Generating key takeaways...
The Chernin Group (TCG), the US investment firm led by veteran media executive Peter Chernin, has acquired a minority stake in Goalhanger, the podcasting powerhouse co-founded by Gary Lineker.
The deal, announced this week, marks the first time Goalhanger has accepted external funding since its inception in 2014, signalling a major shift in the company’s scale and ambition.
The partnership brings the formidable expertise of Peter Chernin to the London-based company. Chernin formerly served as the President and COO of News Corp and Chairman and CEO of Fox Group. During his two-decade tenure at Fox, he oversaw the production of the two highest-grossing films in history, Titanic and Avatar, and was instrumental in the launch of Fox Broadcasting and the streaming service Hulu.
Since founding TCG in 2010, Chernin has established a reputation for identifying and scaling high-growth digital media brands, having previously backed disruptors such as Barstool Sports, The Athletic and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.
The investment is designed to transform Goalhanger’s audio franchises into global, multi-platform intellectual property. The company plans to use TCG’s resources to expand into television, film, digital video and large-scale live touring.
Goalhanger has already become a dominant force in the podcast landscape with its “The Rest Is…” stable, including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, and The Rest Is Football. In 2025, the network generated over 750 million full-episode views and streams across its 14 shows, supported by a membership model that recently surpassed 250,000 paying subscribers.
To manage this rapid scaling, Goalhanger has recently bolstered its leadership team with three major senior hires. The company appointed Emily Kent Smith, a former associate editor at The Sunday Times, as its new Editorial Director to lead the expansion into written formats and newsletters. Joining her is Andy Hodgson, a former Uber executive with experience scaling tech businesses toward IPOs, who takes over as Chief Financial Officer. Additionally, the company hired Chloe Straw, the former CEO of industry body AudioUK, as its Director of Operations.
The company has also announced a series of expanded live events including a two-day The Rest is History Festival in July and The Rest is Fest, featuring all its brands, in the autumn.
“Since we first met Peter and the TCG team more than a year ago, it has become increasingly clear that they share our vision for what Goalhanger can become,” co-founders Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport, and Lineker said in a joint statement.
TCG partner Greg Bettinelli, who will join the Goalhanger board, described the firm as “one of the world’s most compelling emerging media businesses,” noting that its fandom-driven model is perfectly positioned for the modern media economy.
