Sidemen

Formation and Early Years

The Sidemen emerged as one of Europe's largest YouTube collectives through the convergence of seven British creators who would transform from individual gaming enthusiasts into a cultural phenomenon. The group's formation traces back to October 19, 2013, when six of the seven members created a Grand Theft Auto Online crew called "The Ultimate Sidemen," a date commemorated in the Roman numeral "XIX" on their logo^[1]^[2]. The seventh member, Harry "W2S" Lewis, joined the following year after meeting Josh "Zerkaa" Bradley at a FIFA gaming event in New York City^[1].wikipedia+1 Many of the members had pre-existing connections through shared educational backgrounds. Josh Bradley and Tobi "TBJZL" Brown attended Bexley Grammar School together, while KSI and Simon "Miniminter" Minter both studied at Berkhamsted School in Hertfordshire^[1]^[9]. These early friendships provided the foundation for their collaborative approach to content creation.viralmango+1 The group's name reflects their humble origins, with Miniminter explaining in a video that "A sideman is basically someone's bitch who just follows them around... I was basically JJ's bitch that followed him around"^[1]. This self-deprecating humor would become characteristic of their content style and brand identity.wikipedia

Content Evolution and Channel Growth

The Sidemen's primary YouTube channel, launched in conjunction with their first charity match in 2016, achieved remarkable growth milestones. The channel became the fastest to reach one million subscribers at that time^[1]. By December 2020, they surpassed 10 million subscribers, with each member receiving their own Diamond Play Button from YouTube^[1]. As of September 2025, the main channel has grown to 22.7 million subscribers with over 7.28 billion total views^[3].vidiq+1 Their content strategy extends beyond the main channel through a multi-platform approach. The MoreSidemen channel attracts over seven million subscribers, while SidemenReacts has accumulated five million subscribers and SidemenShorts has reached 1.8 million subscribers^[2]^[9]. This diversification allows them to serve different audience preferences and maximize their content output.sportskeeda+1 The group's signature "Sidemen Sunday" format has become a weekly appointment viewing for millions of fans, featuring elaborate challenges, competitions, and collaborative content that regularly achieves tens of millions of views^[12]. Recent videos have maintained strong performance, with their latest uploads averaging 4.9 to 8.4 million views within days of publication^[3].toyworldmag+1

Business Ventures and Commercial Success

The Sidemen have strategically diversified their revenue streams through multiple business ventures that leverage their brand recognition and audience engagement. Their commercial portfolio includes Sidemen Clothing (SDMN), launched in 2013, which generates approximately $2 million annually through merchandise sales.tuko In 2022, the group expanded into the hospitality sector with Sides, a fast-food restaurant chain serving burgers, fries, chicken wings, and desserts across five locations. The brand has also ventured into football sponsorship, partnering with Farnham Town as their away kit sponsor and introducing a food truck to enhance match day offerings.marketing-beat+1 Their beverage portfolio includes XIX Vodka, launched in 2021, offering four flavors including tropical ice, mixed berry, original, and gumball orange. The brand emphasizes a clean and natural experience without artificial flavors, positioning itself in the premium spirits market.tuko Recent expansion includes their 2024 launch of Best Cereal, created in partnership with Mornflake, featuring Coco Crunch and Caramel Gold varieties available at major UK retailers including Tesco, Iceland, Morrisons, and The Food Warehouse.tuko

Digital Platform Innovation

The Sidemen launched Side+ in September 2021, a subscription-based membership platform priced at £6.99 per month that provides exclusive content including behind-the-scenes footage, podcasts, and Q&A sessions^[5]. The platform offers three exclusive shows: "Access All Areas" for behind-the-scenes content, "Sidecast" podcast episodes, and "Ask Sidemen" for fan Q&A sessions^[5].themediamoment Members receive additional benefits including quarterly restaurant meet-and-greets, monthly private video calls with individual members, and exclusive opportunities to participate in content creation^[5]. The platform also features monthly prize giveaways including gaming consoles, exclusive footwear, and signed memorabilia^[5].themediamoment In May 2025, the Sidemen co-founded Upside, a venture capital firm backing consumer technology startups with investments ranging from £100,000 to £500,000^[8]. Their portfolio includes companies such as Howbout, Mile, and Nimbi, with supported startups receiving both financial backing and promotional support across the Sidemen's social media channels^[8].peopleofcolorintech

