Netflix has signed renowned football commentator Gary Lineker. The Netflix deal has propelled Lineker into the podcasting super league. Now the BBC, his former network, is asking: Will Gary Lineker succeed on Netflix?
Let us answer: No, he won’t. We wrote the same thing about Ronaldo returning to Manchester United, saying he would never succeed. Before the season even ended, Ronaldo left the club and went to Saudi Arabia.
Now, we’ll say the same about Gary Lineker. Gary Lineker isn’t God, nor is he a prophet. He’s just a former footballer, and those who watch his shows haven’t seen any magic in him anyway. He doesn’t have any such power. He was just a regular presenter, and what made him successful was simply being on the BBC. He was a good footballer, but ultimately, his job was just to commentate matches and ask questions of his guests. He didn’t need any special talent for that, and he didn’t have any special talent anyway. The popcast phenomenon hasn’t yet become a global success and a phenomenon that people follow regularly. Gary Lineker, using the momentum he gained at the BBC, moved to Netflix and made money there, that’s all. There’s no chance of recapturing his former success and fame.
He’ll just make money, that’s all. There’s zero chance of him attracting his old audience back to his channel.