Podcast
DAZN partners with Gary Lineker's Rest is Football podcast for FIFA 2025
DAZN has announced a partnership with Goalhanger, a production company founded by Gary Lineker, to deliver an enhanced edition of the “Rest is Football” podcast during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States Hosted by Lineker and featuring notable former England internationals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, this podcast will include licensed […]


DAZN has announced a partnership with Goalhanger, a production company founded by Gary Lineker, to deliver an enhanced edition of the “Rest is Football” podcast during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States
Hosted by Lineker and featuring notable former England internationals Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, this podcast will include licensed match footage from the tournament, alongside the team participating in live coverage and creating engaging social media content.
Commenting on the collaboration, co-founder of Goalhanger, Tony Pastor, stated: “The Rest Is Football isn’t just being listened to — it’s being watched, shared, and discussed across Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, X, and Instagram.”
“Collaborating with DAZN to incorporate official match clips is a natural progression, adding energy and context that takes the conversation further.
“With over six million episode views and listens each month, and robust engagement across social, it stands as the UK’s most popular sports podcast. As fans’ experiences with football evolve, The Rest Is Football remains at the forefront,” Pastor said.
Chief executive of Growth Markets at DAZN, Pete Oliver, added: “The Rest Is Football is essential viewing and listening for fans seeking insight, entertainment, and personality — and this partnership is a fantastic way to engage that audience during the FIFA Club World Cup.”
“It’s all about linking global football with the voices that fans trust and admire, delivering the tournament in a fresh, exciting, and genuinely British way.
“As the global broadcast partner of the FIFA Club World Cup and the only place UK fans can watch every match for free, collaborating with Goalhanger was the perfect choice,” Oliver mentioned.
This collaboration will provide DAZN with additional content to promote its live broadcasts of the revamped competition, which showcases 32 club teams from around the globe, including iconic clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Goalhanger shall gain a worldwide platform to elevate its flagship soccer podcast, enhancing its production company through official match content.
In addition, The Rest is Football is accessible on most major podcast platforms, a recent distribution deal with BBC Sounds ended following Lineker’s exit from the BBC.
DAZN has committed USD$1 billion (AUD$1.5 billion) to secure global broadcasting rights for the Club World Cup, with all matches available for free viewing without a subscription.
This strategy aims to attract users who can generate revenue through advertising and additional services like betting and e-commerce, with hopes of converting some free users into paid subscribers.
To maximise awareness and recover some of its investment, DAZN has established free-to-air (FTA) television agreements in several regions.
Sublicensing arrangements are in place in various markets, including Channel 5 in the UK and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in the US, though financial terms remain undisclosed.
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Podcast
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce bring their adorableness to 'New Heights' podcast
Is it too soon to assess the historical implications of this week’s “New Heights” podcast featuring special guest Taylor Swift? After all, the Earth is going to need time to adjust to its new rotational axis in the wake of the two hours of adorableness that Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, gifted to humanity. […]

