Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger Ventures backs Invisible Media, Backyard Cricket | News

Charlie Tymon, founder of Invisible Media

Gary Lineker’s UK podcast studio Goalhanger has launched an investment and partnerships arm called Goalhanger Ventures and revealed its first two investments.

Goalhanger Ventures has been set up to back creator-led media businesses with potential to grow across video, social, audio, live events and commercial partnerships.

The new arm has taken an equity stake in Invisible Media, the company that was founded by Charlie Tymon and is behind digital media platform The Invisible Hand. The investment will support Invisible Media’s next phase of development in accessible video storytelling focused on economics, business, geopolitics and culture.

Tymon said: “Through this investment, we’ll be able to draw on Goalhanger’s expertise in building, scaling and monetising industry-leading IP as we grow a brilliantly aligned, YouTube-first business with huge potential.”

Goalhanger Ventures is also partnering with Backyard Cricket, the cricket content brand co-founded by Yorkshire brothers James and Mark Wood. It will provide funding and strategic support to help Backyard Cricket grow across production, longform video, commercial partnerships, sponsorship and merchandise, with both sides sharing in the commercial upside.

James and Mark Wood said in a joint statement: “The last few years have been mad for the channel, and it’s been brilliant seeing how far the game travels. Working with Goalhanger gives us the chance to build on that and keep growing Backyard Cricket even further.”

Goalhanger said the launch of Goalhanger Ventures marks the next stage in its evolution as a “modern, platform-agnostic media company, supporting ambitious digital-first creators with strong editorial identities, highly engaged communities and clear routes to growth.”

The new arm builds on Goalhanger’s January launch of The Accelerator, which offers selected creators investment, training, mentorship and access to Goalhanger’s editorial, creative and commercial leadership.

Jack Davenport, co-founder of Goalhanger, said: “Goalhanger Ventures is about giving exceptional creator-led businesses the infrastructure to grow without losing what made them special in the first place.

“Invisible Media and Backyard Cricket are very different propositions, but they both have that rare combination of editorial clarity, audience trust and genuine momentum. Our role is to help them scale thoughtfully, commercially and creatively, while protecting the independence, personality and quality that their communities already respond to.”