Gary Neville has issued a statement after The Overlap, a sports media group he founded in 2021, acquired Manchester United influencer Mark Goldbridge’s YouTube channels in a seven-figure deal.
Goldbridge, real name Brent Di Cesare, has built a significant online platform through his coverage of Manchester United.
The United Stand is the largest Manchester United channel on YouTube with over 2.2 million subscribers, while That's Football has built an impressive following of 1.46 million on the video-sharing platform.
In the past, the online personality has publicly criticised Neville, so some raised eyebrows on Tuesday when it was announced that The Overlap has acquired Goldbridge’s The United Stand and That’s Football channels.
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It was also confirmed that the undisclosed seven-figure deal will see Goldbridge continue to front both The United Stand and That’s Football, with a "significant expansion" being planned for the summer.
Two new formats for The United Stand have been announced, including 'Stick To United', which will feature former players and journalists, and 'The Daily United', another Manchester United news strand.
That’s Football, meanwhile, will have a full relaunch as a daily news podcast channel, according to Broadcast Sport.
The deal has come “quicker than we expected,” according to Neville, who says it will "fit into our strategy".
"We are building what we believe will become one of the most exciting Independent football communities in the world – one that gives fans direct, personality-led content," the former defender said.
"The United Stand and That's Football are two of the best-known football channels on YouTube, and our intention is to develop them into the most compelling Manchester United and football news channels in the market."
Speaking about the deal, Goldbridge believes The Overlap's acquisition will take his content to the next level.
"I've spent the last 10 years building The United Stand for Manchester United fans and That's Football for all fans, and I'm prouder of that than anything I've ever done. This deal is about what comes next," he said.
"The Overlap has the ambition, the credibility, and the resources to help me take what I do to the next level."
Scott Melvin, who is the co-founder and executive director of The Overlap, also spoke about the deal.
"The market for independent football content is growing rapidly and the opportunity to build a genuinely scaled network within it is one we have been working towards for some time," he said.
"The Overlap exists to build the infrastructure, partnerships, and editorial range that allows the best channels to reach their full potential. Mark has built two of the biggest audiences in this space, and this deal accelerates everything we are building towards."
Neville suggested that The Overlap will continue to expand in the space.
He said the media group "need to go into discussions with other channels", but they are not in a rush, adding: "We’ll wait for the right opportunities in the next six, 12, 18 months."
Topics: Gary Neville, Premier League, Man Utd, Mark Goldbridge
Jack Kenmare