Best UK Sports Podcasts 2026: Ranked by Real Chart Data
Updated October 2026 · Based on CastFox data covering 25 Apple Podcasts chart snapshots in 78 countries (2026-02-24 to 2026-10-03) and 5M+ indexed podcasts
Search for the best sports podcasts in the UK in 2026 and you mostly get the same titles reshuffled from one list to the next. This one comes from the chart. CastFox scrapes the Apple Podcasts charts every day in 78 countries, and the 20 shows below are the ones that held the top of the UK Sports chart across 25 separate snapshots between February 24 and October 3, 2026, scored on how consistently they charted, how high they averaged and how many countries they reached.
UK sports podcasting in 2026 is football first and everything else second. Fourteen of the 20 shows here are football shows, and the category has settled into five recognizable shelves. Ex-pro panels where former players and pundits work through the week together (The Rest Is Football, Stick to Football, That Peter Crouch Podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Football, Undr The Cosh, The Overlap). Journalism and daily analysis from newsrooms and broadcasters (Football Weekly, The Athletic FC Podcast, Football Daily, The Totally Football Show, Tifo Football Podcast). Comedy, debate and club shows (Football Ramble, Outspoken with White and Jordan, Arseblog Arsecast). Formula One (Up To Speed, The Race F1 Podcast). And a small group that leaves football behind for cricket, the NFL, club finances and performance coaching (Stick to Cricket, Heed the Call, The Price of Football, The High Performance Podcast).
Each card shows the real cover art, who makes the show, what it is, why it earned its place in the UK chart this year and who it is best for, plus the numbers behind the ranking: how many of the 25 UK Sports chart snapshots it appeared in, its average UK rank across those appearances, and how many countries it charted in on the most recent scrape. Click through to CastFox for the full profile, including chart history in every country, audience estimates and contact details, and you can monitor any of these shows in CastFox as their chart position moves.
The 20 best uk sports podcasts of 2026 at a glance
| # | Podcast | Hosted by | Avg UK rank | Best rank | Countries charting | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Rest Is Football | Goalhanger | 2.8 | #1 | 65 | 527 |
| 2 | Football Weekly | The Guardian | 3.5 | #1 | 65 | 196 |
| 3 | Stick to Football | The Overlap | 3.3 | #1 | 61 | 168 |
| 4 | The Athletic FC Podcast | The Athletic | 16.1 | #4 | 70 | 1,000 |
| 5 | The High Performance Podcast | High Performance | 9 | #2 | 54 | 759 |
| 6 | Football Daily | BBC Radio 5 Live | 9.7 | #3 | 50 | 275 |
| 7 | The Totally Football Show with James Richardson | The Athletic | 8.8 | #3 | 55 | 1,000 |
| 8 | Football Ramble | Stak | 8.8 | #4 | 45 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast | arseblog.com | 20.4 | #7 | 42 | 1,000 |
| 10 | That Peter Crouch Podcast | Tall or Nothing | 13.7 | #4 | 24 | 322 |
| 11 | Tifo Football Podcast | The Athletic | 31.8 | #14 | 52 | 671 |
| 12 | The Overlap | The Overlap | 19.8 | #3 | 24 | 172 |
| 13 | Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler | Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler | 35.6 | #8 | 37 | 345 |
| 14 | Undr The Cosh | Undr The Cosh | 13.4 | #4 | 9 | 420 |
| 15 | Up To Speed | Global | 28 | #2 | 26 | 61 |
| 16 | The Good, The Bad & The Football | Platform Media | 14.3 | #4 | 9 | 55 |
| 17 | The Race F1 Podcast | The Race Media Ltd | 42.2 | #19 | 45 | 787 |
| 18 | Outspoken with White and Jordan | talkSPORT | 30.6 | #17 | 16 | 1,000 |
| 19 | Stick to Cricket | The Overlap | 24.5 | #4 | 8 | 67 |
| 20 | The Price of Football | Dap Dip | 43.1 | #13 | 26 | 50 |
Jump to a Show
- #1. The Rest Is Football
- #2. Football Weekly
- #3. Stick to Football
- #4. The Athletic FC Podcast
- #5. The High Performance Podcast
- #6. Football Daily
- #7. The Totally Football Show with James Richardson
- #8. Football Ramble
- #9. Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast
- #10. That Peter Crouch Podcast
- #11. Tifo Football Podcast
- #12. The Overlap
- #13. Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler
- #14. Undr The Cosh
- #15. Up To Speed
- #16. The Good, The Bad & The Football
- #17. The Race F1 Podcast
- #18. Outspoken with White and Jordan
- #19. Stick to Cricket
- #20. The Price of Football
Rising this month · How we ranked these · How to pick the right show · FAQ
The 20 Best UK Sports Podcasts to Listen To in 2026
Ex-Pro Panels and Pundit Shows
#1. The Rest Is Football
Hosted by Goalhanger
About this show: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards work through football's biggest stories for Goalhanger, with three episodes a week covering transfers, title races, European nights and England.
