Goalhanger is bringing its advertising sales operation in-house starting in 2027, transitioning away from external representation to manage commercial partnerships directly. Sport Industry Group reported that the move will give brands and agencies direct access to the company’s audiences, talent, and commercial inventory across its portfolio.
Market Impact
- Direct Agency Access: Media buyers and corporate partners gain access to inventory.
- Integrated Campaign Scaling: Commercial packages span audio, video, social channels, newsletters, live events, branded editorial content and bespoke campaigns.
- Portfolio Monetization: This framework is structured to facilitate collaborations across newsletters, video, audio, social media, custom campaigns, branded editorial content, and live events.
Unifying Commercial Inventory Across Audio and Live Events
Under the new structural model, Goalhanger will oversee all advertising and partnership agreements through its own dedicated team. Sport Industry Group reported that the shift supports commercial campaigns spanning audio streams, video content, social media channels, newsletters, live events, branded editorial content, and bespoke activations. The change directly impacts major properties such as The Rest Is Football, which stands as one of the UK’s most prominent sports podcast brands.
The commercial restructure follows a period of growth for the media company. Sport Industry Group noted that Goalhanger recorded over 750 million full-episode views and streams throughout 2025, with projections anticipating figures to surpass one billion during 2026. The company was ranked first in the 2026 Sunday Times 100 list of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies, alongside leading the media and telecoms category in the Financial Times UK’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2027 ranking.
| Metric / Milestone | Performance Indicator |
|---|---|
| 2025 Views & Streams | 750 million+ full episodes |
| 2026 Projected Output | 1 billion+ streams |
| Sunday Times 100 Ranking | 1st place (Fastest-growing private companies) |
| FT UK Fastest-Growing 2027 | 1st place (Media and telecoms category) |
Expanding Sporting Portfolios and Live Activations
From a sporting standpoint, The Rest Is Football remains one of Goalhanger’s most significant assets. Sport Industry Group reported that during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the podcast expanded into a daily Netflix programme, maintaining a position within the UK Daily Top 10 throughout its run and hitting number one during the tournament. That partnership has since been extended through the 2027/28 domestic football season.
The company has simultaneously developed integrated sport-linked sponsorships, such as Guinness supporting The Rest Is Football via podcast ads, branded editorial content, and live activations. Goalhanger also scaled its physical presence by selling 26,000 tickets across 22 shows during the inaugural The Rest Is Fest event at London’s Southbank Centre, alongside broader expansions into television, film, and intellectual property development.
Infrastructure Growth and In-House Leadership
Josh Akers, Director of Commercial Operations at Goalhanger, outlined the operational rationale behind the shift. “Goalhanger has reached the scale where having full in-house ownership of our advertising sales operation is the natural next step,” Akers said, as reported by Sport Industry Group. “We’re approaching a billion full-episode views and streams a year, and the commercial opportunity around the network has grown significantly alongside it.”
Akers further noted that the business has spent recent years expanding its internal commercial departments spanning creative production, delivery, and partnerships to secure more control over income and foster tighter connections with client partners and media agencies. While the advertising representation shifts in-house, Goalhanger’s programmes will continue distribution through major platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
