The BBC has outperformed Gary Lineker's Netflix podcast during the World Cup, with new figures showing the broadcaster's Football Daily podcast attracting nearly 250,000 daily streams. In contrast, Lineker's The Rest Is Football podcast, acquired by Netflix in a £14 million deal, draws between 100,000 and 140,000 streams per day, according to The Sun.
BBC's Remote Broadcasting Strategy Pays Off
The BBC opted to remain in its Salford studios rather than travel to the United States, a decision that has proven successful in terms of streaming numbers. The broadcaster has also surpassed its Euro 2024 figures, clocking up 11 million streams of tournament highlights to date. On the opening day of England's campaign against Croatia on June 17, three million viewers accessed the dedicated sports app.
Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC director of sport, expressed delight at the figures. "On top of the millions flocking to live games - even in the middle of the night - it's fantastic to see the appetite for our on-demand World Cup coverage has sky-rocketed," he said. "Whether it's our no-spoiler highlights, the visualised Football Daily podcast or our new shorts video tab, live pages and written stories, we are meeting audiences where they are, when they want."
Lineker's Netflix Venture and ITV Appearance
Lineker, who spent more than two decades at the BBC before leaving Match of the Day, set up base in New York to host daily episodes of The Rest Is Football for Netflix throughout the tournament. He made a brief return to television on Saturday, appearing on ITV's punditry panel ahead of Germany's match against Ivory Coast.
During the ITV broadcast, Lineker took a subtle jab at his former employer, praising ITV's studio setup. "I think it's absolutely amazing, and I can confirm that it's real. What a backdrop," he said. He had previously labelled the BBC's decision not to set up a studio in the US as "soulless" in an interview with The Telegraph.
ITV Also Claims Strong Audiences
Despite the BBC's success, ITV reportedly boasts "four of the top five highest audiences" so far in the competition. Lineker's appearance on ITV was short-lived, but he is set to return to television as host of the game show The Box on ITV in early September.
