Entertainment
The Sidemen’s Media Empire: How 7 Friends Built a Content Conglomerate
What began as seven friends recording themselves playing FIFA has now become a hugely successful entertainment and commerce company. The Sidemen (KSI, Zerkaa, Miniminter, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123, and Wroetoshaw) have turned a decade of internet clout into a diversified, nine‑figure business. Their output looks less like a creator channel and more like a small network that programs different formats for different levels of engagement. That structure gives them both the attention and the operational footprint of a lean digital studio with its own product
The Sidemen operate a compact media built around a flagship YouTube channel for larger videos, auxiliary channels for gaming, behind‑the‑scenes, and reaction content, and their premium streaming service Side+, as a subscription tier for the most invested fans. Together, they reach tens of millions of subscribers and deliver a consistent baseline of content that also helps them mark their brands. Their calendar leans on set pieces such as long‑form challenges and charity football matches that play more like live events than standard uploads, with weekly videos and shorts filling in the gaps between those spikes. Their latest charity match filled a Premier League stadium, attracted millions of live viewers, and raised a multi‑million‑pound total for U.K. charities, showing how a creator‑led match can now move audience and capital at the scale of a mid‑tier sports property.
The group’s first meaningful business move outside of content creation was Sidemen Clothing, positioned from the outset as a standalone apparel line rather than a basic merch shelf. The brand has shifted toward seasonal drops and collaborations that sit closer to streetwear than fan gear and gave the group a direct‑to‑consumer revenue stream with higher margins than standard ads. From there, the playbook expanded into category‑specific brands that could stand on their own. Sides, their fast‑food concept, uses ghost kitchens and franchise partners to serve customers across multiple markets, with reporting that the business has reached seven‑figure weekly revenue as it scales locations and delivery volume. XIX Vodka, their move into spirits, lets the Sidemen monetize an aging core audience through a premium product that can live in retail, nightlife, and events where creators usually appear as short‑term endorsers rather than long‑term owners.
Analysts and business press now estimate that the broader Sidemen ecosystem is worth nine‑figures when adding up channels, brands, and IP, with most of the upside sitting in assets they control. Ads across their channels are estimated to generate millions of dollars per year on their own, but the more material story is how that attention converts into subscriptions, food orders, alcohol sales, and apparel purchases where the group participates as equity holders. Internally, equal revenue splits and a shared company structure keep all seven members aligned, which reduces the incentive to peel off for individual deals and helps explain why the group has stayed intact through multiple growth phases. That alignment also supports slower, more capital‑intensive bets such as brick‑and‑mortar Sides locations and in‑house production infrastructure that would be hard to justify inside a looser collective.
Their latest phase is about turning a decade of uploaded content into catalog and licensing opportunities. The Sidemen Story, their documentary distributed on Netflix, moves part of the business away from platform‑dependent content toward a film‑length asset that can live across territories and windows and sit alongside traditional entertainment IP. For a company built on weekly releases, that type of project functions as a hedge against changes in recommendation systems and ad markets and puts them on the radar of partners who do not normally transact at the YouTube channel level. Around that core, the group continues to run live events, recurring charity matches, and new product launches in food, beverage, and merchandise that do not rely on a single platform to succeed. The result is a creator business that now looks less like an influencer collective and more like a self‑financed entertainment and consumer brand portfolio with seven founders still on screen to market what they own.
Dutch influencer Joann van den Herik went viral this week after she called Coachella the “influencer Olympics” on TikTok, describing her experience of the festival as one less about the music and more about creators fighting to get the best angles while staring at their phones. She is not wrong. One week into the 25th anniversary edition of Coachella and it’s clear that the creator economy ran the whole thing. Here’s what happened and what to expect this weekend.
The most significant creator moment of the weekend belonged to Addison Rae, who played the main Coachella Stage on Saturday evening in what was her first full-length solo set at the festival. Rae, who started as a TikTok creator before pivoting to music, performed ahead of headliner Justin Bieber and delivered what she called “The Fame and Glory Show,” a reworked version of her recent tour. The set opened with “Diet Pepsi” and built toward a standout “Aquamarine” performance alongside Maddie Ziegler. Rae took a moment to address years of skepticism about her transition from social media to pop music, telling the crowd that her supporters should know she loves them, and insulting her detractors. She returns for weekend two on April 18.
