Gary Lineker's business empire records eye-watering profits after ITV decision

Gary Lineker's podcast company made an eye-watering £1.4million in profit last year, it has been revealed, days after the broadcaster made the decision to star in a show on ITV.

Lineker is one of the most recognisable faces on British TV but this year announced he would be stepping down from his iconic role as host of Match of the Day after 25 years.

The 64-year-old, however, has steadily been building his own business outside of the BBC after establishing his own podcast company called Goalhanger Podcasts in 2019, which has gone on to create a series of popular programmes.

Lineker hosts The Rest is Football alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards but has set up a number of other podcasts such as The Rest is Politics and The Rest is History, which are often at the top of the charts for the most loyal listeners.

It's now been revealed by the Daily Mail that Lineker's Goalhanger firm saw its earnings shoot up from £590,000 in 2023 to £2.03m in 2024, with assets also going up from £560,000 to £2.7m.

Lineker is said to have a significant amount of control of the company after creating it with ex-ITV controller Tony Pastor and former BBC official Jack Davenport.

Goalhanger have claimed they had around 400m downloads of their audio content and roughly 85m views of their YouTube shows in 2024.

A statement from the company said: "We're pleased with the continued growth of Goalhanger and the success of our shows, and we look forward to seeing our network continue to expand."

Lineker continues to make major career moves having joined BBC rivals ITV just days ago to appear on a new show called The Assembly. It will see him being questioned by a group of autistic people or those with learning difficulties.

The show will see a different celebrity facing their most "honest interview to date" with David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Jade Thirlwall also set to feature.

An ITV statement read: "After a long and illustrious career as both a Golden Boot-winning footballer and top sports broadcaster, and with his tenure as the longest-serving presenter of Match of the Day drawing to a close this summer, there's no end to the stories that Lineker might share.

"Carefully considered PR fluff won't cut it on this show, and the celebrities can expect plenty of mischief and surprises once they get in the hotseat."