1.8 Million Views, Streams and Downloads in 24 Hours for Emergency Iran Episodes of The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Politics: US
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In the immediate aftermath of the US bombing of Iran, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Politics: US released emergency live episodes - drawing over 1.8 million views, streams, and downloads across platforms in under 24 hours.
Audiences tuned in at scale via YouTube, Spotify, and podcast platforms, with over 50,000 watching live at peak. Nearly a quarter of all YouTube views came via television, highlighting the rapidly blurring line between podcasts and traditional broadcast. Many more caught up via the audio feeds released just hours later.
Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell spoke on why the US entered Israel’s war with Iran, questioning whether it marked the beginning of a wider conflict and what it meant for global stability. Meanwhile, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci spoke on the real reason Trump decided to get involved in the war, whether it could break apart his MAGA coalition, and what happens next.
Tony Pastor, Co-Founder of Goalhanger, said: “Once again, we’re seeing that in moments of fast-breaking news, audiences turn to podcasts for explanation and analysis. A recent Reuters Institute report confirmed The Rest Is Politics as the UK’s top-ranked news podcast and on Sunday, we saw clear evidence of why. Both our UK and US editions went live in the immediate aftermath of the bombing in Iran, offering timely insight and commentary. What’s particularly striking is how many people chose to watch these episodes on their television. The line between podcast and TV show is blurring – and it’s happening faster than ever.”
About Goalhanger
Goalhanger is the home of curiosity - a new-generation cultural media brand built for people who want to make sense of the world and have fun doing it. We’re one of the fastest-growing media and production companies globally, creating chart-topping, story-first shows across history, politics, sport, business, entertainment, current affairs and audio drama. Our titles include The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics, Empire, The Rest Is Entertainment, The Rest Is Politics: US, Leading, The Rest Is Money, Journey Through Time, Doing It Anyway, The Rest Is Football, Sherlock & Co., The Rest Is Classified, The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness, The Book Club, Bear Hunt, The Rest Is Science, and We Have Ways of Making You Talk. In 2025 alone, our programmes were streamed over 750 million times. But Goalhanger is more than a podcast network. We produce long-form, conversation-led digital media across video, live events, memberships and audio, reaching tens of millions each month and building communities - not just audiences. Everything we make is rooted in trust, talent and curiosity, reflecting our purpose and values. We’re shaping a world that’s switched on, not tuned out - one great conversation at a time. Read more: https://www.goalhanger.com
This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. We may make small edits for editorial reasons.