The English Premier League and Budweiser have a new YouTube content series that will bring together soccer stars and musicians.
Produced by Copa 90 Studios, the series is hosted by former England, Arsenal and Crystal Palace striker Ian Wright and will see the musicians and players convene in a bar for billiards, mini-basketball, darts and, of course, a chat about the beautiful game.
The six-episode series will give viewers an inside look into the lives of the musicians, including rappers Bugzy Malone and Tinie Tempah and neo-jazz group Ezra Collective.
Six Premier League clubs are represented, Newcastle through Callum Wilson, Everton through Alex Iwobi, Aston Villa through World Cup-winning keeper Emiliano Martinez, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio.
The series launches today on the UK’s Sky Sports channel and will stream on the official English Premier League YouTube channel. After that, it will available to the league’s international licensees. Budweiser’s social media channels will carry exclusive content, as well.
“We extended our Premier League partnership through 2024 to further connect football with culture, and inspire fans around the world to go after their goals. With that in mind, Behind the Game was born. It’s a stage for culture and sport icons to link up over a beer and show sides to their personalities we’ve never seen before,” explained Budweiser’s global VP Todd Allen to Muse by Clio.
“Over 40 broadcasters around the world will have access to Behind the Game via their deals with the Premier League. The huge reach of the Premier League’s digital channels—including BiliBili in China—will give the show a truly global audience.
“This partnership is different from any other because we’re creating authentically unique content that speaks to our fans’ interests and passions. We are evolving the traditional sponsorship. Going beyond the game to create new touch points,” he added.