Why it made the list in 2026: The most reliable presence in the UK Sports chart this year, and the only ex-pro panel here that pairs a mainstream home audience with wide international pickup. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 2.8, best #1, charting in 65 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Anyone who wants the week's football explained by three people who played and commentated at the top of it.
#3. Stick to Football
Hosted by The Overlap
About this show: An original series from The Overlap with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott, Ian Wright and Roy Keane, plus a guest in the room each episode.
Why it made the list in 2026: It led the UK Sports chart on our most recent snapshot, and it is the clearest example of the big-panel format taking over this category. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 3.3, best #1, charting in 61 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans who want five strong opinions and a guest who has to answer them.
#10. That Peter Crouch Podcast
Hosted by Tall or Nothing
About this show: Peter Crouch, Chris Stark and Steve Sidwell on football and whatever else comes up, twice a week from Tall or Nothing.
Why it made the list in 2026: A strong UK average paired with a comparatively small country count, which makes it one of the most domestic shows in this top twenty. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 13.7, best #4, charting in 24 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want football-adjacent comedy more than tactics.
#12. The Overlap
Hosted by The Overlap
About this show: The Overlap's interview series, where figures from football, politics, business and world sport talk through their careers, plus a Fan Debate strand that puts rival club podcasters together.
Why it made the list in 2026: The long-form interview counterpart to Stick to Football, and it has reached the upper end of the UK chart on its best weeks. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 19.8, best #3, charting in 24 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who prefer one career-length conversation to a news round-up.
#14. Undr The Cosh
Hosted by Undr The Cosh
About this show: Former professional footballers Jon Parkin and Chris Brown, with writer Chris Brown, collect unfiltered stories from inside the game, often from the lower leagues.
Why it made the list in 2026: One of the highest UK positions on the latest scrape combined with one of the smallest country counts here, the most domestic record on this list. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 13.4, best #4, charting in 9 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans of dressing-room and lower-league stories rather than Premier League punditry.
#16. The Good, The Bad & The Football
Hosted by Platform Media
About this show: Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness talk through the week's football in the register of a WhatsApp group, with guests across the season.
Why it made the list in 2026: The newest show in this top twenty by episode count, and it still reached the leading group of the UK chart this year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 14.3, best #4, charting in 9 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Manchester United fans, and anyone who wants the pub version of the week's football.
Football Journalism and Daily Analysis
#2. Football Weekly
Hosted by The Guardian
About this show: The Guardian's football podcast, with Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning and guest journalists picking over the Premier League and beyond, including daily coverage through the World Cup.
Why it made the list in 2026: The strongest newspaper-run show in the category, and one of the few that almost never leaves the top of the UK chart. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 3.5, best #1, charting in 65 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want working football journalists rather than former players.
#4. The Athletic FC Podcast
Hosted by The Athletic
About this show: The Athletic's flagship football show, out six days a week, hosted by Emma Paton with reporters including David Ornstein, Adam Crafton, Matt Slater and James Horncastle.
Why it made the list in 2026: The widest international reach of anything on this list, and the closest thing here to a daily football news desk. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 16.1, best #4, charting in 70 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: People who want reported news and transfer detail rather than opinion.
#6. Football Daily
Hosted by BBC Radio 5 Live
About this show: BBC Radio 5 Live's football feed, carrying news, analysis and big-name guests from the Premier League, EFL, Scottish, European and international football.
Why it made the list in 2026: The broadcast strand on this list, and the one with the widest league coverage beyond the top flight. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 9.7, best #3, charting in 50 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans who follow the EFL and Scottish football as well as the Premier League.
#7. The Totally Football Show with James Richardson
Hosted by The Athletic
About this show: James Richardson and Team Totally publish four times a week with football news and chat, now under The Athletic.
Why it made the list in 2026: The longest-running presenter-led format in this category, and it keeps its chart place on frequency rather than one big name. Chart record: 24 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 8.8, best #3, charting in 55 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who followed Richardson's European football coverage and want the same tone several times a week.
#11. Tifo Football Podcast
Hosted by The Athletic
About this show: Tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of football from the team behind the Tifo Football YouTube channel, published by The Athletic.
Why it made the list in 2026: The one show here built around explanation rather than reaction, and it travels further outside Britain than most of the panel shows. Chart record: 24 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 31.8, best #14, charting in 52 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans who want to understand a system rather than argue about a result.
Comedy, Debate and Club Shows
#8. Football Ramble
Hosted by Stak
About this show: A football podcast running since 2007, covering the Premier League, Champions League and beyond for fans who, in its own words, do not take the sport too seriously.
Why it made the list in 2026: The oldest continuously charting show in this category, and it was still inside the leading group on our latest scrape. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 8.8, best #4, charting in 45 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans who want the jokes and the analysis in the same episode.
#9. Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast
Hosted by arseblog.com
About this show: The original Arsenal podcast from arseblog.com, out twice a week, usually Mondays and Fridays, with news, interviews, analysis and guests.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only single-club podcast to appear in every UK chart snapshot we took this year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 20.4, best #7, charting in 42 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Arsenal supporters, and anyone curious how a club show sustains a national chart position.
#18. Outspoken with White and Jordan
Hosted by talkSPORT
About this show: Jim White and Simon Jordan host talkSPORT's daily sports debate show, leading on Premier League news with boxing guests and the business of sport.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only daily radio debate show to appear in every UK chart snapshot this year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 30.6, best #17, charting in 16 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want argument and a daily habit.
Formula One and Motorsport
#15. Up To Speed
Hosted by Global
About this show: A Formula One show from Global hosted by Will Buxton, Naomi Schiff, David Coulthard and Jolie Sharpe, with race reaction, paddock insight and interviews.
Why it made the list in 2026: Its best UK position this year is the highest peak of any motorsport show on this list. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 28, best #2, charting in 26 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: F1 fans who want presenter-led reaction with a former driver in the room.
#17. The Race F1 Podcast
Hosted by The Race Media Ltd
About this show: F1 journalists including Edd Straw, Jon Noble, Mark Hughes, Scott Mitchell-Malm and Ben Anderson cover every grand prix, with other The Race shows in the same feed.
Why it made the list in 2026: The reporting-led motorsport option here, and the extra strands in its feed are why it charts between race weekends as well as during them. Chart record: 24 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 42.2, best #19, charting in 45 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: F1 followers who want journalists rather than presenters.
Beyond Football: Cricket, the NFL, Money and Mindset
#5. The High Performance Podcast
Hosted by High Performance
About this show: Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes interview high achievers from sport, business, entertainment and health about the behaviors behind their results.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only show here that is not built on a league or a competition yet holds a position near the top of the UK Sports chart all year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 9, best #2, charting in 54 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Listeners who want mindset and coaching material rather than scores.
#13. Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler
Hosted by Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler
About this show: Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler, previously of the Around The NFL podcast, cover every NFL storyline in their own show.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only American show in this top twenty and the only one covering the NFL, which is a measure of how much space the NFL now takes in the UK sports chart. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 35.6, best #8, charting in 37 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: UK-based NFL fans who want league-wide coverage rather than one team.
#19. Stick to Cricket
Hosted by The Overlap
About this show: Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell talk Test cricket, the Ashes and the game's back pages, twice a week from The Overlap.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only cricket show in this top twenty, and it reached the upper end of the UK Sports chart at its best this year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 24.5, best #4, charting in 8 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Cricket fans who want former England players rather than ball-by-ball analysis.
#20. The Price of Football
Hosted by Dap Dip
About this show: University of Liverpool football finance lecturer Kieran Maguire and comedian Kevin Day follow the money through club accounts, ownership and regulation.
Why it made the list in 2026: The only business-of-sport show on this list, and its latest UK rank is well ahead of its average for the year. Chart record: 25 of 25 UK snapshots, average UK rank 43.1, best #13, charting in 26 countries on the latest scrape.
Best fit for: Fans who want to understand club accounts, ownership and profitability rules.
Rising This Month: UK Sports Podcasts Climbing the Charts (October 2026)
These are the uk sports shows moving up fastest in CastFox rankings. We compare each show's average UK chart position across the 3 most recent snapshots (2026-09-19 to 2026-10-03) with the 3 snapshots before that. A show that was outside the top 100 in the prior window is marked as new to the top 100. This section is refreshed every month; the main list above changes more slowly because it rewards consistency.
