Inspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds. Discover Not by the Playbook - the podcast which seeks out the most incredible stories from sportspeople and athletes. We bring you interviews with the sporting heroes who have achieved success in the face of seemingly impossible challenges. Hear from some of the most famous names in sport on subjects you've never heard them discuss before. You don't have to be an Olympic champion to have an extraordinary story – we also scour the globe for inspiring individuals who make a difference through sport. Whether you’re a football or soccer fan, tennis lover, golf aficionado or cricket addict, or even if you're not a sports fan at all, you’ll find inspiration in the stories of resilience, determination, and discipline. Expect insightful, honest, and thought-provoking conversations from people who live and breathe sport. Listen to Not by the Playbook on the BBC World Service every Saturda
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
39%
Guest openness
Selective
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Signup to Generate a PitchInspirational stories from around the world. Interviews with people defying the odds. Discover Not by the Playbook - the podcast which seeks out the most incredible stories from sportspeople and athletes. We bring you interviews with the sporting heroes who have achieved success in the face of seemingly impossible challenges.
Not by the Playbook is hosted by BBC World Service. The show has published 595 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "Fuelled by fear" (30 October 2026, 49 minutes), "Ball is life" (23 October 2026, 58 minutes), and "Clarity" (16 October 2026, 60 minutes).
Not by the Playbook publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 55 minutes across 595 episodes.
Booking probability for Not by the Playbook is 39%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. Not by the Playbook requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. Not by the Playbook's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for Not by the Playbook are Sports. Not by the Playbook has a sports audience.
BBC World Service hosts Not by the Playbook, a sports podcast with 595 episodes published.
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Not by the Playbook
What could you achieve if fear wasn't standing in the way? Fear exists in so much of what we do; a scary interview on the horizon, standing on top of a terrifyingly tall building, fear of the unknown, fear of failing...
Not by the Playbook
The Barry Family are basketball royalty. Rick Barry is an NBA Hall of Famer known for amongst other things his unorthodox underhand free throw technique.. Well, his son Canyon uses the exact same method and it's taken...
Not by the Playbook
The story of Nicole Ver Kuilen and her non profit Forrest Stump is a remarkable one. At the age of 10 she made the difficult decision to have her leg amputated and save her life from cancer. Nicole has since become one...
Not by the Playbook
US para cyclist Samantha Bosco who is no stranger to success. In fact she's won seven World Championships on the road, and plenty more medals on the track too! But a Paralympic gold eluded her in Rio and so in Tokyo she...
Not by the Playbook
Denise Mueller has gone faster than anyone has ever been on a bike! Eight years ago on Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, she travelled at an average of more than 183 mph, smashing the previous record and setting the mark...
Not by the Playbook
The thing about Not by the Playbook is you never quite know where we'll end up. What you might not realise is that we have no idea either! So, we present four guests who took us to completely unexpected places and even...
Not by the Playbook
This week athletes who went the extra mile, but the thing that makes them particularly remarkable is they kept going, eventually completing some of the most mind-boggling challenges on earth. Rob Pope's latest challenge...
Not by the Playbook
There's no business, like show business, like no business I know! Whether it be sport or art, books or movies, we're all looking to occasionally escape from our daily life and be entertained. So, sit back and enjoy as...
Not by the Playbook
America's most popular sport starts its new season this week. American Football is back and won't stop until the Super Bowl champions are crowned in Los Angeles on Valentines day! But maybe you're more of a baseball or...
Not by the Playbook
Andrea Jaeger takes us the behind the scenes and reveals the secrets of her remarkable rise to stardom as one of the youngest players to make a Grand Slam final. How she beat Billy-Jean King, in what was the legends...
Not by the Playbook
The 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln once said "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." So this week, with the Paralympics starting in LA in exactly two years...
Not by the Playbook
The future of one of the most progressive Polo clubs is under threat. For over twenty years Catherine Cairns has run Polo Africa on her farm in the Easter Free State of South Africa. Over the years she has not only...
Not by the Playbook
Brady Kramer always dreamed of scoring the winning goal in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup. And he got closer than most when he was drafted to the NHL by the Montreal Canadiens. But the challenges he faced off the ice caused...
Not by the Playbook
The Commonwealth Games - known as the Friendly Games - are held every four years. They have a three word moto "Humanity - showing that sport brings people together. Equality - that sport is for everyone. And Destiny...
Not by the Playbook
Australia's Emma McDonald is an acrobatic pilot for team "BeyondGravity", racing her plane at high speeds and low altitudes, weaving her way through a course set out in the sky competing in the AIR RACE X championship...
Not by the Playbook
"The World Cup is not just a great global sporting event, it is also inscribed with much deeper cultural and political importance". So said academic Martin Jacques, and so to mark the World Cup final we bring you...
Not by the Playbook
It's nearly 20 years since Wimbledon decided to award equal prize money. The tennis world has come a long way since a group of women players known as "The Original 9" eventually forced the creation of a Women's tour...
Not by the Playbook
It's one of the most refined sporting venues in the world. Hydrangeas and petunias, complemented by climbing roses and foxgloves, A glorious display of purple white and green. Welcome to South East London and the All...
Not by the Playbook
With around 15 tattoos across her arms neck and throat and a habit of wearing temporary tattoos on her face when playing, it's fair to say Oleksandra Oliynykova has a distinctive look. But she also has a fearsome will...
Not by the Playbook
"Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul." So said US actress Jamie Lyn Beatty. So this week we fill your soul with fantastical adventures and adventurers. Belgium Tom de Dorlodot soars through the air like...
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