KSI buys stake in football club as creators deepen ties with sport

YouTuber and Sidemen co-founder Olajide “KSI” Olatunji has purchased a stake in sixth-tier English football club Dagenham & Redbridge.

The 32-year-old creator announced the investment in a video shared online this week, outlining ambitions to transform the club’s fortunes.

“I want the place to be rocking. I want it to be an event whenever you come here,” he said in the announcement, adding he wants to “do the unthinkable” and “take Dagenham & Redbridge to the Premier League.”

The size of KSI’s stake has not been formally confirmed, though The Athletic reported it to be around 20%.

The investment comes as sports organisations increasingly experiment with creators as part of their media and distribution strategies.

As previously reported by The Daily Influence, leagues, broadcasters and streaming platforms have been expanding their use of creators and athlete personalities to extend fan engagement.

Football has already seen similar crossovers between entertainment and sport ownership. Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney purchased Welsh club Wrexham AFC in 2021, helping transform the team into a global media property through the documentary series Welcome to Wrexham.

KSI rose to prominence as part of the YouTube collective Sidemen and has since built one of the largest creator audiences in the UK, with millions of followers across his personal channels and the group’s content.

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