Charity Initiatives and Social Impact

The Sidemen Charity Match represents one of their most significant contributions to charitable causes, having raised over £8.5 million across six events since 2016^[6]. The 2025 match at Wembley Stadium achieved record-breaking success, attracting 90,000 in-person attendees, peaking at 2.5 million online viewers, and raising over £4.7 million for BBC Children in Need, Bright Side, and M7 Education^[4].tubefilter+1 The 2022 charity match secured a Guinness World Record for "most viewers for a charity sports match live stream on YouTube" with 2,558,501 peak viewers^[6]. These events have evolved from small-scale fundraisers to major sporting spectacles featuring international creators including MrBeast, iShowSpeed, Logan Paul, Kai Cenat, Mark Rober, and xQc^[4].wikipedia+1 During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sidemen created a twenty-minute YouTube video titled "#StayHome" featuring over one hundred YouTube creators and celebrities to raise awareness of the UK's "stay at home" campaign^[1]. All advertising revenue from the video was donated to the NHS^[1].wikipedia

Media Expansion and Entertainment Projects

The Sidemen successfully transitioned into traditional entertainment media through "The Sidemen Show," a YouTube Premium series that premiered in June 2018^[10]. The seven-episode reality stunt series featured celebrity guests including Steve-O, Steve Aoki, Jack Whitehall, Bear Grylls, Nicole Scherzinger, and JME, with challenges filmed across multiple international locations including Morocco, Austria, and Russia^[10]^[13].wikipedia+1 Their documentary "The Sidemen Story," released in February 2024, chronicles the group's decade-long journey from gaming enthusiasts to internet personalities^[11]. The 99-minute film, directed by Luke Hyams, achieved a 6.7/10 rating on IMDb and is currently available on Netflix UK^[11]^[14].imdb+1 The group has expanded into gaming products through partnerships with Hot House Games, launching party games "Too Far" and "Social Ladder" based on their popular game show formats^[12]. These games, priced at £11.99, target Gen-Z audiences and are distributed through VR Distribution^[12].toyworldmag

Individual Success and Collective Wealth

The Sidemen's collective net worth is estimated between $66 million and $130 million as of 2025, with revenues shared equally among all seven members. KSI emerges as the wealthiest individual member with an estimated net worth of $100 million, largely due to successful ventures including Prime Hydration, his music career, and professional boxing.briefly+1 The main Sidemen channel generates estimated monthly earnings between $96,000 and $288,000, with additional revenue streams from their secondary channels contributing approximately $5 million annually^[3]. Their business ventures, including Sidemen Clothing, Sides restaurants, XIX Vodka, and Best Cereal, are collectively valued at over $125 million.vidiq+1 Each member maintains individual YouTube channels that contribute to their personal wealth. Vikkstar123 holds an estimated net worth of $25 million, while the remaining members each maintain substantial individual earnings through their separate content creation and business activities.tuko

Brand Partnerships and Marketing Innovation

The Sidemen's influence extends into strategic brand partnerships that demonstrate their marketing power among Gen-Z audiences. Their management company Arcade launched Arcade Creative in June 2025, a dedicated agency wing that formalizes their content inventory for media buyers and brands seeking to connect with youth audiences.tubefilter Major partnerships include collaborations with Footasylum for their charity match sponsorship, featuring exclusive Sidemen-branded match-day kits and comprehensive digital campaign coverage. Their partnership with Revolut drove the brand's most successful acquisition campaign, delivering over 100,000 app downloads.303+2 Recent collaborations include partnerships with EE to create gaming experiences at Brighton Pier and Wembley Stadium, and promotional content for EA Sports' Madden 26^[15]^[16]. These partnerships demonstrate their ability to drive measurable business results for major brands while maintaining authentic engagement with their audience.instagram+2

Cultural Impact and Industry Recognition

The Sidemen have achieved recognition as cultural influencers beyond traditional YouTube metrics. Josh Bradley was listed as the ninth most influential online creator in the United Kingdom by The Sunday Times in 2019, and became the most-watched Twitch streamer in the UK in 2022 with 17.68 million hours viewed^[7].wikipedia Their content regularly outperforms traditional television programming, with new videos achieving 2.1 million views within 15 hours and consistently eclipsing viewership numbers for shows like Love Island and Britain's Got Talent. This shift represents a generational change in content consumption patterns, with the Sidemen at the forefront of creator-driven entertainment.thinkwithgoogle The group's ability to mobilize their fanbase extends beyond digital engagement into real-world events, as demonstrated by their sold-out Wembley Stadium charity match and the consistent success of their live appearances and meet-and-greet events. Their influence has created a dedicated community that actively participates in challenges, creates user-generated content, and supports their various business ventures.thinkwithgoogle