Digital-first production pioneer Goalhanger has formed a partnership with The Chernin Group (TCG), the investment firm founded by Peter Chernin. The partnership sees TCG making a minority investment and taking a seat on the Goalhanger board.
Founded in 2014 and bootstrapped since day one, Goalhanger has never taken external investment until now. TCG is the company’s first external investor. The partnership is intended to support Goalhanger’s next phase of growth – scaling franchises into global, multi-platform IP and accelerating expansion in the US.
Through the partnership, Goalhanger will draw on TCG’s expertise in creator-led and fandom-driven media businesses. The ambition is to expand hit shows such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Football into new formats across television, film, digital video, written formats and live experiences.
Tony Pastor, Jack Davenport and Gary Lineker, co-founders of Goalhanger, said: “From launching our first podcast to building a global network of chart-topping shows, the passion of our audiences for smart, gripping conversations has been at the heart of everything we do. Since we first met Peter and the TCG team more than a year ago, it has become increasingly clear that they share our vision for what Goalhanger can become, and are the perfect partner to help us realise that ambition.”
The partners said: “This allows us to accelerate our US expansion, develop new IP from our hit shows, and take our ideas into new formats, platforms and markets. With a record number of paying members, we’re building a next-generation media company rooted in trust, creativity and curiosity.”
Greg Bettinelli, partner of TCG, added: “Goalhanger is truly one of the world’s most compelling emerging media businesses and we can’t wait for the rest of their historical journey.”
Goalhanger produces a range of shows including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, The Rest Is Entertainment, Empire, The Rest Is Science, The Rest Is Politics: US, Sherlock & Co., The Rest Is Football and We Have Ways of Making You Talk. In 2025, the company generated around 750 million full-episode views and streams across its 14-show network, while building a membership business that now surpasses 250,000 paying members.
TCG is a leading investor in community-driven, creator-led media businesses, with a portfolio that includes Barstool Sports, Hello Sunshine, The Athletic, US podcast network Audiochuck and independent publisher Entangled.
Pictured: Goalhanger’s Tony Pastor
