Carragher targets Lineker’s podcast on CBS broadcast
Jamie Carragher delivered a playful jab at Gary Lineker’s popular podcast during CBS’s Champions League broadcast on Tuesday evening, reports BritPanorama.
The former Liverpool defender, alongside Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and presenter Kate Abdo, quipped about The Rest is Football’s recently announced Netflix arrangement. “The Netflix deal for the podcast that no-one listens to,” Carragher remarked. “Honestly, I don’t know anyone that listens to it.”
This tongue-in-cheek comment elicited laughter from Richards, a prominent figure on Lineker’s show, alongside Alan Shearer. Richards had moments earlier defended the programme, describing it as “just the number one pod in the UK.”
The lucrative streaming arrangement revealed by the Daily Mail in November will see Lineker host his podcast on Netflix throughout this summer’s World Cup in the United States. Reports indicate that his production company Goalhanger stands to earn approximately £14m from the contract, equating to more than £2m weekly during the tournament.
Such figures would significantly exceed the £1.35m annual salary Lineker received as the BBC’s highest-paid presenter before departing Match of the Day last May after 26 years. The 65-year-old will broadcast alongside Shearer and Richards from a New York studio, with coverage including analysis, special guests, and reports from England’s camp and fan zones.
The exchange was sparked by CBS reporter Anita Jones, who joined the broadcast live from Milan’s San Siro ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Inter. Jones cheekily suggested that Richards’s impending payday might help fund her shopping in the Italian fashion capital. “Micah, I’m hoping that you’re going to send me some of that Netflix money,” she quipped.
When Richards laughed off the request without committing, Jones pressed further, prompting Carragher to interject with his pointed observation about the podcast’s supposed lack of listeners. Carragher’s ribbing carries an element of professional rivalry, given his regular appearances on Stick to Football, the flagship programme of Gary Neville’s media venture, The Overlap.
The Overlap has secured significant investment recently, with radio giants Global acquiring a majority stake. Neville expressed ambitions of building “a world-leading football and sports media platform” following the deal.
In a landscape awash with sports commentaries, the banter reveals a layered rivalry, underscoring how even the champions of football analysis can find themselves embroiled in humorous exchanges. As both Carragher and Lineker navigate the world of football broadcasting, audience engagement swiftly becomes a competitive arena.
