Side+ From The Sidemen: What’s It All About?
Side by side: The Sidemen
By Anam Alam
When the Sidemen aren’t releasing videos every day across their multiple YouTube channels, they post exclusive podcasts, Q&As and even a movie on their all-new streaming service Side+.
Launched in September, 2021, Side+ is an exclusive membership club for Sidemen fans all around the world.
The Sidemen are a British YouTube group consisting of friends KSI (Olajide Olayinka Williams “JJ” Olatunji), Miniminter (Simon Minter), Zerkaa (Joshua Bradley), TBJZL (Tobi Brown), Behzinga (Ethan Payne), Vikkstar123 (Vikram Singh Barn) and W2S (Harry Lewis).
The group was created back in 2013 to represent what the group stood for and loved doing: creating content and pushing the boundaries of online entertainment. Today, they entertain millions of fans on their YouTube channels every day.
And now the group has taken a step further by releasing the Side+ service.
For £6.99 a month, members will have access to exclusive content, giveaways, meet and greets and be part of the community. Members will have access to three exclusive shows:
“Access All Areas”, where fans will be able to watch behind the scenes footage of the Sidemen’s main channel videos
Their podcast, “Sidecast”
A Q&A show, “Ask Sidemen”, where the YouTubers will answer any questions members ask and if your question gets chosen, you will get a shoutout.
Members will also have opportunities to meet the Sidemen through an Eat and Greet, where every three months, the group will rent out one of their favourite restaurants and invite a group of club members to chat and eat with them. Or they will be invited to their monthly private zoom call with one member, and will always be looked to first when picking people for their content.
They’ve got something to smile about: streaming service, food service, drinks brand, merch…
On top of that, fans will also be able to win prizes. Every month the Sidemen will feature exclusive prizes like next gen consoles, exclusive trainers, apparel and memorabilia from past videos that members can win. They will also ask their members what they would want to be featured in the future.
Members who signed up within the first week from the platform’s launch had a chance to with 1 of a 1000 limited t-shirts. But anyone who signs up annually guarantees one from a separate stash. Also, every six months, they will invite six members (one picked from each month) who will join the group to try and spend $100,000 between themselves in three hours. They will fly you out, pick you up and then head to the city to spend it all in their $100,000 club.
To further the exclusivity, the group travelled across a continent to shoot content for their movie “In The Mud”, which can only be found on Side+.
Having launched in September, the app was #1 in Entertainment and #5 in the entire Apple app store. Members seem to enjoy the access and are entertained by the content that wouldn’t necessarily be allowed onto YouTube due to its copyrighted and explicit content.
Initially, fans were worried whether the new streaming service would affect their YouTube videos. However, the group have assured fans that their current content would not get disrupted and, so far, video uploads and quality have been consistent, but as KSI said: “best believe, there will be FOMO” if fans haven’t signed up.
Side+ is not the only thing the Sidemen released this year.
They also released their own alcoholic drink, XIX Vodka, their own fried chicken service, Sides, via Deliveroo, as well as new merchandise.
With the Sidemen upping their video output and expanding their businesses, it’s no wonder why the creators have launched a platform to share more content. It’s also an opportunity for fans to be a part of a tighter community and, in turn, have a closer connection with the Sidemen.