Another day, another high-profile soccer match featuring YouTube celebrities.
On June 2, members of the AMP and Beta Squad groups took the pitch at Selhurst Park, the home of London-based Premier League side Crystal Palace. Led by stars like Kai Cenat and Chunkz, the two teams contested an entertaining (if chaotic) 90-minute match that included 12 goals, a pitch invasion, appearances from pro footballers, and a live audience that included 700,000 concurrent viewers on YouTube.
Like the annual soccer matches put on by the U.K. creator group Sidemen, the showdown between AMP and Beta Squad benefitted a good cause. Viewers were encouraged to give to a fundraiser supporting The Water Project, which provides communities in need with potable drinking water.
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To bring visibility to their charitable mission, the two groups assembled star-studded sides filled with some of YouTube’s biggest names. Beta Squad, a group of “ordinary” creators who entertain nearly ten million subscribers on their shared channel, filled out their roster with guests like Deji, JiDion, and team coach Mark Goldbridge. AMP brought in sports podcaster Druski to serve as its coach and put soccer creator ChrisMD in midfield.
Even with an uneven quality of play, the match still drew a huge crowd. Reed Duchscher, the Founder and CEO of management firm Night (which reps the members of AMP), shared some viewership stats from the event. In addition to the 700,000 live viewers, the match sold out 25,000 tickets in an hour and pulled in more than six million aggregate views on YouTube.
As for the match itself? After 20 goalless minutes, Beta Squad jumped out to a 5-2 lead, with both managers donning jerseys and joining the action. AMP fought back thanks in large part to a “Mystery Player” who wore a mask and displayed elite athleticism and skills. Beta Squad led 6-5 in the final minute before Daniel Sturridge — a former member of the English national team — netted the equalizer for AMP.
The match was meant to conclude with a penalty shootout, but a pitch invasion led to the suspension of the match. AMP’s biggest star is familiar with that type of disturbance. Last year, Cenat was charged with inciting a riot after hosting a chaotic giveaway in New York City’s Union Square.
The influence possessed by creators like Cenat has led to numerous opportunities within the world of sports. Beta Squad members like King Kenny have hopped onto the influencer boxing bandwagon, and groups like the Sidemen and Dude Perfect have forged their own connections with Premier League clubs.
Now that the excitement of the match has subsided, viewers are left with two questions: Will the two groups ever complete their shootout? And who was that mystery player anyway? The working theory among fans is that Djed Spence, who is signed to London club Tottenham Hotspur, donned an AMP kit to play alongside the creator crew.
