Global acquires YouTube sports channel The Overlap to strengthen its position in video podcasts and sport

Global announces the acquisition of a majority stake in The Overlap, the sports media company founded in 2021 by Gary Neville. The aim is to accelerate the creation of a network of video-first sports brands with football as their central pillar.

Who are they?

On the one hand, we have the Global group, the leading commercial radio group in the UK, which owns Capital, Heart, LBC Smooth and other radio stations. On the other we have The Overlap, which in just a few years has established itself as one of the most powerful sports media in the UK. In 2025, they claim 38 million monthly views on YouTube and 2.2 billion cumulative views, all platforms combined. The concept? The Stick to Football format with its founder Gary Neville has become an editorial benchmark. They have hosted some of the world’s biggest football stars, including David Beckham or Thierry Henry. Stick to Rugby and Stick to Cricket followed.

Why is this deal important?

Global didn’t really have any editorial brands on sport. Their catalogue included a podcast from Skysports and one from two Radio X presenters. This acquisition will enable the group to get a foothold in the world of sport and become stronger in video podcasting. Global will bring a number of benefits to Overlap: distribution power (radio, digital, billboards), improved monetisation via its advertising network and its DAX ad exchange, and a capacity for industrialisation with the launch of Global Studios, designed as a hub for audio and video creators. The acquisition of a majority stake in The Overlap will accelerate our growth strategy in video, podcast and brand content”, says Simon Pitts, CEO of the group . The partnership is also presented as a means of changing scale without losing DNA. Gary Neville speaks of a specific objective: “to create ‘The Overlap Network’ with the ambition of becoming a global reference media platform for football and sport.”

Global Studios: the hub for video podcasts?

This operation is part of a wider strategy. With the launch of Global Studios, Global is clearly demonstrating its ambition to become the home of video-first podcasts in the UK and beyond. Designed as a creative and industrial hub, Global Studios brings together audio and video production, dedicated studios, multi-platform distribution and marketing power, all backed by Global’s DAX and broadcasting tools. The acquisition of The Fellas Studios, a network of creators founded by YouTubers, marks a turning point. Global is building an ecosystem designed from the outset for YouTube, Spotify and social networks, where each podcast is a visual brand in its own right. The Overlap fits naturally into this logic. The same video DNA, the same priority given to embodiment, long format and social distribution.