The Rest Is Politics: US to stream three-hour live midterms special on YouTube
Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci will host America Decides from a TV studio on 4 November 2026. Goalhanger says its 2024 election coverage drew more than 2.5 million YouTube streams.
Goalhanger announced on 29 October 2026 that The Rest Is Politics: US will broadcast a three-hour live special on the US midterm elections, America Decides, on the show's YouTube channel from 5am to 8am GMT on Wednesday 4 November 2026, which is midnight to 3am Eastern time.
Hosts Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci will present from a professional TV studio. Alongside them will be Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, and Amanda Renteria, National Political Director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, with more guests joining remotely. The programme will follow results from key races and what they mean for control of Congress and for Donald Trump's presidency. Viewers can send live questions and vote in YouTube polls.
Five lead-up livestreams are scheduled between 28 October and 3 November. Recordings of each stream will go into the podcast feed after broadcast, so one night of live video also becomes episodes.
From the road to the studio
The special follows the show's first North American live tour, which ran from 2 to 12 October 2026 across seven cities in the US and Canada. Goalhanger says its 2024 US election coverage drew more than 2.5 million streams on YouTube alone, and the show also ran a live broadcast that November.
Politics is moving at extraordinary speed, and the midterms will be a major test of where the country is heading next.
Katty Kay, co-host, when the tour was announced in May 2026
Why video keeps growing
The move fits a wider shift in how podcasts are counted and sold. RAJAR figures reported by Podnews on 29 October 2026 put UK podcast reach at 35% of the population now that it asks whether people listen to or watch, against 26.9% on the old listening-only measure. SiriusXM's third-quarter results, reported by Podnews on 30 October 2026, showed podcast advertising revenue up 20%, with video and social podcast advertising more than doubling.
What it means for acts
A podcast with a loyal audience can treat a big public moment the way a touring act treats a major show: announce it, build up to it and sell the event. Live video gives fans something to join in with, and the recording still feeds the regular podcast. Comedians and creators with shows of their own can test the idea around an award night or a tour finale before paying for a studio.
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