Gary Neville closes gap on Gary Lineker as podcast empire soars

Jack Otway
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:22:28 +0000

Gary Neville's media venture Buzz 16 brought in £11.6million in revenue during the past year, according to newly published annual accounts.

The former Manchester United defender co-founded the sports entertainment firm, which has become home to his growing podcast operation.

At the heart of the business sits The Overlap - Stick To Football, the flagship show that has transformed into a broader media brand.

Neville established Buzz 16 alongside fellow directors Scott Melvin and Diana Law, building what has become one of the most successful podcast enterprises in British sports media.

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The company's financial performance underscores the commercial potential of sports-focused digital content created by former professional footballers.

The Overlap's YouTube channel amassed a remarkable 2.2billion views throughout 2025, demonstrating the platform's extraordinary reach.

Earlier this year, the company struck an agreement with Global, the commercial radio giant, to acquire a majority stake as part of plans to grow the brand further.

Financial breakdowns from the accounts reveal that Buzz 16 distributed £4.6million towards staff wages and pension contributions from its gross takings.

Directors of the firm, including Neville and co-founders Melvin and Law, received dividend payments totalling more than £3million.

The figures highlight how lucrative the podcast sector has become for those who have successfully carved out a niche in sports entertainment content.

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Since its launch in 2021, The Overlap has branched out well beyond its original Stick To Football format into several derivative programmes.

Fan Debate, fronted by Jamie Carragher and featuring various celebrity guests, represents one such offshoot, while Geoff Shreeves presents Football Music and Me.

The brand has also ventured into different sports, with The Overlap - Stick To Cricket attracting 103,000 subscribers in the nine months since it began.

Beyond podcasting, Buzz 16 has developed sports documentaries for major broadcasters, including Rylan: Football, Homophobia & Me for TNT Sports and Micah Richards: Tackling Racism for Sky Sports.

These productions demonstrate the company's ambitions to become a broader content creator rather than solely a podcast producer.

Despite Buzz 16's impressive performance, Gary Lineker remains the dominant force in the former footballer podcast arena through his Goalhanger Podcasts empire.

Bloomberg reported in January that Goalhanger generated revenue approaching £37.7million in 2025, representing an 80 per cent surge compared with the previous year.

Media analysts cited by the Telegraph have suggested the business could command a valuation of up to £100million, with the company subsequently selling a stake to private investment firm The Chernin Group in late January.

Other ex-England internationals have also entered the market, with Paul Scholes teaming up with Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness for The Good, The Bad, and The Football, while Rio Ferdinand runs his own Rio Ferdinand Presents channel.

Neville maintains his punditry role at Sky Sports alongside his media ventures.