Is it too soon to assess the historical implications of this week’s “New Heights” podcast featuring special guest Taylor Swift?
After all, the Earth is going to need time to adjust to its new rotational axis in the wake of the two hours of adorableness that Swift and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, gifted to humanity.
The answer is, no, it is not too soon.
We can already say that in the century-and-a-half of frenzies around romantic couplings between athletes and entertainers, nothing can match this level of bananas.
Most of that is thanks to Swift, who in her world is far bigger than Kelce is in his. But it also is a sign of the times.
Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe were as big as it got for their era, but 1950s America did not offer the kind of platform Swift and her special tight end friend have now.
The show featuring the very famous singer premiered Wednesday night and by noon Thursday the video version had surpassed 10 million views.
Even if there were podcasts in the 1950s, it is difficult to imagine DiMaggio having as much fun as Kelce did while simultaneously cuddling with Swift as if they were lovestruck teenagers and kibitzing with his big brother, Jason.
The whole thing was surreal, given how rarely fans have seen Swift in a forum so casual, and that none of us had witnessed her interacting with Kelce the way we see her do on the pod.
The entertainment news out of the show was Swift announcing her new album, due out on Oct. 3. But for sports fans, the takeaway was how seriously Swift has taken to football.
On their first date, Swift thought the Kelce brothers faced one another on the field in Super Bowl LVII, not realizing that a tight end and a center would never do that.
Now?
“I fell in love with it; I became obsessed with it,” she said. “I became like a person who was running through the halls of my house [in 2024] screaming, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy!’ My friends are like, ‘Who body-snatched you? What do you mean, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy?’
“I was screeching. I couldn’t believe it. Freaking out.”
She said she has gone from knowing next to nothing about the game to, “We’re talking about cover two, cover four, cover zero, man coverage. We’re learning. I continue to learn. I’m not ready to be an analyst right now but give me 16 months.”
This crossover cultural appeal is good for Swift’s brand – not that she needs the help – and even better for the NFL and its television partners, who for the past two seasons have milked Swift’s attendance at Kansas City games for all they are worth.
None of this is new, of course. Consider the Giants’ current starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, whose wife, Ciara, is a prominent entertainer who has visited Giants camp this summer.
You know many of the others, past and present. Victoria and David Beckham. Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade. Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Angie Harmon and Jason Sehorn. It is a long list.
What you might not know about is arguably the original celebrity-athlete sensation, the Swift-Kelce romance of its day.
That would be the 1887 marriage of actress Helen Dauvray to New York Giants shortstop and future Baseball Hall of Famer John Montgomery Ward.
Like Kelce, Ward was less famous than his partner, but he had quite a career, too.
He pitched a perfect game for the Providence Grays in 1880 before switching full time to being a position player, graduated from Columbia Law School and became a leader of an early players’ labor movement.
On Oct. 12, 1887, The New York Times reported Dauvray and Ward were to be wed and cheekily referred to the romance like this:
“All through the earlier part of the Summer she was a regular attendant at the Polo Grounds, and always aggressively and enthusiastically championed the home team. Her tiny hands beat each other rapturously at every victory of the Giants and her dark eyes were bedewed at every defeat.
“But the thousands of spectators who observed Miss Dauvray’s emotions little suspected that one of the Giants had any precedence over the others so far as her affections were concerned.”
It was the 19th century equivalent of a cutaway to Swift celebrating in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium, only everyone knew which Kansas City player took precedence for her.
Alas, Dauvray and Ward did not live happily ever after. They were divorced in 1893 after several years of discord.
Let’s hope things work out better for Swift and Kelce, who do seem enchanted with one another. The world might not be able to handle the alternative.
Podcast
Mahomes, Reid talk Taylor Swift's 'New Heights' debut at Chiefs camp
Open Extended Reactions ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Earlier this month, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was with his family when Brittany Mahomes, his wife, received a call from Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of tight end Travis Kelce. The purpose of the call was for Kelce and Swift to inform one of their favorite couples […]


ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Earlier this month, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was with his family when Brittany Mahomes, his wife, received a call from Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of tight end Travis Kelce.
The purpose of the call was for Kelce and Swift to inform one of their favorite couples of the upcoming event: Swift, the pop superstar singer, will make a special guest appearance on “New Heights,” the podcast Kelce hosts with his brother, Jason.
“It surprised me, too,” Mahomes said Wednesday when Swift decided to announce her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” on the podcast’s upcoming episode, which will be released at 7 p.m. ET.
IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
TAYLOR SWIFT. TONIGHT. 7PM ET. pic.twitter.com/RjjaFVaYy3
— New Heights (@newheightshow) August 13, 2025
Mahomes added of the call: “I was in the back of the FaceTime. I’m obviously super excited, just knowing Taylor and seeing the process from just a little bit closer of how she makes the albums. It’s going to be amazing because of how much works she puts into [it]. What better place to announce it than the ‘New Heights’ podcast, where I feel she can be herself and showcase who she is.”
Before the podcast’s announcement — which was done at 12:12 a.m. ET on Aug. 12 for Swift’s 12th album — “New Heights” was already one of America’s most popular sports podcasts. Wednesday’s show is expected to be the most watched and most listened to episode in the podcast’s history, which began in Sept. 2022. Since she began dating Kelce more than two years ago, Swift has not done an extensive interview about her courtship that has generated much attention and hoopla.
The Wednesday night “New Heights” episode will also be Swift’s podcasting debut. Swift jokingly addressed the negative backlash she received from some NFL fans who were annoyed that TV broadcasts showed her several times during most of the Chiefs’ games during the 2023 season.
“As we all know, you guys have a lot of male sports fans that listen to your podcast,” Swift said during the episode. “I think we all know that if there’s one thing that male sports fans want to see in their spaces and on their screens, it’s more of me.”
Kelce responded to Swift’s joke by smiling and laughing. Last year, after the Chiefs were victorious in Super Bowl LVIII, Kelce spent much of that summer traveling across Europe with Swift while being an encouraging presence at many stops on her Eras Tour. Swift said on the episode that one reason she chose to be interviewed by her boyfriend and Jason Kelce, the former star center of the Philadelphia Eagles, is because her favorite podcast is “New Heights.”
“People are going to be really excited to watch it tonight,” Mahomes said. “I haven’t seen [the full interview] yet. I’ll be tuned in. I’ll have something to watch this night off that I have.”
After the Chiefs’ final training camp practice on Wednesday morning, Andy Reid, who is entering his 27th season as a head coach, grinned when he shared that he doesn’t plan on watching the episode live with millions of other fans of Travis Kelce and Swift.
“Listen, I’m, like, really old,” Reid said, smiling. “My grandkids will be all over it. I’m happy for [Kelce and Swift]. Both of them like each other and what a plus that is. They care about each other and I think that’s the most important thing.
“The older you get, you want these [players] to have somebody they can settle down with. I think it’s a neat deal for both of them.”
Podcast
Taylor Swift announces new album on Travis Kelce's 'New Heights' podcast, her first …
Getty Images … Ready for it? Taylor Swift fans certainly are. The pop superstar is the guest on this week’s “New Heights” podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his older brother, former Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce. After plenty of speculation, it was finally confirmed Monday night […]


… Ready for it? Taylor Swift fans certainly are. The pop superstar is the guest on this week’s “New Heights” podcast, hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and his older brother, former Philadelphia Eagles star center Jason Kelce. After plenty of speculation, it was finally confirmed Monday night on social media that Swift is guest on Wednesday’s episode, sending the Internet into an uproar in anticipation for her first ever podcast appearance:
Swift’s appearance on the podcast — one of the most popular in the world — is especially significant considering she has not done an interview of any sort since she won Time Person of the Year in 2023. That will change when her “New Heights” episode premieres on Wednesday night and provides a window into their relationship.
And to make it even more significant, Swift used the “New Heights” platform to announce the title of her new album, “The Life of a Showgirl.”
Rumors of Swift and Kelce dating started swirling in the summer and fall of 2023, and Swift attended the Chiefs’ 41-10 romp over the Bears on Sept. 24, 2023, taking in the game alongside Travis’ mother, Donna, and going viral for her NSFW celebration of a Kelce touchdown. While that was the first game she attended since their courtship, she has appeared at several games since, including each of the past two Super Bowls.
Swift and Kelce’s relationship has helped attract a new audience to the NFL, and for the Swifties still getting to know the sport, CBS Sports provided a basic explainer of how the game works and the key rules to know. Swift hasn’t just been a casual observer, either, with Kelce even saying she’s drawn up plays designed for him.
Perhaps we’ll hear the latest developments in this Love Story, one that continues to take the NFL by storm.
NIL
The NFL Returns
Football is back. After a long offseason of trades, draft picks, and endless speculation, the NFL is officially returning — and with it, all the drama, rivalries, and highlight-reel moments fans have been waiting for. From rookies ready to make their mark, to seasoned veterans chasing a ring, the road to the Super Bowl begins […]
Podcast
Fox Sports vs ESPN
FOX Sports is looking to fight ESPN head for sports TV star power After Pat McAfee helped to transform College GameDay and Stephen A. Smith inked a massive contract with ESPN, Fox Sports needed an answer. 4 Fox Sports has partnered with Barstool Sports to combat ESPN’s successCredit: Getty 4 Fox Sports will now have […]

FOX Sports is looking to fight ESPN head for sports TV star power
After Pat McAfee helped to transform College GameDay and Stephen A. Smith inked a massive contract with ESPN, Fox Sports needed an answer.

