Gary Lineker is set to receive a bumper pay day after the BBC revealed a new one-year licensing deal to host two popular podcasts made by his production company.

The BBC’s highest paid presenter and former England striker is leaving Match Of The Day at the end of the season after more than 25 years at the helm.

But Lineker’s presence will still be felt at the corporation after a new deal was struck between the BBC and his co-founded company, Goalhanger Productions, which has rapidly established itself in just two years as the UK’s most successful podcast production company.

BBC Sounds is set to host two of the company’s podcasts.

The Rest Is Football, fronted by Lineker and fellow former players Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will have one episode released each week from November 27.

It will arrive on the online radio and podcast platform two days after general release elsewhere.

Meanwhile, The Rest Is History, presented by Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, will also be available on BBC Sounds after a successful trial on the platform from September 2022 to January 2023.

It will air two episodes a week, eight weeks after general release, with the first for BBC Sounds coming on November 29.

The Rest is History has become the most popular history podcast in the world, generating 11 million downloads per month, 1.2 million monthly YouTube views. as well as enjoying 45,000 paying subscribers.

Jonathan Wall, director of BBC Sounds, said: ‘We’re delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with Goalhanger, adding not one but two outstanding The Rest Is podcasts to our existing world-class history and sports content on BBC Sounds.

‘And these popular titles don’t just broaden our audio offering for listeners – they underscore our continued dedication to driving growth in the UK podcast industry and collaborating within the sector.’

The BBC said it would be a ‘one-year deal with the opportunity to extend, with episodes remaining available on BBC Sounds for three years’.

Tony Pastor, co-founder at Goalhanger, said: ‘We’re excited to announce that episodes of The Rest Is Football and The Rest Is History are now available on BBC Sounds, giving listeners even more ways to enjoy the shows.

‘While, of course, remaining available on all other podcast platforms and YouTube.’

Lineker’s last appearance as presenter of Sports Personality Of The Year in 2023 was his final in the role, the BBC said.

It is understood that the decision was not related to contract discussions, and Lineker will continue to present live football on the BBC until after the 2026 World Cup.

Brand and Culture expert Nick Ede told MailOnline that despite the disappointment of leaving Match of the Day, the BBC Sounds deal for The Rest is Football will prove a lucrative sweetener for the star.

BBC listeners won’t hear adverts, but the access to the BBC’s huge listenership will help him bump up prices for companies paying to promote their brands on other platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts, he said.

‘This is a great deal’, Mr Ede said. ‘And it means lots more money for him – and downloads too.

‘Advertisers will be interested because although they can’t promote on it as it’s on the BBC, it’s still the top sporting podcast’.

For Lineker’s Goalhanger company, which he co-founded with former media executives Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport, the global surge in the popularity of podcasts represents rich pickings.

Another podcast produced by the company, The Rest is Politics, presented by Alastair Campbell and former Conservative minister Rory Stewart, has been the UK’s top political podcast during this year.

It received more than 700,000 downloads per episode during the general election campaign.

According to figures by the BBC, more than 22million people in the UK listen to a podcast at least once a month while globally, the number of podcast listeners this year is said to reach 504million.

Lineker is not a director of Goalhanger Podcasts Limited but is the largest shareholder, owning a third of the company with 50 of its 150 shares.

Appearances at public shows, where Goalhanger podcast presenters get to speak directly to their audience have also proved to be lucrative.

He is also the face of Walkers crisps, earning a reported £1.2 million over a three-year contract and director of a company called GCGL Properties Limited, which he owns alongside friend George Constand.

They purchased a bungalow in Coulsdon, south London last year, and have since had planning permission approved to replace the property with two four-bed semi-detached houses.

Lineker also owns a house in Barnes, in south west London, which is reported to be worth around £4m and according to estimates, has amassed a net worth of around £30 million.