Last Match Then Bed New to the top 100
Hosted by Tom Craine. Last Match Then Bed new to the UK top 100, now averaging #11.7, with a best UK rank of #3 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 2 countries on the latest snapshot.
The Good, The Bad & The Rugby New to the top 100
Hosted by Platform Media. The Good, The Bad & The Rugby new to the UK top 100, now averaging #28, with a best UK rank of #13 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 7 countries on the latest snapshot. James Haskell, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne return for season six of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby. Expect more great guests, insight, laughter and tears.
The Rugby Pod New to the top 100
Hosted by The Ringer. The Rugby Pod new to the UK top 100, now averaging #28.3, with a best UK rank of #4 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 11 countries on the latest snapshot. The Rugby Pod with Big Jim Hamilton, Andy Goode, Dan Biggar, Producer Rob and weekly guests is the most listened to Rugby podcast in the world. We cover all the latest news, rumours insight and stories, but with plenty...
SoCon Fast Break
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts. SoCon Fast Break moved from an average of #72 to #23 (up 49 places), with a best UK rank of #12 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 3 countries on the latest snapshot.
5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce
Hosted by BBC Radio 5 Live. 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce moved from an average of #66.7 to #25 (up 41.7 places), with a best UK rank of #11 so far in 2026 and a top-100 position in 12 countries on the latest snapshot. Discussion, analysis and the latest news from big fight nights and the world of boxing, featuring special guests. New episodes every Monday, get in touch with the pod via 5 Live Sport on social media and remember to...
How We Ranked These: CastFox Methodology
CastFox scrapes the Apple Podcasts charts every day in 78 countries and stores every position in the top 200 of every genre. For this list we took the 25 2026 snapshots of the UK UK Sports chart between 2026-02-24 and 2026-10-03, and scored every show that appeared in the top 100 of any of them.
- Consistency (50% of the score): the number of snapshots in which the show appeared in the UK top 100. Every show on this list appeared in at least 24 of the 25 snapshots, which is the filter that removes one-week spikes.
- Average UK rank (30%): the mean of the show's UK chart positions across those snapshots. Lower is better.
- Global reach (20%): the number of tracked countries in which the show was in the genre top 100 on the most recent snapshot. This is what separates a show with a large UK following from a show with a global one.
There are no paid placements and no editorial overrides. A few shows on this list would not be our personal picks; they are here because the chart data put them here, and we would rather show you what people are actually listening to than what we think they should be. Chart position is not the same as audience size, so treat the ranking as a measure of sustained popularity rather than a download count. For a deeper look at what chart data can and cannot tell you, read how podcast audience demographics are calculated.
How to Pick the Right UK Sports Podcast for You
You want the best British sports podcasts rather than the American shows in the chart
This is an easy category to filter, because only one show in this top twenty is American: Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzus & Marc Sessler. Everything else is made in Britain, from newsroom shows such as Football Weekly and The Athletic FC Podcast to the ex-pro panels at The Rest Is Football and Stick to Football. If you want the shows carried almost entirely by listeners at home, read the country column on the summary table: Stick to Cricket, Undr The Cosh and The Good, The Bad & The Football each charted in single figures of countries on the latest scrape, which makes them the most domestic shows here.
You are after the best football podcasts UK listeners keep in their feed all season
Fourteen of the 20 shows here are football shows, and five of them held a place in all 25 UK chart snapshots while averaging inside the top ten: The Rest Is Football, Stick to Football, Football Weekly, Football Ramble and Football Daily. Those five are the safest starting point. If you want reported news instead of opinion, The Athletic FC Podcast publishes six days a week by its own description and reaches more countries than anything else on this list. Our global football list compares the same formats outside Britain.
You want the best Premier League podcasts for match weeks
For the Premier League specifically, the shows built around the weekend fixtures are The Rest Is Football, which publishes three episodes a week by its own description, Football Weekly, Stick to Football, The Totally Football Show with James Richardson at four episodes a week, and Outspoken with White and Jordan, which goes out daily on talkSPORT. Football Daily from BBC Radio 5 Live is the one to add if you also follow the EFL, Scottish and European football, and Arseblog Arsecast shows what single-club coverage looks like at this level.
