What Happened?
Press Gazette reported on October 12, 2026 that Marina Hyde, co-host of The Rest Is Entertainment, is building her own platform for written and video content in a joint venture with the production company Goalhanger (Press Gazette). The launch was announced just over a week after she published her final column in The Guardian, where Press Gazette says she wrote for 25 years, and just after her final book collection of Guardian columns, What a Time to Be Alive!, was published. Goalhanger’s own host page puts her start at the Guardian in 2000 (Goalhanger).
Always On will carry regular Substack columns, a new YouTube show and original social content, with more formats set to follow. The Substack will be free at launch, and Press Gazette says a paid subscriber tier will follow with member-only features. Hyde told Press Gazette she was “hugely excited… to be able to respond to the news batsignal in whatever format feels right” (Press Gazette). She will continue to co-host The Rest Is Entertainment with Richard Osman, which the pair have put out since November 2023.
We did not find a launch date, a subscription price or a YouTube channel for Always On on a Goalhanger page, so we do not give them. Goalhanger’s host page for Hyde describes her Guardian and television writing and her role on The Rest Is Entertainment; it does not mention Always On, so the launch details here rest on Press Gazette’s report.
Who Is the Outlet Now?
For a newspaper columnist, the outlet was the paper: an editor commissioned the column, a desk decided where it ran and the masthead carried its reach. In a personal media brand, the writer sets the agenda. Goalhanger said the new brand would allow Hyde to be more “immediate, personal and playful, with the freedom to follow whatever she finds interesting, funny, strange or important” (Press Gazette). Goalhanger co-founder Jack Davenport described the company’s role as putting “the creative, audience and commercial infrastructure around that vision so it can grow, while keeping Marina firmly at the centre” (Press Gazette).
For a PR buyer, that splits three things that used to sit with one publisher. The writer chooses the topic. Goalhanger’s commercial team sells sponsorship. The audience is reached through the Substack list, the YouTube channel and social platforms rather than a newspaper’s homepage. Our recommendation, not a platform rule: treat the writer as the editorial contact and never route a story idea through the sales team.
What Changes in a Pitch?
| Question | Newspaper columnist (general description) | Always On, as reported |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the agenda | Columnist, with a section editor | Hyde, with Goalhanger providing creative, audience and commercial support (Press Gazette) |
| Formats | Print and web column | Substack columns, a YouTube show and social content, with more formats to follow; she also co-hosts a Goalhanger podcast (Press Gazette) |
| Who sells ads or sponsorship | The publisher’s ad team | Goalhanger’s in-house team from January 2027 (Goalhanger release) |
| What a pitch can be | A story idea, data, an expert | The same, plus paid options such as sponsorship of written content or branded campaigns, which are a separate commercial process (Press Gazette) |
The newspaper column of the table is a general description, not a sourced figure. A guest booking or an editorial idea and a sponsorship are different things. A paid spot is advertising and has to be disclosed as such; for the US rules, see what the FTC requires for paid placement. Where a pitch is for editorial attention, it should not be bundled with a purchase.
Why Does Goalhanger’s In-House Ad Sales Move Matter?
Goalhanger’s October 2 release says that from January 2027 brands will be able to build partnerships “spanning audio, video, social, newsletters, live events, branded editorial and bespoke branded content, directly with Goalhanger’s own in-house commercial team,” rather than buying podcast advertising as a standalone line item (Goalhanger release via Podnews). The release says the change relates to advertising representation only, and that its shows will continue to be distributed on Spotify alongside Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Press Gazette adds that Goalhanger said its Goalhanger X brands, starting with Always On, would let advertisers work with creators across multiple formats rather than on “individual posts, sponsorships or placements,” and lists possible opportunities including sponsorships of written content, creator-led branded content campaigns, social partnerships, bespoke audio and video formats, live events and membership benefits (Press Gazette).
For a buyer, this bundles sponsorship into multi-format packages. The release does not say that any package includes editorial coverage, and we do not read it that way. A paid package is advertising; an invited guest appearance or a column topic is editorial. For how podcast ad formats work, see What Is Dynamic Ad Insertion?
millions
Source: Goalhanger, “Goalhanger accelerates growth by bringing advertising sales operation in-house from 2027”, release via Podnews, October 2, 2026. Read October 13, 2026.
Both figures are Goalhanger's own claims and both are lower bounds; the 2026 figure is a projection. Neither describes Always On's audience.
The chart shows the scale Goalhanger itself reports for its network. It says nothing about Always On’s own audience, which no source we read states.
Is This a Wider Pattern?
We read one launch, so we do not claim a trend. What happens to a pitch when a publication loses its staff is covered in What Happens to a Pitch When a Site Loses Its Editors?, and the trade-offs of newsletter platforms in LinkedIn Newsletter vs Substack.
What This Means for Anyone Buying a Placement
First, a personal brand’s reach belongs to its own channels, not a former masthead; ask for the channel’s own analytics rather than the former employer’s figures, and treat network-wide totals like Goalhanger’s as company claims. Second, a pitch should state clearly whether it is an editorial idea or a paid proposal. Third, a newsletter with a paid tier will reward material its paying readers value; a promotional pitch will not. For whether top-tier media features still deliver, see Are Tier-One Media Features Still Worth It?
Methodology and Limitations
Four limits apply. First, the launch details come from one trade report; Press Gazette’s site blocked our reader, so we checked its wording against an Internet Archive copy of the article. Second, Goalhanger’s audience figures are company claims in a press release, read as published by Podnews. Third, we could not find Always On’s own pages, so launch dates and pricing are unconfirmed. Fourth, the comparison table’s newspaper column is a general description, not a figure from a source.
Conclusion
When a columnist becomes a brand, pitch the writer for editorial and treat any sponsorship as a separate, disclosed purchase. The format list is longer and the gatekeeper is a single person, which makes a specific, relevant pitch more important.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Marina Hyde launching Always On with?
Press Gazette reported on October 12, 2026 that Always On is a joint venture with the production company Goalhanger, the first launch from its Goalhanger X initiative.
Will Hyde's Substack be paid?
Press Gazette reports it will be free at launch, with a paid subscriber tier to follow. We found no price.
Is she leaving The Rest Is Entertainment?
No. Press Gazette reports she will continue to co-host it with Richard Osman.
When does Goalhanger take ad sales in-house?
Its October 2, 2026 release says from January 2027.
Does buying a Goalhanger ad package get you editorial coverage?
The release does not say so. A paid package is advertising and should be disclosed as such.
Should I pitch the writer or the sales team?
Our recommendation, not a platform rule: pitch the writer for editorial and the commercial team only for paid partnerships.
Sources
Built from a Press Gazette report, a Goalhanger press release and Goalhanger's host page, read October 13, 2026. Press Gazette's wording was checked against an Internet Archive copy of the article. House recommendations are marked. Nothing here was tested.
- trade press Press Gazette, Marina Hyde launches ‘Always On’ personal media brand backed by Goalhanger. Supports the launch details, formats, quotes and Goalhanger X description. Read October 13, 2026.
- vendor Goalhanger via Podnews, Goalhanger accelerates growth by bringing advertising sales operation in-house from 2027. Supports the ad sales change and the company's audience figures. Read October 13, 2026.
- vendor Goalhanger, Marina Hyde host page. Supports her Guardian start date and role on The Rest Is Entertainment. Read October 13, 2026.