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4
The network has since found their counter to ESPN’s stars.
Fox Sports is banking on the popularity of social media company Bartstool Sports to help them fight back against ESPN.
Dave Portnoy, the founder of Fox Sports, will now be a regular face on Fox’s premier college football program, Big Noon Kickoff.
On top of that, he will air a weekly Barstool-produced show with personalities like Dan “Big Cat” Katz.
Read more on Fox
That show is intended to directly compete with ESPN’s Get Up and First Take.
Portnoy’s introduction to the Big Noon Kickoff cast is almost certainly a direct response to the success of McAfee joining College GameDay.
Barstool previously broke into live TV with ESPN, airing a show called Barstool Van Talk in 2017.
It was a spinoff of the podcast Pardon My Take and appeared on ESPN2 for just one episode.
It was immediately canceled after backlash from employees.
“While we had approval of the content of the show, I erred in assuming we could distance our efforts from the Barstool site and its content,” then ESPN president John Skipper said at the time.
It appears that Fox and Barstool won’t have the same issues as ESPN based on a post from Portnoy.
“This is the 1st time in our illustrious and notorious history that we’ve got a (TV) partner we believe in and believes in us,” Portnoy wrote on X.
Fox desperately needs a win in the form of a sports studio show.
Despite restructuring its content months ago, Fox Sports just cancelled multiple shows again.
Speak, The Facility, and Breakfast Ball were all cancelled due to poor ratings.

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If Barstool’s new show can get anywhere close to the ratings of First Take or The Pat McAfee Show, it will be a huge success for Fox.
They have a good base to work off to for viewership.
Barstool’s biggest podcast, Pardon My Take, is consistently one of the most popular sports podcasts.
Read More on The US Sun
It is currently ranked No. 1 on both Spotify and Apple, with the Pat McAfee show far behind.
If that viewership translates to live TV, Fox could have a big winner on its hands.
NIL
Paul Finebaum
SEC television-radio voice Paul Finebaum made it clear that he’s “sick and tired” of Big Ten football fans during a recent appearance on the Netflix Sports Club Podcast. Finebaum, the ESPN personality and host of SEC Network’s The Paul Finebaum Show, told Netflix Sports Club host Dani Klupenger that he’s “so sick and tired of […]


SEC television-radio voice Paul Finebaum made it clear that he’s “sick and tired” of Big Ten football fans during a recent appearance on the Netflix Sports Club Podcast.
Finebaum, the ESPN personality and host of SEC Network’s The Paul Finebaum Show, told Netflix Sports Club host Dani Klupenger that he’s “so sick and tired of being harassed by Big Ten fans” and added that Big Ten fans “act like they invented football.”
“If it’s not I’m leaving the country. I am so sick and tired of being harassed by Big Ten fans on our show. … They act like they invented football.” @finebaum has had enough of Big Ten fans, and predicts that an SEC team will win the National Championship 😂 @daniklup pic.twitter.com/LNXFwU7IL3
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) August 9, 2025
Klupenger asked Finebaum, “Who’s going to win the national championship, and is it going to be an SEC team?”
“It is,” Finebaum began. “And by the way, if it’s not, I’m leaving the country because I am so sick and tired of being harassed by Big Ten fans on our show.”
“The Big Ten has literally done nothing,” Finebaum continued. “They’ve won two national championships. Michigan won one two years ago. They’ve won one and a half national championships, I think, and before that, in 70 years. And they act like they invented football.
“Alabama has won about 15 national championships in my lifetime. Now, I realize that’s not a good comparison to a realistic lifespan. But, I believe Texas is going to win; I didn’t mean to avoid your question. It’s going to end all this. And on January 20, I’ll be the happiest man in America because I won’t have to listen to the Big Tenners, or as my callers call them, the Little Tenners.”
You can watch Finebaum’s full appearance on the Netflix Sports Club Podcast here:
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