Goalhanger’s Rashford coup shows challenger brand’s growing clout

A special episode of The Rest Is Football featuring the Barcelona and England footballer Marcus Rashford has underlined Goalhanger’s rise as one of the most successful challenger brands in news media, drawing more than 1.4 million streams and almost 49 million social views within 48 hours of release.

The 40-minute interview — filmed in Barcelona and hosted by Gary Lineker and Micah Richards — was streamed across YouTube, Spotify Video and podcast platforms, while short clips went viral on social channels. Co-founder Tony Pastor described the response as “incredible engagement” and said it set the stage for the launch this week of The Rest Is Football: LALIGA.

Goalhanger spliced the Rashford conversation with extracts from the 1987 BBC One documentary It’s Lineker For Barcelona, drawing parallels between Lineker’s move to Barça and Rashford’s recent loan transfer. The interview carried news value too: Reuters reported Rashford criticised Manchester United for being in “no man’s land” after repeated managerial churn, comments that were picked up widely by outlets including The Guardian.

For the wider industry, the episode illustrates Goalhanger’s distinctive formula: cinematic, long-form video interviews with star guests that generate immediate cut-through across text, broadcast and social channels. Media ranging from the New York Times to BBC News covered the Rashford remarks, extending reach far beyond podcast audiences.

More importantly, Goalhanger has secured a three-year deal with LaLiga, the Spanish top football divsion, for weekly match clips — a first for a podcast — enabling the new LALIGA edition of The Rest is Football to blend analysis with official footage. Episodes will be video-first on Spotify and YouTube in the UK and Ireland, with audio released globally.

That mix of talent, production quality and exclusive rights positions Goalhanger as more than a podcast network: it is building a media brand capable of monetising through sponsorship, video inventory, platform partnerships and short-form clip distribution.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative is fresh, with the earliest known publication date being August 15, 2025. The press release from Goalhanger Podcasts, dated August 15, 2025, reports that the special episode was streamed over 1.4 million times within 48 hours. ([goalhangerpodcasts.com](https://www.goalhangerpodcasts.com/post/record-breaking-audience-for-marcus-rashford-s-the-rest-is-football-interview?utm_source=openai)) This aligns with the article’s publication date of August 17, 2025. No evidence of recycled content or discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes was found. The press release format typically warrants a high freshness score. No earlier versions with different figures or quotes were identified. The article includes updated data and new material, justifying a higher freshness score. No content was found to be republished across low-quality sites or clickbait networks.

Quotes check

Score:
10

Notes:
The direct quotes from Tony Pastor, Co-Founder of Goalhanger, and Marcus Rashford are unique to this narrative. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating original content. No variations in quote wording were found, and no online matches for these quotes were identified, suggesting potentially exclusive content.

Source reliability

Score:
10

Notes:
The narrative originates from Goalhanger Podcasts, a reputable British podcast production and distribution company co-founded by Gary Lineker, Tony Pastor, and Jack Davenport. The company has a significant presence in the podcasting industry, with over 400 million downloads in 2024. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalhanger_Podcasts?utm_source=openai)) The press release is hosted on Podnews, a well-known newsletter about podcasting and on-demand content. The information is consistent with other reputable outlets, including The New York Times, AFP, Reuters, BBC News, ESPN, The Guardian, Daily Mail, and The Sun. ([podnews.net](https://podnews.net/press-release/marcus-rashford-trif?utm_source=openai))

Plausability check

Score:
10

Notes:
The claims about the special episode’s streaming numbers and social media views are plausible and consistent with the reported figures. The narrative is covered by multiple reputable outlets, including The New York Times, AFP, Reuters, BBC News, ESPN, The Guardian, Daily Mail, and The Sun, indicating broad acceptance and verification of the claims. ([podnews.net](https://podnews.net/press-release/marcus-rashford-trif?utm_source=openai)) The language and tone are consistent with typical corporate and official communications, and the structure is focused on the main claim without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is professional and appropriate for the subject matter.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH

Summary:
The narrative is fresh, original, and originates from a reputable source. The claims are plausible and supported by coverage from multiple reputable outlets. No signs of disinformation or recycled content were found.