Gary Neville's sports media group, The Overlap, has acquired two YouTube channels owned by Mark Goldbridge, one of the UK's most popular football content creators, in a seven-figure deal. The channels, The United Stand and That's Football, have a combined 3.7 million subscribers.
The acquisition may surprise some, given Neville's past criticism of 'those bloody YouTubers' and Goldbridge's often explosive commentary on Manchester United. Neville acknowledged the irony, stating that they 'don't hold grudges' and 'don't take ourselves too seriously.'
The Overlap aims to capitalise on the demand for punditry and reaction content beyond live matches. Neville described the target as 'the noise segment'—the constant discussion around football when no games are being played. The group plans to develop the channels into leading Manchester United and football news outlets.
New formats for The United Stand include 'Stick to United,' featuring former players and journalists, and 'The Daily United,' a daily news show. That's Football will be relaunched as a daily football news and podcast channel. The Overlap, co-founded by Neville in 2021, already includes shows like 'Stick to Football' and 'Fan Debate.'
This is The Overlap's first acquisition since Global, a major radio company, took a majority stake in January. Neville described it as 'the first acquisition of hopefully a few more' as the group seeks to build channels for big clubs in the UK and Europe. Goldbridge expressed pride in his channels and excitement for the future.
