection headache after signing a big-money deal with Netflix to screen his popular football podcast during the 2026 tournament, insiders said.

Just months after his acrimonious BBC exit, the former Match of the Day presenter has agreed a multi-million pound deal to sell the rights to the hugely successful The Rest Is Football podcast to Netflix, it was reported.

The show made by Lineker’s Goalhanger production company will run daily during next Summer’s World Cup in North America, Canada and Mexico, going head-to-head with the BBC’s coverage.

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... to America.

Lineker’s podcast co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards will be heavily involved in the Rest Is Football episodes, according to insiders familiar with the deal.

But former England captain Shearer, who earns £440,000 as a Match of the Day pundit and Richards are also expected to be a key part of the line up for the BBC’s World Cup coverage.

The ex-England stars may have to choose whether to stick with the BBC or join Lineker’s team at the World Cup.

BBC bosses were unhappy that lead presenter Lineker and Shearer were scathing about an England Euro 24 performance, when they appeared on The Rest Is Football during the tournament.

“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, 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.

A deal to air his independently produced podcasts including the Football show on BBC Sounds, agreed last November, was terminated when Lineker left the BBC 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 MoTD’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 with 48 teams.

The new MoTD line-up of Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan and Kelly Cates are said to be competing for Lineker’s lead anchor role next Summer but the big games could be shared between presenters.

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 in the Summer, under a deal with sports streamer DAZN.

A former Barcelona player, Lineker has secured a three-year deal to show highlights from Spain’s LALIGA, 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.

Also home to the hit Rest Is History and Politics podcasts, Goalhanger enjoys monthly podcast downloads of 12m and is seeking new shows to expand into the US.

The Rest Is Football, which reaches an audience of over eight million on YouTube, is currently also available on Spotify and Apple. The Netflix deal gives the streamer a foothold in the football market as it moves further into live sports rights.

Lineker has also been approached for a presenting role for Netflix’s coverage of the 2027 Women’s World Cup, for its US subscribers.

Netflix is understood to be considering bidding for TV rights to some Premiership 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 Netflix’s “face of football”

Lineker 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.”

The Netflix deal is set to be announced imminently, according to reports. The BBC and Goalhanger were approached for comment.