We’ve all said or done things we’ve regretted. The mis-calculated comment, the unfortunate photo. How do you get over the lingering sense of embarrassment? Time is clearly a healer, but it turns out the prospect of large financial returns can also help.
Last week, news broke that Gary Neville’s media vehicle, The Overlap had acquired Mark Goldbridge’s YouTube Channels, The United Stand and That’s Football for a seven-figure sum. The move marked a 180 for Neville, who had previously described fan channels as embarrassing and said he wouldn’t have Goldbridge on his show.
To be fair to the former right back turned pundit, media mogul, hotelier and all-round entrepreneur, he made the “embarrassing” comment almost 10 years ago when the media landscape was very different. As to any beef with Goldbridge, Neville rejecting an online fan appeal to invite the content creator onto the Overlap is hardly surprising as Goldbridge doesn’t fit their guest model.
They may not be appearing on each other’s shows any time soon – Goldbridge will continue to front his channels post takeover – but, as two vocal, opinionated and ultimately popular personalities, I think they make comfortable bedfellows. They also serve as figureheads for the new strategy being initiated by The Overlap and Global, the media and advertising business who purchased a majority stake in Neville’s business earlier this year.
The Global press announcement on the Goldbridge channel acquisitions talks of a strategy to build “an extensive global non-live independent football platform, with specialist coverage of major clubs across Europe.” Neville backs this up by saying they are building “one of the most exciting independent football communities in the world”.
As someone who listens to Overlap content and who has rambled around both Neville and Goldbridge before, this story naturally piqued my interest but it was these bold strategic proclamations that got me lacing up my boots once again.
