Gary Neville's The Overlap has bought Mark Goldbridge's YouTube channels, The United Stand and That's Football, in a reportedly seven-figure deal
Gary Neville
Gary Neville and The Overlap have agreed a deal to buy Mark Goldbridge's YouTube channels(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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Gary Neville has teamed up with renowned Manchester United fan Mark Goldbridge following The Overlap's announcement that it has acquired his YouTube channels. Goldbridge's channels, The United Stand and That's Football, have been bought by Neville's company in a deal understood to be worth seven figures.
The Overlap was co-founded by Neville in 2021 and is perhaps best recognised for its weekly podcast Stick to Football, which features the former United defender alongside Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and various guests.
The company offloaded a majority stake to media giant Global earlier this year and has now expanded into YouTube.
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Goldbridge's channels boast a combined 3.7million subscribers, and the man behind them, whose real name is Brent Di Cesare, has established himself as a prominent personality on social media.
The partnership between Goldbridge and Neville is an interesting development, considering their previous history. Goldbridge is renowned for his passionate and often humorous tirades about all things United and has previously taken aim at Neville, reports the Mirror.
That is now firmly in the past, given the financial opportunities available in the thriving YouTube media landscape.
"Mark has criticised me more than most, but we don’t have to agree," Neville told Broadcast Sport. "He knows what he does and he’s got to carry on criticising me. That’s how the world works."
The Guardian reports the deal is valued at 'a seven-figure sum' and will result in The United Stand and That's Football being rebranded with fresh content. The United Stand will feature Stick To United, a format showcasing former players and journalists, alongside The Daily United, a dedicated news programme.
Neville has indicated there is more to come, with The Overlap looking to acquire further YouTube channels.
"[We] need to go into discussions with other channels, but we’re not in a rush," Neville said. "We’ll wait for the right opportunities in the next six, 12, 18 months. I don’t think of it as a media empire."
The 51-year-old revealed he recognised the need for The Overlap to grow following Ruben Amorim's dismissal by United in early January. He had met Goldbridge the previous month and the deal came together swiftly thereafter.
"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," Neville 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."
Goldbridge said: "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. The Overlap has the ambition, the credibility, and the resources to help me take what I do to the next level."