Global Acquires Majority Stake In The Overlap

Global has acquired a majority stake in award-winning sports media group The Overlap, forming a strategic partnership designed to accelerate the brand’s growth and establish a network of video-led sports media channels.

Founded by Gary Neville in 2021, The Overlap has become one of the world’s most popular football and sports destinations, generating more than 38 million monthly YouTube views and achieving 2.2 billion views across all platforms in 2025. The platform spans football, rugby and cricket, and is known for its fan debates, exclusive interviews and the flagship series Stick to Football.

Under the new partnership, The Overlap and Global will work together to build a multi-brand sports media network, led by football but extending across multiple sports verticals. The new company will be co-chaired by Gary Neville and Global Group CEO Simon Pitts, with Scott Melvin serving as lead Executive Director.

Global will support The Overlap's expansion through its content platforms, marketing reach, data-driven insights and ad sales operation via its digital advertising exchange, DAX. The partnership follows the recent launch of Global Studios, Global's new production and distribution hub for video-first podcasting and audio-visual storytelling.

Commenting on the deal, 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, added: "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 Overlap has won multiple industry awards including Broadcast Sport's YouTube Channel of the Year and the Sports Journalism Awards’ YouTube Show of the Year, and recently secured broadcasting rights for the German Bundesliga. Its roster of talent includes Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Roy Keane on Stick to Football, as well as Fan Debate with Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes, and Stick To Cricket featuring Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell.