The landscape of global sports viewership has undergone a dramatic transformation, with one particular discipline emerging as the undisputed champion of digital and broadcast markets. According to Tony Pastor, CEO of Goalhanger, the production studio responsible for popular shows including the Rest is Football, this shift has fundamentally altered how audiences consume sporting content. Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in February 2026, Pastor delivered a stark assessment of the current state of sports media rights and audience engagement.
The executive’s observations highlight how traditional broadcasting models are struggling to deliver returns on investment, whilst simultaneously failing to reach younger demographics where they naturally congregate online. This phenomenon has created what Pastor describes as an existential challenge for competitions that once commanded significant viewership but now find themselves fighting for relevance in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
The erosion of traditional sporting hierarchies
Pastor’s commentary painted a sobering picture of how certain disciplines have been marginalised in the current media ecosystem. He pointed specifically to rugby and cricket, describing them as “pale shadows of themselves” compared to their former prominence. This decline isn’t simply about reduced television ratings; it represents a fundamental shift in cultural relevance and audience engagement that threatens the long-term sustainability of these competitions.
The Goalhanger CEO illustrated this trend through personal experience, recalling how Serie A commanded unmissable viewing during his youth when Channel 4 provided coverage. That Italian competition, once regarded as the pinnacle of club football, has since experienced what Pastor termed a prolonged period of invisibility. The consequence ? An entire generation, including his own children, has grown up without any meaningful connection to Serie A. This example serves as a cautionary tale about how quickly sporting properties can lose their audience when distribution strategies fail to evolve.
The discussion with Anna Guarnerio, international media rights director for Serie A, underscored the urgency of addressing these challenges. Pastor emphasised that competitions bear responsibility for ensuring their content remains accessible to future audiences, warning that failure to adapt could result in irreversible decline. The stakes extend beyond individual leagues; they encompass the entire ecosystem of sports that exist outside the dominant global phenomenon.
Rights holders face unprecedented challenges in capturing value
The changing dynamics of sports media have created a paradoxical situation where generating attention no longer requires owning broadcast rights. Pastor’s company demonstrated this during Euro 2024, when Goalhanger created significant buzz and captured substantial audience engagement without possessing any official rights to the tournament. This achievement reveals a fundamental disruption to traditional models where rights holders commanded exclusive access to audiences.
| Content Type | Rights Required | Audience Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Official Broadcast | Yes | Traditional viewers |
| Podcast Commentary | No | Growing digital audience |
| Social Media Highlights | Often no | Viral reach |
The example of New Heights podcast, hosted by the Kelce brothers, further illustrates this transformation. Despite the NFL possessing the most valuable sports rights globally, this independent podcast has achieved extraordinary awareness without any official connection to league content. The implication is profound : audiences increasingly consume sports through commentary, analysis and personality-driven content rather than exclusively through live action.
Pastor acknowledged that his company has secured selective arrangements, including access to La Liga highlights for the Rest Is Football and a Netflix partnership for World Cup content. However, these deals represent strategic choices rather than traditional comprehensive rights packages. The model demonstrates how agile content creators can build substantial audiences by focusing on where viewers naturally congregate rather than attempting to force them into traditional broadcast windows.
Fragmentation offers opportunities alongside challenges
The current media landscape requires competitions to fundamentally rethink distribution strategies. Pastor argued that organisations must “embrace fragmentation” rather than resist it, recognising that diverse audiences now consume content through multiple platforms and formats simultaneously. This represents a significant departure from the era when a single broadcaster could deliver mass audiences during scheduled transmission times.
The implications for rights valuation are substantial. Broadcasters increasingly struggle to justify premium investments when audiences fragment across platforms and content types. This creates pressure on competitions to demonstrate not just viewing figures but genuine engagement metrics that prove their content can cut through the noise of an oversaturated market.
Goalhanger’s success, with more than 75 million monthly downloads across its podcast portfolio, demonstrates the scale that alternative formats can achieve. Founded in 2018 by Pastor alongside Gary Lineker and journalist Jack Davenport, the company has established itself as a major player in sports media without following conventional paths. Key factors contributing to this success include :
- Personality-driven content that builds loyal communities around recognisable voices
- On-demand accessibility that fits audience schedules rather than imposing fixed viewing times
- Platform-agnostic distribution reaching listeners wherever they prefer to consume content
- Lower production costs enabling experimentation and rapid response to audience interests
Navigating the path forward requires bold adaptation
Pastor’s perspective, informed by his previous role as controller of sport at ITV, carries particular weight given his experience across both traditional broadcasting and digital innovation. His call for competitions to prioritise audience accessibility over short-term rights maximisation represents a fundamental challenge to established business models that have sustained sports organisations for decades.
The message to Serie A applies equally to other competitions facing similar challenges. Ensuring that high-quality content reaches audiences requires accepting that distribution may occur across fragmented channels rather than through single prestigious broadcast partners. This doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning traditional rights deals, but rather supplementing them with strategies that meet audiences where they actively engage with content.
The broader implication extends beyond any single competition or discipline. As one sport continues to dominate attention across both traditional and digital channels, others must innovate or face continued marginalisation. The warning is clear : visibility cannot be taken for granted, and competitions that fail to evolve risk becoming culturally irrelevant to emerging generations of sports fans.