One of Coachella’s most significant events from the first week of 2026 was Justin Bieber’s contentious, YouTube-themed performance. With a laptop, a microphone, and the occasional guitarist, Bieber spent part of his set projecting his own videos onto a big screen and singing along-side them. Bieber’s stripped-down show was him having fun with his own viral moments and concerns for his well-being after some publicized antics, tour cancellations and health concerns. Leaked footage of rehearsals for Bieber’s performance caused resold ticket prices for Coachella to spike, with prices peaking at $4,000 for tickets that originally cost $650, as Bieber is scheduled to perform again this Saturday.
Meanwhile, high profile Twitch streamer Lacy (Nick Fosco) brought his camera to Coachella over the weekend. The 23-year-old, who is ranked among Twitch’s top 15 streamers in 2026, has been on a collision course with live event restrictions for weeks. In late March, Lacy and fellow streamer Sketch were ejected from a courtside seat at the NCAA March Madness Elite Eight game between Iowa and Illinois after security caught them livestreaming the game, which violates the NCAA’s broadcast rights agreements. The tension between streamers who want to broadcast everything and rights holders who have paid billions for exclusivity is becoming one of the defining conflicts in live entertainment. At Coachella, where YouTube holds the official livestream rights across seven stages, that tension is even more pronounced. Creators attending the festival can post clips and vlogs, but live broadcasting of performances runs into legal territory fast, and the festival is known for being stringent with limiting unofficial live-streamed and clipped videos.
Off the stage, the influencer economy was operating at full capacity. Content creator Sam Mintesnot documented her attempt to get into the festival without a ticket, posting across her platforms in hopes of scoring a brand invitation. It worked. YouTube invited her two days before the festival started. That kind of hustle is now a recognized pathway into Coachella for creators who do not have the budget for passes that start at $820 for a single day on resale. In another example, Sydney Morgan, a creator known for special effects makeup, bought her own ticket and traveled to Indio with a group of fellow creators, renting an Airbnb selected specifically for how it would look on camera and built a filming itinerary around the group’s content schedules. They arrived a full day before the music started so they could shoot.
YouTube leaned hard into the creator angle this year. The platform’s “Watch With” feature returned, letting creators provide live commentary and reactions alongside the official Coachella livestream from their own channels. The company also hosted creators at its Backstage Studio on the festival grounds, where influencers like Alix Earle were photographed. Earle, who launched her skin care brand Reale Actives just weeks before the festival, attended multiple brand events and posted outfit content that went viral almost immediately.
The brand activation circuit surrounding Coachella has become its own festival, with brands like Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s Poosh, Neutrogena, TikTok Shop and many other marketplaces and companies hosting events. Reports also surfaced of brands rescinding influencer invitations at the last minute, and multiple creators said their Airbnb bookings were canceled by hosts looking to rebook at higher prices during festival weekend.
Weekend two begins April 17, with the same lineup running a second time. Addison Rae will perform again. The creators will return with fresh outfits and new content plans. And somewhere in the crowd, someone will be livestreaming something they probably should not be.
Snapchat rolled out the yellow carpet for their inaugural award show, the Snappys? The event was hosted at the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, California. For the Snappys, the Snapchat building was converted into a theatre and event space, hosting top content creators invited to the event and nominated for awards. The Snappys were streamed live last night on the Snapchat app. So who took home awards and what bumps in the road happened at the event?
Matt Friend, a comedian known for his impressions, hosted the awards show. Friend has performed at previous Snapchat events and has an active following on the platform. In his monologue, Friend made jokes poking fun at the recent abundance of award shows in his monologue (TikTok had their first award show in December) and at content recycled between social media platforms.
Kehlani was scheduled to perform but did not attend, cancelling for personal reasons. Some top influencers did attend the event including nominees like David Dobrik, Dixie D’Amelio, JoJo Siwa and Harry Jowsey, but turnout was lower than expected. Roughly half of all Snappy winners did not even attend the event. Lifetime Achievement winner DJ Khaled accepted his achievement award virtually, also announcing Kehlani’s scrapped performance. Additionally, some social media users reported issues trying to watch the show live on the app.
