4 months ago
The YouTube media business co-founded by Gary Neville has been bought by 1 of Europe’s biggest commercialized power companies, successful nan latest motion of nan streaming platform’s expanding influence successful sports broadcasting.
Global, which already owns nan likes of LBC and podcasts including The News Agents, has taken a mostly liking successful The Overlap, co-founded pinch Scott Melvin by nan erstwhile Manchester United defender, who remains 1 of nan channel’s astir salient figures.
The woody intends to usage Neville’s outlet to emulate nan occurrence of different video podcast web founded by a erstwhile footballer – Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger, which regularly tops nan podcast charts pinch its “The Rest Is …” unchangeable of shows.
Work is now nether measurement to grow it into a “multi-format sports media network”, arsenic YouTube usage continues to summation crossed audiences of each ages, pinch sports punditry a large draw.
The Overlap’s contented includes its flagship show Stick to Football, successful which Neville and his chap pundits Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Roy Keane and Ian Wright are often joined by guests.
It besides confirms Neville arsenic different erstwhile subordinate capable to pat into nan powerfulness of caller media. Under nan woody for The Overlap, Neville will stay co-chair of nan company.
He besides co-founded nan sports intermezo accumulation institution Buzz 16 successful 2017.
Neville launched The Overlap only successful 2021, but it is now 1 of nan UK’s astir celebrated shot contented channels. The institution said it has much than 38m monthly views connected YouTube and achieved 2.2bn views crossed each platforms successful 2025.
“The Overlap started arsenic an thought that we thought group mightiness for illustration and we went for it,” Neville said. “What has happened since past has been a awesome travel and it’s a squad that I emotion moving pinch and I’m incredibly proud to beryllium a portion of. We ne'er thought of it arsenic a business, we conscionable wanted to create thing that group loved and would travel backmost to watch each week.
“We spot immense maturation imaginable for The Overlap and person spent nan past fewer months successful a strategical finance process and are delighted to person recovered nan cleanable partner successful Global to powerfulness america guardant and create The Overlap Network pinch nan purpose of becoming a world-leading shot and sports media platform.”
As good arsenic highlighting nan value now placed connected video podcasting, nan woody demonstrates nan accelerated situation YouTube outlets are posing to accepted broadcasters. Many of nan biggest names connected The Overlap are erstwhile sports professionals who made their names arsenic pundits connected Sky Sports and different mainstream channels.
The Overlap has already attracted attraction for nan often astringent views of Keane, ne'er 1 to propulsion his punches successful his assessments, arsenic good arsenic pinch its interviews pinch nan likes of nan erstwhile Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney.
Wright’s views connected nan curen of Jude Bellingham also earned headlines.
It has moreover dipped its toed successful unrecorded broadcasting, precocious winning nan authorities to nan German Bundesliga. It shares nan authorities pinch nan BBC and That’s Football, different YouTube transmission run by nan YouTuber Mark Goldbridge.
While The Overlap web already includes cricket and rugby channels, arsenic good arsenic 1 focusing connected nan US, nan scheme is to widen it into “a media web spanning aggregate brands and channels crossed sports verticals, led by football”.
Simon Pitts, Global’s group main executive, said: “Gary and Scott [now CEO] person done an bonzer occupation building The Overlap and we’re thrilled to invited them and their awesome squad to Global arsenic we embark connected this adjacent shape of maturation together.
“We want Global Studios to beryllium nan location of nan champion audio and video brands connected nan satellite and The Overlap’s ambition, productivity and unrivalled relationship pinch fans is simply a cleanable fit.”
