What Sidemen Entertainment does

Sidemen Entertainment Limited is a privately held UK-based creator collective founded on October 19, 2013, originally as The Ultimate Sidemen, that produces multi-platform entertainment content and operates a diversified portfolio of consumer brands. Following KSI's departure on May 31, 2026, the collective continues to operate with six members: Miniminter (Simon), Vikkstar123 (Vik), Zerkaa (Josh), TBJZL (Tobi), W2S (Harry), and Behzinga (Ethan). The company's core product is its network of YouTube channels — the main Sidemen channel, Sidemen Reacts, More Sidemen, and Sidemen Shorts — augmented by individual member channels and distribution across Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, Facebook, and Snapchat. Collectively these properties reach over 100 million fans and have generated billions of cumulative views, making Sidemen the largest YouTube creator collective in Europe.

The business has diversified well beyond content production into a multi-vertical consumer brand portfolio. Sidemen Clothing operates a direct-to-consumer apparel e-commerce storefront; Side+ is a subscription platform offering exclusive behind-the-scenes content; XIX Vodka is a branded premium spirits product; and Sides is a branded food line. Live events, anchored by the annual Sidemen Charity Match held at Wembley Stadium, function as flagship brand and content moments, supplemented by strategic partnerships with traditional broadcasters such as BBC Sport for World Cup watchalongs and the management of Baller League UK, a six-a-side influencer football league broadcast on Sky Sports. The group is managed by Arcade Media, with 11-50 employees and headquarters in London.

Revenue is generated through YouTube advertising (via the YouTube Partner Program across billions of views), direct-to-consumer merchandise and consumer product sales, ticketed live events and sponsorships, subscription fees (Side+), and content licensing or distribution partnerships with traditional media platforms. The company holds registered trademarks for Sidemen®, Side+, ZRK, and ILLVZN. Strategic positioning has increasingly emphasized integration with traditional media — evidenced by participation in MIP LONDON 2026 alongside buyers from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC, HBO Max, and ITV — suggesting a deliberate push toward formal content licensing and cross-platform distribution.

Name

Sidemen Entertainment

Legal name

Sidemen Entertainment Limited

Website

https://sidemen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sidemen Entertainment is a UK-based YouTube creator collective that produces multi-platform entertainment content reaching over 100 million fans, and operates diversified consumer brands including Sidemen Clothing, Side+ subscription, XIX Vodka, and Sides food, alongside the annual Wembley Stadium Charity Match.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media & Entertainment

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)

Keywords

• Digital content creation
• Creator collective entertainment
• Online video media
• Fan merchandise sales
• Live event production

Headquarters

HQ city

Worthing

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. YouTube Content Revenue: Ad revenue from YouTube channels with billions of collective views. Individual member channels (Miniminter 3B+ views, KSI 34M+ subs, W2S 19M+ subs) generate significant ad revenue through the YouTube Partner Program.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sidemen Clothing brand sold through sidemenclothing.com featuring apparel and accessories. Additional brand ZRK founded by Zerkaa. Revenue from direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
3. Live Events: Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium and other creator football events. Revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships, and broadcast rights. Partnering with BBC Sport for World Cup watchalong events.
4. Consumer Brands: XIX Vodka alcohol brand and Sides food brand generating revenue through consumer product sales.
5. KSI Music: KSI generates platinum-selling music revenue through streaming platforms, music sales, and performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Sidemen Entertainment operates a YouTube creator collective producing entertainment videos across multiple channels (Sidemen, Sidemen Reacts, More Sidemen, Sidemen Shorts) and individual member channels. Beyond content, the group sells merchandise via Sidemen Clothing, runs a paid subscription platform (Side+), distributes consumer brands (XIX Vodka, Sides food), and produces live events including the annual Sidemen Charity Match at Wembley Stadium.

Product overview

Sidemen Entertainment is a YouTube creator collective founded on October 19, 2013, comprising seven members (Miniminter, Vikkstar123, KSI, Zerkaa, TBJZL, W2S, and Behzinga). The company operates as a multi-platform content creation enterprise with a diversified portfolio including the core Sidemen YouTube channels (Sidemen, Sidemen Reacts, More Sidemen, Sidemen Shorts), individual member channels, and commercial ventures including Sidemen Clothing (merchandise), Side+ (subscription service), Sides (food brand), and XIX Vodka (beverage brand). The company also organizes the annual Sidemen Charity Match, a major influencer football event. Following KSI's departure in May 2026, the collective continues to operate with six members. Sidemen is recognized as the biggest YouTube collective in Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sidemen Clothing: The group's official clothing brand and merchandise line
• Side+
• XIX Vodka
• Sides
• Arcade Media

