Media group, Global, has taken a majority stake in Gary Neville’s sports media group, The Overlap.
The strategic partnership will support The Overlap’s “ambition to build a multi-format sports media network.”
Since launching in 2021, The Overlap has more than 38 million monthly views on YouTube, and it recently announced it had achieved 2.2 billion views across all platforms in 2025. The Overlap spans sports including football, rugby and cricket and is home to fan debates, interviews, and the series Stick to Football.
The deal will see the beginning of a partnership to build out a media network spanning multiple brands and channels across sports verticals, led by football. The company will be co-chaired by Gary Neville and Global Group CEO Simon Pitts, with Scott Melvin as lead Executive Director.
Global will use its “platforms, relationships and unrivalled marketing power” to support the growth of The Overlap, from hosting and distribution to data-driven insights and ad sales, through Global’s digital advertising exchange (DAX).
The news follows the launch of Global Studios, designed as the “ultimate one-stop shop for audio-visual storytelling”, offering production facilities, multi-platform distribution, and marketing.
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, said: “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.”
Jon Creamer
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