ARN’s iHeart is ready to kick off the World Cup with the launch of a bold new original vodcast, The Failed Footballer, hosted by former pro-turned-content creator Olan Tekkers.
Launching this Friday 5 June, the video-led podcast series will deliver a fast, fan-first take on the tournament – blending Tekkers’ social-native perspective with live, on-the-ground reporting from ARN journalist John Bric, who will be in the US across the World Cup.
Dropping twice weekly throughout the competition, The Failed Footballer will track every major moment, match and knockout twist as it happens – built for how fans consume football in short, reactive, video-first and always on content.
Episodes will mix quick turnaround takes with weekly feature interviews, with early guests including former Socceroos Mile Sterjovski and Andrew Redmayne, Matildas player Charlize Rule, and SBS World Cup Fever hosts Santo and Ed. Each episode will be created as a full vodcast experience, optimised for both audio and visual audiences.
With more than 450,000 followers, Tekkers brings a highly engaged Gen Z audience to the project, placing the show at the intersection of football culture, personality-led content, and social-first storytelling.
As part of ARN’s growing entertainment ecosystem, the podcast will be distributed across all major platforms, supported by vodcast content on YouTube, social cutdowns across iHeart channels, and live crosses across the KIIS Network.
On launching ‘The Failed Footballer’ Olan Tekkers said, “This World Cup is going to be massive, and I wanted to create something that feels like how fans actually experience football now the reactions, the conversations and the big moments as they happen in real time.”
iHeart Director of Content Shauna Anderson added “The Failed Footballer is a strong example of how we’re evolving iHeart’s original podcast slate – identifying distinctive talent, building formats that resonate with a new generation, and expanding our content across audio, video and social platforms. Olan brings an authentic voice that connects with a new generation of sports fans and we’re looking forward to working with him over the 2026 World Cup.”
The launch builds on ARN’s commitment to expanding iHeart Originals, following increased investment in premium, high-engagement content announced at their Upfront 26 event.
The Failed Footballer launches tomorrow on Friday 5 June and is available via the free iHeart app or wherever you get your podcasts.