Products and services

• Sidemen YouTube Channels A portfolio of YouTube channels (Sidemen, Sidemen Reacts, More Sidemen, Sidemen Shorts) producing entertainment, gaming, reaction, vlog, and challenge content for a global audience. The channels collectively account for over 100 million fans and billions of views.
• Sidemen Clothing Apparel and accessories merchandise line operated by Sidemen Entertainment, sold through a dedicated e-commerce platform to Sidemen fans globally.
• Side+ Subscription-based exclusive content platform offering behind-the-scenes and premium Sidemen content beyond what is available on free YouTube channels.
• Sides Food brand operated by Sidemen Entertainment and sold direct-to-consumer through eatsides.com.
• XIX Vodka Premium vodka brand owned and marketed under the Sidemen Entertainment umbrella, sold through xixvodka.com and retail channels.
• Sidemen Charity Match Annual influencer-led charity football match held at venues such as Wembley Stadium, with ticketed attendance, broadcast distribution, and fundraising for charities including BBC Children in Need, Bright Side, and M7 Education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 million fans and billions of views across all platforms
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• BBC SportflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026BBC Sport and Sidemen partnered to produce a World Cup watchalong for Germany's group game against Ecuador on YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Four Sidemen members host the pre-match build-up and provide commentary throughout the game. The collaboration aims to reach new audiences by combining traditional broadcasting with creator and social platforms.
• Eleven All StarsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 May 2026Sidemen participated in the Eleven All Stars France vs England influencer football match, featuring various online personalities and events. Represents collaboration within the creator football ecosystem.
• BBC Children in NeedcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 April 2026Sidemen Charity Match 2026, one of the largest online football events of the year, raises funds for BBC Children in Need along with Bright Side and M7 Education. The event features prominent creators including KSI and MrBeast.
• MIP LONDONminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026Sidemen Productions featured at MIP LONDON 2026 creator economy event alongside executives from YouTube, Snap, Spotify, and Goalhanger. Event expected 1,500+ attendees including 650+ buyers from major media platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC, HBO Max, and ITV.
• Baller LeagueflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 November 2024Sidemen members Miniminter and Tobi manage Baller League UK, an influencer-driven six-a-side football league. KSI serves as President of the UK league. The league began March 3, 2025 with 12 teams competing on indoor pitches, broadcast on Sky Sports. Rule variations include three-versus-three in final minutes and double points for long-range goals.
• Arcade MediacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArcade Media manages Sidemen Entertainment, providing professional management services for the creator collective across content, business development, and operations.
• London Royal RavensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVikkstar123 (Vik) serves as Pro-Am COD player for London Royal Ravens, an esports organization competing in Call of Duty League. Represents individual Sidemen member partnership within esports ecosystem.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dude Perfect: Long-running YouTube creator collective (5+ members) built around collaborative sports/trick-shot content. Closest US analogue in structure (multi-member group, brand extensions, live tour business) though with smaller global subscriber base.
• Beta Squad: UK-based YouTube creator collective with overlapping audience and content format (group challenges, pranks, vlogs). Direct competitor for the same Gen Z UK creator economy attention and brand partnership budgets.
• 100 Thieves: Gaming/lifestyle creator collective that has scaled into apparel, esports, and consumer products. Comparable on the diversified creator-collective business model, with deeper esports and streetwear execution.
• Faze Clan: Publicly listed creator/gaming collective that monetizes through content, esports, apparel, and brand partnerships. Useful comparable for creator-collective business-model economics (though US/gaming-skewed) and as a reference for group-to-public-company transitions.
• OTK (One True King): Creator collective with multi-channel YouTube presence, live events, and brand partnerships. Comparable in structure (multiple top creators collaborating) and focus on gaming/lifestyle-adjacent content.
• The Try Guys: YouTube-native creator collective that has spun out subscription content, live shows, and consumer brand extensions (Try Guys Foods). Closely comparable on the 'collective-to-media-company' business evolution, though smaller in audience scale.
• MrBeast (Beast Industries): Largest individual YouTube creator globally, with a comparable brand-portfolio model spanning philanthropy, consumer products (MrBeast Burger, Feastables chocolate), and high-production video content. Operates the same flywheel of YouTube audience → CPG/e-commerce revenue as Sidemen.

Broad incumbents

• Barstool Sports: Digital media company built on personality-led content with a major live-events and merchandise business. Comparable on the sports-content + personality-IP + e-commerce flywheel, though much larger and US-centric.

Others

• BBC Studios: Production and distribution arm of the BBC, and Sidemen's named partner for the 2026 World Cup watchalong. Comparable as a co-production partner and benchmark for what a scaled, broadcaster-led content business looks like.
• Fullscreen: Creator management and media company that has represented and built businesses around top YouTube talent. Comparable as an enabler/manager model — relevant since Sidemen is itself managed by Arcade Media in a similar structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sidemen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/Sidemen
• Facebookfacebook.com/sidemenofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/sidemen?igshid=18ev38uqw957
• TikToktiktok.com/@sidemen?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sidemen-entertainment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sidemen Entertainment