The Overlap, co-founded by Gary Neville, has announced its acquisition of popular YouTube channels 'The United Stand' and 'That’s Football'. This move marks a significant milestone in the growth strategy of the sports media network. Despite the deal coming quicker than expected, Neville expressed that it perfectly aligns with their strategic vision.
Interestingly, this partnership comes as a surprise to many given the history between Neville and Mark Goldbridge - founder and host of both channels. Known for their mutual criticism over Manchester United's performance, their collaboration was unexpected but welcomed.
Neville was introduced to Goldbridge last Christmas when the latter was seeking partners for his channels. Their shared live Bundesliga rights sparked initial discussions which quickly led to this partnership. However, fans can still expect lively debates over Manchester United as both parties continue to express their views passionately.
Building world's best Manchester United channel
Goldbridge’s channels have amassed an impressive 3.7 million subscribers on YouTube with 'The United Stand' being the largest Manchester United channel on the platform boasting over 2.2 million subscribers primarily from UK demographics.
Gary Neville, Manchester United legend, said:
“We want to build a network across YouTube and audio. We’re looking at channels that cover clubs with large fanbases and we want to expand our community beyond where it currently is.”
"We’re set up to create the world’s best Manchester United channel,"
Neville revealed plans for significant content expansion starting this summer including two new formats - Stick To United featuring former players and journalists; and The Daily United offering daily news updates about Manchester Utd.
"It will be a three-pronged attack," said Neville hinting at content contributions from fans, ex-players, and journalists alike while not ruling out his own appearances on these platforms.
From YouTube channel to daily news podcast
'That’s Football' is set for a full relaunch as a daily news podcast channel. Neville expressed his keen interest in creating a continuous stream of content, especially after missing key content opportunities due to lack of daily updates.
Neville and Overlap co-founder Scott Melvin will continue as operational leads across the growing media network with support from Global, which bought a majority stake in the company earlier this year. The Overlap’s content teams are now embedded with Global. While Neville cherishes live football experiences, he also acknowledges the potential of YouTube and broadcast merging. He recalls creating YouTube content with Sky before anything he did for The Overlap and how Stick To Football was aired by ITV during the last Euros.
As for what's next, Neville draws inspiration from his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson's advice - "Just play football well and the rest will come." With this philosophy at heart, he aims to produce high-quality programmes that resonate with sports fans worldwide while bridging traditional broadcasting and digital platforms.
