The World Cup put creators on the broadcast. Can KSI replicate that strategy for the club he co-owns?

When Greater London soccer club Dagenham & Redbridge FC begins its campaign for the 2026-27 season, it will have a new broadcaster for its matches: Its co-owner. KSI, the English creator who was previously a member of the Sidemen, has struck a deal to stream coverage of the team known colloquially as Dag & Red.

The broadcast deal is an agreement between the National League South — the sixth tier of English soccer and Dag & Red’s current level — KSI, and DAZN. The last of those partners, which previously broadcast KSI’s boxing matches, will help the creator add new dimensions to National League coverage. KSI will broadcast a handful of Dag & Red matches while bringing fans closer to the club through behind-the-scenes content and guest spots, as well as “innovative production formats and unique storytelling.”

“Football has always been about bringing people together, and this partnership gives us the chance to tell the stories that don’t always get the spotlight,” KSI said. “Dagenham and Redbridge has an incredible community behind it, and we are going to bring fans closer to the club than ever before while introducing millions of people to what makes non-league football so special.”

KSI made a splash in March when he picked up a stake in Dag & Red, becoming the latest celebrity to grab a piece of an English pro club. His roadmap for Dag & Red seems to draw inspiration from the story of the Welsh side Wrexham A.F.C. 

After famous actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became co-owners of Wrexham, the club began a meteoric rise that currently has it sitting one promotion away from the Premier League.

By producing a docuseries called Welcome to Wrexham, Reynolds and McElhenney generated revenue that could be invested back in the club. KSI will similarly lift up Dag & Red through his videos, but he has an advantage Ryan and Rob lack: He’s a digital-native creator. That’s a big deal in the soccer community, especially after this year’s World Cup, when Brazilian creator CazéTV stole the show. By getting the official broadcast rights to every World Cup match, CazéTV set viewership records and proved that the future of sports will flow through creators.

The lessons learned from those record-breaking streams will inform KSI as he looks to raise Dag & Red’s profile. By broadcasting his club, KSI won’t just get more eyes on the National League. He’ll help Dag & Red get the income it will need if it is going to realize KSI’s mission of one day reaching the Premier League.