Former Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker has taken his The Rest Is Football podcast to broadcaster DAZN following his departure from the BBC.
The partnership will see the podcast, which is fronted by Lineker alongside the BBC football highlights show’s pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, include footage of the Club World Cup tournament in the video version of the show.
Pete Oliver, chief executive of growth markets at DAZN, said: “The Rest Is Football is essential viewing and listening for fans who want insight, entertainment, and personality — and this partnership is a brilliant way to bring the Fifa Club World Cup even closer to that audience.
“It’s about connecting global football with the voices fans trust and love, and showing the tournament in a fresh, exciting, and authentically British way.”
DAZN is a British internet sports streaming platform founded in 2015, with the rights to show an array of boxing matches, American sports and football leagues. As of 2023, the service had more than 20 million subscribers.
The deal with DAZN comes after the podcast, produced by the former Barcelona striker’s Goalhanger Podcasts, was removed from the BBC’s audio streaming service last week following Lineker’s exit from the corporation.
The Club World Cup will see teams from across the world such as Spain’s Real Madrid, Argentina’s River Plate and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds compete against one another in the US.
The 64-year-old left his presenting role early following a social media row after he shared a post about Zionism which featured a depiction of a rat, historically an antisemitic insult.
Lineker, who issued an unreserved apology, will no longer front the BBC’s coverage of the 2026 World Cup or the FA Cup next season, with his final appearance on Match Of The Day airing on May 25.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football after his final episode of Match Of The Day, Lineker said of leaving the role: “I was a bit tired, and a bit emotional last night, I’m fine.
“I’m good, and thank you both for your very kind words last night. I must say, when they played the montage, obviously, I knew something was coming, but I didn’t know what it was at all.
“(I was) struggling to keep myself (together), especially when I saw my boys, you know what it’s like when it’s family and stuff, and thankfully that wasn’t the last clip, because I’d gone at that point, I needed time to get myself together to try and get through the end of the show.”
Lineker had presented Match Of The Day since 1999 and fronted the BBC’s coverage of other major sporting events, including the 2012 London Olympics.