You want the top sports podcasts on Apple Podcasts UK right now, not for the whole year
The summary table is ordered by our consistency score across the full year, not by today's chart. For the shows sitting highest on the most recent UK scrape, read the latest rank column instead of the score: Stick to Football, The Rest Is Football, Football Weekly, The Athletic FC Podcast and Football Ramble were the five holding the UK top five on October 3. The live chart refreshes daily on our sports chart page, which is where to look if you want today's order rather than the year's.
You want the best UK cricket and rugby podcasts, not more football
Cricket has one show in this top twenty and rugby has none. Stick to Cricket, with Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, David Lloyd and Phil Tufnell, is the cricket entry, and it reached the upper end of the UK Sports chart at its best this year. Rugby is the clearest gap in the category, but it is moving: The Good, The Bad & The Rugby and The Rugby Pod are both new to the UK top 100 in our most recent window and appear in the Rising This Month section below. If rugby is your main sport, start with those two and watch the live sports chart rather than this year-long list.
You follow Formula One more closely than football
Two F1 shows hold a place here and they split along a clean line. Up To Speed is presenter-led, with Will Buxton, Naomi Schiff, David Coulthard and Jolie Sharpe, and it posted the highest UK peak of any motorsport show on this list. The Race F1 Podcast is the journalist-led alternative, with Edd Straw, Jon Noble, Mark Hughes and Scott Mitchell-Malm, and its feed carries additional strands from The Race, which is why it keeps charting between race weekends as well as during them.
You need something that fits a commute, or something long enough for a drive
For a short run, the daily and near-daily shows are tighter and land on a schedule you can plan around: The Athletic FC Podcast six days a week, Outspoken with White and Jordan every day, and Football Daily from BBC Radio 5 Live. For a longer drive, the panel and interview shows run much further: Stick to Football, The Overlap, Undr The Cosh and The High Performance Podcast all build an episode around guests rather than a news cycle. The episode count column on the summary table shows how much back catalogue there is to work through.
Want the next 180 uk sports podcasts?
This list is the top 20. The CastFox UK Sports chart page shows the top 50 updated daily, and PodcastGPT can find shows on any specific topic across 5M+ podcasts.
See the daily top 50 → Search by topic →Frequently Asked Questions About the Best UK Sports Podcasts
What is the best sports podcast in the UK in 2026?
By CastFox's chart-consistency score, the top show in the Apple Podcasts UK Sports chart in 2026 is The Rest Is Football with Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards. It appeared in all 25 UK snapshots we took between February 24 and October 3, averaged a UK rank of 2.8, and charted in 65 of the 78 countries we track on the latest scrape. If you want the show sitting highest in the UK chart on that most recent scrape rather than across the year, that is Stick to Football, which was number one on October 3.
How is this list ranked?
Each show's score combines three things from CastFox's daily Apple Podcasts chart data: how many of the 25 UK Sports chart snapshots it appeared in the top 100 of (50% of the score), its average UK rank across those appearances (30%), and how many of the 78 tracked countries it charted in on the latest scrape (20%). That is why The Athletic FC Podcast, with an average UK rank of 16.1, still finishes inside the top five: it charted in 70 countries, more than anything else here. There are no paid placements and no editorial overrides.
Why are there so many football podcasts on a UK sports list?
Because that is what the UK Sports chart looks like. Fourteen of the 20 shows that held the chart this year are football shows, and a fifteenth, Outspoken with White and Jordan, leads on Premier League news by its own description. The non-football entries are Up To Speed and The Race F1 Podcast for Formula One, Stick to Cricket for cricket, Heed the Call for the NFL, and The High Performance Podcast for performance and mindset. We rank what the chart says rather than balancing the list by sport.
Which UK sports podcasts publish new episodes every day?
Several state their schedule in the feed. Outspoken with White and Jordan goes out every day on talkSPORT, The Athletic FC Podcast publishes six days a week, The Totally Football Show with James Richardson four times a week, and The Rest Is Football three times a week. Arseblog Arsecast publishes twice a week, usually Mondays and Fridays. Football Daily from BBC Radio 5 Live updates around fixtures across the Premier League, EFL, Scottish, European and international football.
Are these UK sports podcasts free to listen to?
Yes. Every show here publishes a free feed on Apple Podcasts and the other major apps, and the list was built from the free Apple Podcasts UK Sports chart. Some sell extras alongside it: Arseblog Arsecast runs a Patreon for members, The Price of Football has a paid club with bonus material, and Stick to Cricket carries a title sponsor in its feed description. Nothing on this list is paywalled in full.