# Goalhanger Podcasts

Goalhanger is a British company that produces and distributes podcasts. It claims to be the UK's largest independent podcast group and the largest outside the United States, with over 400 million downloads in 2024 alone. According to the company, Goalhanger’s 12 podcasts collectively achieve more than 40 million downloads a month.

## History

Goalhanger was founded by sports broadcaster and former professional footballer Gary Lineker, along with Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport. Initially established as Goalhanger Films, the company produced documentaries featuring prominent figures such as Anthony Joshua, Kelly Holmes, and Wayne Rooney.
Goalhanger's move into podcasting began in 2018 with Behind Closed Doors, a conversational series in which Lineker and broadcaster Danny Baker discussed contemporary football topics. This was followed in April 2019 by We Have Ways of Making You Talk, a World War II-focused podcast co-hosted by historian James Holland and comedian Al Murray.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Goalhanger shifted its focus more toward podcasting, a move that significantly accelerated its growth and expanded its audience. In November 2020, the company launched The Rest Is History, hosted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, which quickly achieved success.
Building on this momentum, Goalhanger expanded its podcast lineup with shows such as The Rest Is Politics (May 2022), featuring Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart; Empire (August 2022), presented by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand; and The Rest Is Football (August 2023), co-hosted by Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards.
During the 2024 United Kingdom general election campaign period, the podcasts The Rest Is Politics and Leading together achieved over 21.6 million total downloads and full episode views on YouTube. Meanwhile, during the 2024 Euros, The Rest Is Football amassed a combined total of 19.6 million downloads and full episode YouTube views.

## Programming

| Title | Genre | Hosts | Air date |
| WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk | History | Al Murray and James Holland | 2 April 2019 |
| The Rest Is History | History | Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook | 2 November 2020 |
| Battleground | History | Patrick Bishop and Saul David | 4 April 2022 |
| The Rest Is Politics | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | 2 May 2022 |
| Empire | History | William Dalrymple and Anita Anand | 16 August 2022 |
| The Rest Is Politics: Leading | Politics | Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart | 16 January 2023 |
| The Rest Is Football | Football | Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards | 7 August 2023 |
| The Rest Is Money | Economics | Steph McGovern and Robert Peston | 30 August 2023 |
| Sherlock & Co. | Scripted podcast | Paul Waggott as Doctor John Watson, Harry Attwell as Sherlock Holmes and Marta da Silva as Mariana Ametxazurra | 10 October 2023 |
| Football Clichés | Football | Adam Hurrey, Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker | 17 October 2023 |
| Legacy | History | Peter Frankopan and Afua Hirsch | 15 November 2023 |
| The Rest Is Entertainment | Entertainment | Richard Osman and Marina Hyde | 28 November 2023 |
| The Rest Is Politics: US | Politics | Anthony Scaramucci and Katty Kay | 24 May 2024 |
| The Rest Is Classified | Intelligence | David McCloskey and Gordon Corera | 27 November 2024 |
| Journey Through Time | History | David Olusoga and Sarah Churchwell | 20 March 2025 |