Michael Oliver, senior campaign director at The Goat Agency, looks at what the future of football club ownership could be
YouTuber. Boxer. Rapper. Energy drink founder. Britain’s Got Talent judge. And now, football club investor. Is there anything that Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji - better known as social media sensation KSI - can’t do? (OK, perhaps box or rap, depending on who you ask).
News that KSI has bought a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge, the East London club playing in the sixth-tier National League South, has sparked chatter across British sport. The YouTuber has already declared his ambitions for the project, announcing “I hope to bring Dagenham & Redbridge back to the glory days… Reaching the Premier League would be a dream. And I believe it is 100% doable.”
To players of the video game Football Manager, such a rise might sound simple: a few tactical tweaks, a handful of new signings, and promotion is suddenly in sight. Yet in reality, climbing the football pyramid is a mammoth task. Ambition matters, but real progress depends on visibility, revenue and long-term execution. So, what makes KSI and his fellow ‘Daggers’ backers so confident about their own ascent to the top?
Well, it turns out social presence in football has scaled massively over the last decade. And today, more creators, investors and brands recognise how influence can accelerate a club’s growth potential - if leveraged in the right way.
Football’s new power players aren’t just on the pitch
One early example of a creator making a tangible impact in football is Spencer Owen. Back in 2016, the YouTuber, best known for his FIFA video game content, used his fanbase to create a football club - Hashtag United - from scratch. Initially, the team played exhibition matches for YouTube before entering the non-league football pyramid in 2018. The men’s team has since ascended to the seventh-tier Isthmian League Premier Division (just one league below Dagenham & Redbridge), while its partners include names such as Adidas and Monster Energy.
Hashtag United is a prime example of how creators can grow audiences by bringing in fans and cultural relevance. Their involvement can create a flywheel effect, making clubs more appealing to broadcasters and brand partners, which in turn drives further exposure and revenue.
Then there’s Wrexham A.F.C. Since buying out the North Wales club, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have given Wrexham global visibility and commercial credibility. On the pitch, investment in facilities and players has helped drive the club from the National League (tier five) to the Championship (tier two), with Premier League status now a realistic possibility.
Off the pitch, the FX/Disney+ docuseries Welcome To Wrexham has pulled in millions of viewers, won multiple Emmy awards and helped drive the club’s Instagram following up by more than 3,111%. Brands including TikTok, STōK Cold Brew Coffee, United Airlines and Marks & Spencer have all partnered with the club, drawn by the visibility and cultural relevance Reynolds and McElhenney bring. Alongside the owners’ investments, these partnerships have helped bankroll Wrexham’s progress - and the brands’ popularity.
KSI’s football bet could be a win for all
Clubs aren’t the only beneficiaries of sponsorships. After just one year with Wrexham A.F.C., STōK Cold Brew Coffee reported significant lifts in consumer brand awareness, with over 14 billion impressions across digital, social and earned channels. Media coverage achieved a 99% positive/neutral sentiment and, after launching a Super Bowl ad featuring Sir Anthony Hopkins as Wrexham’s mascot, the brand exceeded its Instagram reach rate benchmark and achieved 92% of its full-year Instagram growth goal in just one day, surpassing the impressions benchmark by 826K.
Wrexham is clearly the model KSI will hope to emulate at Dagenham & Redbridge. The Daggers occupy a similar position to Wrexham pre-takeover: a former EFL club that has declined sharply but still holds clear potential for resurgence. It’s no surprise that KSI has already announced plans to produce Race To The Top: a Welcome To Wrexham-style documentary series chronicling his journey with the club.
Attention becomes the new transfer budget
As one of the world’s most recognisable and marketable social media personalities, KSI gives Dagenham & Redbridge - and future brand partners - the opportunity to turn online engagement into meaningful commercial value.
In the coming months, the club will likely see increased attention and greater commercial interest. Digital output will scale through KSI’s investment, expertise and pull. Whether that momentum translates into on-pitch results is yet to be seen - but if all goes to plan, brands that get involved now could earn promotion into the major leagues, too.
Ultimately, creators are no longer simply promotional tools for sports teams. They’re strategic partners in long-term audience and commercial growth. So, marketers, sponsors and rights holders must rethink how they approach creator partnerships. In the age of influencers, that old adage - “the quickest way to become a millionaire is to start as a billionaire and then buy a football club” - no longer rings true.
Michael Oliver is senior campaign director at The Goat Agency
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