Hell hath no fury like a woke man scorned. And industry insiders believe that by showing Gary Lineker the door, the BBC may have opened itself up to a world of pain.
The face of Match of the Day for 26 years, dumped by the broadcaster and stripped of his long World Cup goodbye next summer, recently signed a deal with streaming giants Netflix to front a daily show of his The Rest Is Football podcast from the tournament to the tune of a cool £14million.
The news sent shockwaves throughout the world of television and streaming – and the tremors may well be being felt at MediaCity as they prepare for Thursday’s Sports Personality of the Year.
But, according to those with knowledge of the situation, this is about more than a one-off deal. While significant fees will be removed from the astonishing figure, it is safe to say that the recently-turned 65-year-old will be heading back across the Atlantic with several multiples of his £1.35m final salary with Auntie under his arm.
To some this is not the end result. In fact, this is not even half-time. They believe that the Netflix bonanza not only represents Lineker’s first steps to redemption, but revenge.
That – far from being happy with a bumper pay cheque and the continued, astonishing success of his Goalhanger Productions company (which made a £3.1m profit in 2024 according to accounts published at Companies House) – the former England striker who was ousted following a string of controversial political comments and his sharing of an anti-Semitic post (which he apologised for and said was inadvertent) has his sights on making his former employers pay.
Hell hath no fury like a woke man scorned. And industry insiders believe that by showing Gary Lineker the door, the BBC may have opened itself up to a world of pain
Lineker was ousted following a string of controversial political comments and his sharing of an anti-Semitic post (which he apologised for and said was inadvertent)
‘Gary will miss dreadfully the exposure the BBC would have offered him,’ said one acquaintance, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘Like most television presenters, he has a big ego and it will be hard for him to watch other people doing what he will still see as his job. This (the World Cup) should have been his big send-off and while the money will ease the pain, it will still sting.’
The money will indeed help take the edge off. Lineker, whose early exit ended the plan for him to bow out following the final in New Jersey next July, may well also feel vindicated by the fact one of the biggest players in the world wanted him.
That one of the new kids on the block did not believe that that Instagram story, which likened supporters of the state of Israel to rats, and his previous airing of political views which compared the then-Government’s immigration policy to that of Nazi Germany (resulting in a suspension and subsequent walkout from MOTD colleagues) was that much of a big deal.
More than that, there appears to be potential here for something much bigger, as ludicrous as that sounds given the vast sums involved. Lineker made a career on the pitch from sniffing out opportunities and, when the chance came, cashing in to maximum effect. The name of his firm, Goalhanger, is a tribute to his unnerving ability to pounce.
The Netflix deal, according to some, is the equivalent of a precise through ball. The view is that it presents a golden moment for the Golden Boot winner. That it could be the start of a beautiful relationship, and one which comes back to wallop the BBC right in the chops.
Within Goalhanger, Lineker is surrounded by longstanding allies in ex-ITV controller Tony Pastor and former BBC executive Jack Davenport, who have two crucial things in common according to one well-placed source.
‘They’re smart and they’re TV guys,’ they explained. ‘Podcasting was always just a stepping stone. They want to reinvent TV. They want to be able to take on Match of the Day. They want to build a media empire.’
The source believes that the evidence is everywhere: ‘In August, Goalhanger signed a deal to show La Liga highlights and do a podcast on Spanish football (hosted by Lineker and broadcaster Alex Aljoe). The other podcasts, The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment and The Rest is Politics, are doing sold-out shows at major venues.
Lineker (left, with co-host Alan Shearer and David Moyes) recently signed a deal with Netflix to front a daily show of his The Rest Is Football podcast from the World Cup for a cool £14million
‘The other podcasts, such as Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell’s The Rest is Politics, are doing sold-out shows at major venues’
‘They are moving into a different place. Their endgame has always been to take on telly because that’s what they know. I think podcasting and audio has always been a stepping stone for them.’
With that in mind, much will be at stake on this summer’s episodes, which usually see Lineker partnered by fellow former England striker Alan Shearer and ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards and attract more than seven million monthly streams.
A host of new, star names are expected to join them at a studio in New York. There will be no expense spared, unlike at Lineker’s former employers, who have taken the cost-cutting decision to not even build a base in the US and to not send pundits until the quarter-finals – as revealed by Daily Mail Sport.
While the podcast shows will not feature highlights, there will be match analysis, interviews and videos from previous World Cups. They will also feature updates from England’s camp and from a team of dedicated reporters at cities across the US, Canada and Mexico.
‘If Gary makes a success of this,’ our source continues, ‘and he probably will, then don’t be surprised if he turns to Netflix and says “Look, this has been a great success. How do we bid for Premier League rights next time around? How do we get, say, £5billion together?”
‘It might sound far-fetched but such numbers are small fry for Netflix, especially when you see that they are currently trying to buy Warner Brothers for $83bn. This feels like the start.
‘And if Netflix do end up with the Premier League, who do you think will present the coverage? It would be the ultimate revenge for Gary and it would make him and his partners even more money. That’s the end game. He gives them instant credibility and authenticity.’
Daily Mail Sport has previously reported on the prospect of Netflix entering the market for football rights. In November they narrowly lost out to rival Paramount in the race for the contract to show matches in UEFA’s competitions. It felt like a key moment and a sign of changes to come.
Lineker had planned to have his final BBC farewell at next summer’s World Cup final in New Jersey
Netflix have already begun taking big swings in the world of sports – and will screen Anthony Joshua’s fight with YouTuber Jake Paul this week
The latest domestic deals for Premier League football conclude in 2029, while the US agreement with NBC expires in 2028, with bids expected next year. Lineker and his crew have months to launch a charm offensive. Netflix will not be scarred by their first foray and may well be determined not to miss out for a second time. The timing is perfect.
Is Lineker the type to bear a grudge? As of yet he has not spoken at length about his abrupt exit from the BBC other than a July interview with The New World in which he denied being anti-Semitic, insisted that he missed the rat emoji in the post, and confirmed that rather than resigning he was actually fired.
‘I made a mistake and I immediately took it down and apologised, which I thought should have been enough,’ he said.
It goes without saying that the people who pulled that trigger cannot compete with Netflix. That the BBC is unlikely to expand on its diet of Match of the Day, MOTD 2, Football Focus and some digital rights. Should it all fall into place for Lineker, the rest may well be all gravy.
