British YouTuber KSI is taking a leaf out of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s book and making a docuseries charting his purchase of a struggling lower league U.K. soccer club.
Earlier this week, the influencer and “Britain’s Got Talent” judge — real name Olajide Olatunji — acquired a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge, currently languishing in the sixth tier of British football (one lower than Reynolds and McElhenney’s Wrexham AFC when they acquired it in 2021).
Variety can now reveal that, alongside production company After Party Studios, KSI is producing “Race to the Top,” a “Welcome to Wrexham”-style documentary series chronicling his takeover of the club and following him as he sets his sights on taking it to the Premier League.
“Race to the Top” will initially debut this summer on KSI’s YouTube channel — currently boasting 17 million subscribers — and will be promoted across his socials with a combined reach of 33.5 million.
Set to continue into the 26/27 season, the series will be dubbed into 14 languages globally and will follow KSI as he “navigates the pressures and possibilities of steering the National League South club into a new era,” according to the description. Cameras will track him as he takes the reins of the club, “offering unprecedented access to the day-to-day trials and tribulations of running a non-league side in the modern football ecosystem, with boardroom meetings and fan reaction to contend with.”
The project marks a milestone moment for director Ben Doyle, aka RVBBERDUCK, who previously produced KSI’s documentary “KSI: Can’t Lose,” which chronicled his evolution from YouTube star to crossover boxer.
“This is a really big deal for me. For the fans who’ve been with me since ‘Race to Division One,’ it’s a full-circle moment — from dreaming about football online to actually taking over a club,” said KSI. “Reuniting with Ben and After Party Studios makes it even more special. He’s captured every high and low, and I am so excited for him to board this rollercoaster of a journey at Dagenham & Redbridge with me.”
Added Doyle: “When KSI called me on a rainy Sunday morning last November and said he was buying a football club, I knew I had to be there to capture it. When we shot ‘KSI: Can’t Lose’ back in 2018, I rolled the cameras as he redefined an entire sport — this feels like a true full circle moment as yet again we stand on the precipice of a seemingly insurmountable challenge. This series will see us get more access than ever before, during the highs and lows as he strives to get the Daggers to the Premier League.”
‘Race To The Top’ is executive produced by Jamie MacDonald and James Byfield for After Party Studios and KSI and Mo Syed, head of content for KSI. Alysha Christal is the producer.
Production on the series is currently underway and will continue at this Saturday’s game against Dorking Wanderers — the first game KSI will attend as an owner.
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