Disney+ has secured the rights to broadcast The Overlap’s podcast content in a multimillion-pound deal, setting up a direct streaming clash between Gary Neville’s Stick to Football and Gary Lineker’s Netflix-backed Rest is Football, according to reports from the Guardian, Irish Times, and AOL.
Disney+ Secures The Overlap Multimillion-Pound Package
Under the terms of the agreement, which includes title sponsorship, Disney+ will broadcast 40 episodes of Stick to Football during the current season. The programming features the regular punditry team of Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane, according to verified reporting. Additionally, the platform will air 50 episodes of a new programme titled Stick to United with Wayne Rooney, co-presented by content creator Mark Goldbridge. While both shows will remain available on YouTube, Disney+ has commissioned six additional episodes of Stick to Football that will sit exclusively behind its paywall for a limited time period, according to the Guardian. The Overlap retains its intellectual property rights while Disney+ distributes the shows.
Corporate Ownership and Expansion
The deal reflects rapid commercial growth for The Overlap, which Gary Neville launched alongside former Sky Sports producer Scott Melvin in 2021. According to the Guardian and Irish Times, multimedia company Global bought a majority stake in The Overlap in January, followed by the acquisition of Mark Goldbridge’s YouTube channels—The United Stand and That’s Football—in April. The company reported attracting 38 million monthly views on YouTube this year, building on 2.2 billion views across all platforms in 2025.
Did you know?
The Overlap has expanded beyond football into other sports, launching the Stick to Cricket podcast presented by Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd last year, according to the Guardian.
Wayne Rooney Joins Permanently With Family Documentary
Wayne Rooney is joining The Overlap stable on a permanent basis after making previous guest appearances, according to source material. Alongside hosting Stick to United with Wayne Rooney alongside Mark Goldbridge, Disney+ has acquired the rights to a new documentary focusing on his family life titled The Real Rooneys, which will feature Rooney, his wife Coleen, and their four boys, according to AOL.
“Having worked with Gary, Roy, Jamie, Wrighty and Jill on both Stick to Football and The Overlap’s Fan Debate show it was a natural next step to co-host a new show from The Overlap that is totally dedicated to everything Manchester United,” Wayne Rooney said, according to AOL.
Gary Neville emphasized that the partnership expands the brand’s footprint without altering its core approach. “We’re immensely proud to be partnering with Disney+,” Neville said, according to the Guardian. “It’s a partnership that expands our reach without compromising our identity. What’s exciting is that we’re not changing who we are. Our community will continue to enjoy our content in exactly the way they always have through YouTube, while at the same time Disney+’s incredible global streaming audience will now be able to discover and enjoy it too.”
Streaming Rivalry With Netflix and The Rest Is Football
The agreement places The Overlap directly against rival sports properties on competing platforms. Disney+’s investment follows a deal announced by Netflix involving Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger production company, securing The Rest is Football series—featuring Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards—for the next two seasons, according to the Guardian and Irish Times. The Rest is Football appeared in Netflix’s daily top 10 charts during its 40-day run at the World Cup and obtained more than 7 million monthly streams last season, prompting Gary Lineker to joke that his rival is languishing miles behind, as reported by the Guardian.
Frequently Asked Questions
What shows are included in the Disney+ deal?
Disney+ will broadcast 40 episodes of Stick to Football and 50 episodes of Stick to United with Wayne Rooney, alongside six exclusive bonus episodes of Stick to Football, according to source reporting.
Will the podcasts still be available on YouTube?
Yes. Both Stick to Football and Stick to United will continue to be published on YouTube, though Disney+ subscribers get limited-window exclusivity on six commissioned episodes, according to the Guardian.
Who presents Stick to United with Wayne Rooney?
The show is co-presented by Wayne Rooney and digital content creator Mark Goldbridge, according to AOL.
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