Advanced Television

1.8m streams in 24hrs for emergency The Rest Is Politics episodes

June 23, 2025

In the immediate aftermath of the US bombing of Iran, The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Politics: US released live reaction 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, commented: “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.”

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