Despite the setbacks, the award show was still a relative success, with Dobrik, Kylie Jenner and former NBA player Dwight Howard winning awards. Dobrik dedicated his win to Snapchat Head of Content Partnerships Jim Shepherd. Shepherd was quoted in Snapchat’s press release for the award show toting the platform’s commitment to creators. During the event, it was announced that paid creator subscriptions would be available to all Snap users. Winners took home a golden statue of the company’s ghost logo à la the Oscars.
2026 Snappys Winners
Best Use of Creative Tools – Zaina Sesay
Best Storyteller – Rachel Levin
Spotlight MVP – AdamW
Top Lens Creator – Mohamad el Asmar
Community Builder – Cheyenne Davis
One To Watch – Ella Moncrief
Off-Platform Buzz – Nic Vans
Comeback Star- Kylie Jenner
Breakout Creator – Ashton Hall
Lifetime Achievement – DJ Khaled
Creator of the Year – David Dobrik
Top Beauty Creator – Leilani Green
Top Lifestyle Creator – Ari Fletcher
Top Athlete Creator – Dwight Howard
Top Music Creator – Leon Thomas
Top Food Creator – Jack Mancuso
Top Fashion Creator – Ashley Graham
Top Comedy Creator – LaLa Milan
Top On-Camera Correspondent – Lauren Ashley Beck
Top Gamer Creator – Dimucc
Top Family Creator – Justus and Kayla Tucker
Top Fitness Creator – Katie Austin
Google, owner of YouTube, and Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had been found liable in a notable case on childhood social media addiction. A jury in Los Angeles, California found that the two tech companies had deliberately built addictive social media applications that harmed the mental health of the 20-year-old plaintiff, according to BBC News. Both Meta and Google said they disagree with the court’s verdict and would be appealing the decision, releasing separate statements to news organizations about the case. The plaintiff in the case, known as “Kaley” or “KGM”, was awarded $6 million in damages, $3 million each in compensatory and punitive damages, with Meta expected to pay 70% of damages and Google the leftover 30% owed. The ruling could have major implications in many similar social media cases currently being tried across the United States.
Although Google was a defendant in the case through its platform YouTube, the case focused primarily on Meta, specifically because of Instagram. Notably, Meta chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before the court in February in his first appearance in front of a jury. Snap and TikTok settled with the plaintiff for undisclosed amounts before the case went to trial. The lawsuit for “Kailey” is the first in a region-wide consolidated case (where a court merges multiple lawsuits) of roughly 2,500 against the four tech and social media giants, Meta, Google, Snap and TikTok. In an unrelated but notable case, Elon Musk’s XAI, parent company of X (formerly Twitter) is currently being sued by the city of Baltimore, Maryland over allegations of sexually explicit images generated by its AI agent Grok.
The plaintiff said that she started using Instagram at nine years old and was using YouTube at age six, without being blocked from using either platform. She went on to claim that she stopped interacting with her family and began having symptoms of anxiety and depression at age 10. She was reportedly diagnosed with both conditions later by a therapist. According to the Associated Press, Meta argued that the mental health struggles faced by Kaley were unrelated to her social media use. Lawyers for YouTube argued that their platform was more like television than a social media platform, also pointing to company data they said showed that Kaley’s usage of the platform had declined over time. Both companies emphasized the safety features of their platforms, echoing similar statements from Zuckerberg during his February testimony.
The Los Angeles case comes just a day after a jury in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $375 million. The company was found liable for misleading users about the safety of its platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Another California court case involving social media platforms and alleged harm to minors is also scheduled to start this month. The UK, Australia and Indonesia are also restricting access to social media for children. Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16 starting March 28, with a similar law for people under 16 in Australia already in place. In the UK, a pilot program testing social media time limits, digital curfews and bans is currently underway. Slovenia, Spain, France, Germany and Denmark are also moving to ban social media for minors. Today’s ruling is likely to influence other court cases around the country as governments around the world are considering limiting social media access for children.
