GARY Lineker has signed a staggering multi-million pound deal with Netflix to host his The Rest Is Football podcast at next summer’s World Cup.
The ex-England star’s Goalhanger production company has agreed to sell the rights to the phenomenally successful show to the US streaming service, which is looking to expand its podcasting efforts next year.
Former Match of the Day host Gary’s new contract will dwarf that of his BBC deal, which saw him earn £1.35million a year.
And it means he will go head to head with his former colleagues at the US tournament.
The show will run daily instead of its current three times a week, with co-hosts Alan Shearer and Micah Richards heavily involved.
The news is sure to infuriate the under-fire Beeb, which was unable to secure the podcast after axing Gary earlier this year.
A source said: “It’s a really exciting deal and Gary is thrilled. It means he will be at the World Cup after all.
“It’s Netflix’s first real foray into football coverage, with a daily show built around the podcast. This 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 joining Stateside as he’s a producer, so it’ll be a real family affair.”
The new deal is set to be announced by Netflix tomorrow.
Currently, The Rest Is Football, which reaches an audience of over eight million on YouTube, is also available on Spotify and Apple.
Netflix is investing heavily in its podcast content from 2026 in a bid to rival YouTube.
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.
In an emotional social media message, he later announced he was leaving by mutual decision and apologised for any offence caused by the post, saying he had not seen the rat when he re-posted the story.
The outspoken star, a passionate advocate on human rights, had previously clashed with his former bosses for pushing the BBC’s impartiality rules.
He has always staunchly defended using social media to speak out on matters close to his heart.
In 2023 he was briefly removed from anchoring Match of the Day after likening the then-Tory government’s asylum policy to the rhetoric of Nazi Germany.
His co-presenters Shearer and Ian Wright immediately boycotted the show and it went ahead without ant post-match analysis.
