Prime Video To Tell Gary Lineker’s Life Story In Docu-Series

Prime Video is to tell the story of footballer-turned-broadcaster Gary Lineker.

A four-part miniseries, Lineker, will look at his 50-year career, which has mostly recently seen him become a media and entertainment business owner through his successful podcasting operation Goalhanger. It will also explore how he went from his ‘Mr Nice Guy’ reputation on the pitch to becoming an outspoken and often divisive character in modern Britain.

Once England’s record goalscorer, Lineker was a revered national icon and went on to become a top broadcaster at the helm of the BBC’s weekly top division highlights show Match of the Day for 26 years after retiring.

However, as Britain polarized politically around issues such as Brexit and Israel-Hamas War, Lineker often found himself at the center of heated debates as right-wing news outlets dubbed him as liberal left-winger. He clashed with bosses at the BBC, who claimed some of his social media posts breached impartiality rules – in particular one repost of a video containing an antisemitic trope, for which he “apologized unreservedly”, sped up his departure from the broadcaster.

He is now the host of the popular The Rest is Football podcast, which has been picked up by Netflix and is produced Goalhanger, the UK media company Lineker set up with Tony Pastor.

Lineker will launch on Prime Video globally in 2027, with Orchard Studios producing, with Nat Lippiett and former Amazon Studios UK chief Dan Grabiner the exec producers.

Amazon’s streamer plans to tell “the definitive story” of Lineker’s life and career through archive and unseen personal material, from his childhood in Leicester to his time as a footballing superstar, before becoming a renowned broadcaster, entrepreneur and podcaster and more.

It will feature “candid insights and reflections from Lineker himself” in “unfiltered, honest interviews which delve into the truth behind the headlines,” while family members, fellow footballers, friends and critics alike will also offer commentary on Lineker’s past and present. 

“Everyone has their own Gary Lineker,” Lippiett said. “The World Cup hero, the Match of the Day presenter, the activist or even the face of crisps – for decades he has been at the centre of the national conversation.”

Grabiner added: “This series goes beyond the headlines to reveal the many sides of one of Britain’s most recognisable and divisive figures, with candid insight from Gary himself and those closest to both his triumphs and controversies.”

Prime Video’s recent sports docs include All or Nothing: Manchester City, Novak Djovokic: The Wolf in Winter, Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait and Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues.