Global acquires majority stake in award-winning sports media group The Overlap
Global, the Media and Entertainment group, and the multi-award-winning sports media group founded by Gary Neville, The Overlap, have today announced a strategic partnership to support The Overlap’s ambition to build a multi-format sports media network.
The Overlap has become one of the world’s most popular football and sports destinations since launching in 2021, with more than 38 million monthly views on YouTube, and it recently announced it had achieved 2.2 billion views across all platforms in 2025. The Overlap spans sports including football, rugby and cricket and is home to fan debates, exclusive interviews, and the smash-hit series Stick to Football. The long-form conversations with the biggest names in football, politics, business and world sport have set a new benchmark for authenticity, insight and storytelling.
The announcement will see the beginning of a partnership to build out a media network spanning multiple brands and channels across sports verticals, led by football. The company will be co-chaired by Gary Neville and Global Group CEO Simon Pitts, with Scott Melvin as lead Executive Director.
Global will use its platforms, relationships and unrivalled marketing power to support the growth of The Overlap, from hosting and distribution to data-driven insights and industry-leading ad sales, through Global’s digital advertising exchange (DAX).
The news follows the launch of Global Studios, Global’s new powerhouse for content creators. Global Studios is designed as the ultimate one-stop shop for audio-visual storytelling, offering best-in-class production facilities, seamless multi-platform distribution, and the marketing muscle of Global’s radio, digital and outdoor network, putting creators and advertisers at the heart of the fast-growing, video-first podcast world.
Gary Neville, Co-Chair at The Overlap, said: “The Overlap started as an idea that we thought people might like and we went for it. What has happened since then has been a great journey and it’s a team that I love working with and I’m incredibly proud to be a part of. We never thought of it as a business, we just wanted to create something that people loved and would come back to watch every week. We see huge growth potential for The Overlap and have spent the last few months in a strategic investment process and are delighted to have found the perfect partner in Global to power us forward and create ‘The Overlap Network’ with the aim of becoming a world-leading football and sports media platform. As part of the strategic investment process, Miroma Group have exited from The Overlap and I’d like to thank them for their support to get us where we are today. We are now looking forward to working with Simon, Ashley and the whole Global team to bring our vision to life.”
Simon Pitts, Global’s Group CEO, said: “The Overlap is one of the UK’s most successful and dynamic sports entertainment brands, with a hugely exciting growth plan. Gary and Scott have done an extraordinary job building The Overlap and we’re thrilled to welcome them and their fantastic team to Global as we embark on this next phase of growth together. We want Global Studios to be the home of the best audio and video brands on the planet and The Overlap’s ambition, creativity and unrivalled connection with fans is a perfect fit. The acquisition of a majority stake in The Overlap accelerates our growth strategy across video, podcasts and branded entertainment, and strengthens Global’s position at the heart of the sports conversation following the recent launch of Sport by Global.”
Scott Melvin, Executive Director at The Overlap, said: “The growth of The Overlap has always come from listening to our audience and understanding what brought them here in the first place. Because people loved Stick To Football, we’ve expanded into formats like Stick To Rugby and Stick To Cricket. This partnership allows us to continue doing that by developing new formats, continuing to work with leading talent, and delivering world-class sports content for our community.”
The partnership will see the continued growth and development of The Overlap with an ambition to build a world-leading sports network.
The Overlap was founded in 2021 by Gary Neville and has quickly become one of the UK’s biggest football and sport platforms. The Overlap has won multiple awards, including Broadcast Sport’s YouTube Channel of the Year and the Sports Journalism Awards’ YouTube Show of the Year, and it recently secured broadcasting rights for the German Bundesliga. The platform has also attracted some huge names, with guests including David Beckham, Rory McIlroy, and Tyson Fury.
The Overlap brand features high profile talent including Stick to Football with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane as well as Fan Debate with Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, and in May 2025 The Overlap launched Stick To Cricket, with Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, David Lloyd, and Phil Tufnell.
Partnering with The Overlap strengthens Global’s fast-growing footprint in video-first content brands and marks another major milestone for Global Studios following the acquisition of The Fellas Studios in October 2025 and the rollout of Sport by Global, a new Branded Entertainment offering dedicated to sport.
About Global Media & Entertainment Limited
Global is one of the world’s leading Media & Entertainment groups. With a huge weekly reach, it is the UK and Europe’s largest Radio & Outdoor company.
Global is home to respected, national, market leading media brands including Capital, Heart, Classic FM, LBC, Global’s Newsroom, Smooth, Radio X, Capital XTRA and Gold Radio.
Global Player, the official app for all our brands, is at the core of Global’s content, allowing listeners to enjoy all of Global’s brand content, both audio and video, as well as award-winning podcasts, and expertly-curated playlists, in one place in app, web and smart speakers.
With an extensive and diverse portfolio, Global is also the leading Outdoor company in the UK & one of the largest in Europe with over 235,000 sites reaching 95% of the UK population.
On-air, on Global Player and with our outdoor platforms combined, Global reaches 51 million individuals across the UK every week, including 29 million on the radio alone.
Global created and operates DAX, the market leader in digital audio advertising. Through its proprietary technology, DAX connects advertisers with an audience of more than 130 million people worldwide, inserting targeted advertising into music streaming services, connected radio listening and podcasts, and operates a pioneering platform in programmatic outdoor advertising.
The company headquarters is in London’s iconic Leicester Square. Ashley Tabor-King CBE is Founder & Executive President, Simon Pitts is Group CEO, Stephen Miron is Chairman and James Rea is Chief Broadcasting and Content Officer. Ashley Tabor-King created Global in 2007.
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