The England national team drew 79,000 fans to Wembley for its October 2024 fixture against Greece. Next March, that figure is likely to be surpassed as YouTube sensations Sidemen take up residence for their annual charity match.
This is the first time that the fixture has been held at Wembley, following previous matches at venues such as West Ham United’s London Stadium. Commenting on the news, Sidemen manager Jordan Schwarzenberger made this tongue in cheek comment: “It’s Wembley, baby. 90,000 – all for a bunch of YouTubers.”
With 21 million subscribers on their flagship YouTube channel, Sidemen have established themselves as a cultural phenomenon, launching branded products and forging collaborations with the likes of ITV Studios and Paramount.
The charity match was launched in 2015 and has raised millions for charity. Last year the event raised £2.4million for Teenage Cancer Trust and CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). This year, the event will be raising much needed funds for Bright Side, a charity founded by the Sidemen, and BBC Children in Need. As an added bonus Sidemen have signed up Visit Qatar as a sponsor of the event.
YouTuber-backed events are becoming an increasingly high-profile part of the sports business. On Friday, November 15th, YouTuber Jake Paul will take on heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson at the 80,000 seater AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The entire event will be streamed live globally on Netflix.
