The Overlap partners with Disney+ on football shows

The partnership expands the football media group’s distribution across Disney+ while retaining its existing YouTube audiences

The Overlap has partnered with Disney+ in a deal that will make the streaming service the title sponsor of Stick to Football and Stick to United with Wayne Rooney. The partnership expands the football media group’s distribution across Disney+ while retaining its existing YouTube audiences.

The agreement covers 50 episodes of Stick to United with Wayne Rooney during the upcoming Premier League season and 40 episodes of Stick to Football. The latter is hosted by Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Roy Keane, while the Manchester United-focused series will be co-hosted by Wayne Rooney and football content creator Mark Goldbridge.

Disney+ expands football content partnership

Both programmes will remain available on The Overlap’s YouTube channel, while Stick to United with Wayne Rooney will also be available on The United Stand’s YouTube channel. Disney+ subscribers will also receive additional content for the Manchester United series.

Disney+ has commissioned special episodes of Stick to Football featuring a range of guests. These episodes, along with 20 guest episodes of the programme, will be available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers for a limited period before being released on YouTube.

The Overlap builds football media portfolio

The agreement forms part of The Overlap’s strategy to develop a non-live football media platform with international reach. It follows the group’s acquisition of Goldbridge’s YouTube channels The United Stand and That’s Football in April.

The Overlap was acquired by media and entertainment group Global in January, with the majority stake bringing the business into Global Studios. The division combines podcasting, digital media, distribution and monetisation capabilities with Global’s wider audio, video and outdoor network.

Stick to Football reaches millions of viewers

The partnership follows The Overlap’s coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which delivered record audiences. Stick to Football generated more than 250 million views across platforms, including 46.9 million on YouTube and 203.4 million across social media, as well as 2.25 million audio streams.

Gary Neville, co-founder and co-Chair of The Overlap: "We’re immensely proud to be partnering with Disney+. It’s one of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands, and for us this is a unique partnership that feels right for everyone involved.

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.

It’s a partnership that expands our reach without compromising our identity. Football fans around the world can continue to engage with our content wherever and however they choose, while together we’re creating an opportunity to introduce our shows to millions of new viewers globally. We believe that’s a genuinely exciting step forward for both The Overlap and Disney+."

Simon Pitts, Group CEO of Global and Co-Chair of The Overlap: "The Overlap is already one of the UK’s most successful sports entertainment brands and this exciting new partnership with Disney+ now gives it the worldwide platform it deserves. Gary and The Overlap have an ambitious growth plan which fits perfectly with our goal for Global Studios to be the home of the best audio and video brands on the planet"

Wayne Rooney joins The Overlap’s Manchester United show

Sean Doyle, VP, Unscripted, Disney+ EMEA: “As we move into a new era of sports entertainment on Disney+, we’re excited to be bringing one of the UK’s most popular and distinctive sports shows to the platform. What Gary and the team at The Overlap have created with Stick to Football – and now Stick to United with Wayne Rooney with Wayne Rooney and Mark Goldbridge – is truly unique. Adding both shows broadens our local original content offering as we continue to expand into new sports formats, complementing our existing catalogue of drama, comedy, documentary, reality and ESPN on Disney+. I can’t wait for fans to see the special episodes we have in the pipeline. Watch this space.”

Wayne Rooney: "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. I am delighted to co-host Stick to United with Wayne Rooney with Mark Goldbridge, which will be available to watch on The United Stand in addition to Disney+, where The Real Rooneys featuring me, Coleen and our 4 boys will premiere soon."

Mark Goldbridge: “I’m massively excited to be working with Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorer Wayne Rooney on Stick to United with Wayne Rooney on The United Stand. This is a historic milestone for fan-led media and is exactly why our deal with The Overlap was so compelling. It’s another huge step forward for The United Stand community to join forces with a undisputed legend of the club.”

www.global.com

www.disneyplus.com

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