Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club’s new partnership with KSI and DAZN looks like a clear statement of intent: the club wants its coverage to reach far beyond the usual non-league audience, with KSI set to live stream a number of fixtures on YouTube during the 2026/27 season.
The announcement is about more than match delivery. It is part of a broader commitment to elevate the profile of non-league football, with the stated aim of introducing the game to audiences that traditional football broadcasting has rarely reached.
A wider audience for non-league football
That is the real significance of the deal. Dagenham & Redbridge are not simply looking for a bigger spotlight at Victoria Road Stadium; they are trying to open a route into millions of new fans by using a platform and a creator-led approach that sits outside standard football coverage.
KSI’s involvement is central to that ambition. With 19m YouTube followers, he brings a scale of reach that few clubs at this level could ever access on their own, and the promise of live streaming a number of Dagenham & Redbridge fixtures gives the partnership a practical edge rather than just a promotional one.
As KSI put it, football is about bringing people together, and this deal is designed to tell the stories that do not always get the spotlight. That matters for Dagenham & Redbridge, because the club believes its community can now be presented to fans around the world in a way that feels immediate, personal and accessible.
DAZN’s push for broader distribution
DAZN’s role suggests this is being treated as a serious distribution project, not just a one-off marketing exercise. The company says it wants to make sport more accessible and reach fans wherever they are, and it believes National League South football can be introduced to new audiences through broader distribution, innovative formats and creator-led storytelling.
For Dagenham & Redbridge, that is a significant endorsement. The club says sides at every level deserve the chance to build global audiences, and it views the partnership as something that has not been seen before in non-league football.
There is also a wider football point here. If the collaboration works, it could show how a club can use digital reach to strengthen its identity rather than simply chase attention. The ambition is to grow the club, shine a spotlight on the National League South and prove that innovation can change how non-league football is seen.
The key detail for supporters is timing: the partnership will begin in the 2026/27 season, subject to competition regulations. From there, the question will be how much of a difference this new kind of coverage makes, not only to Dagenham & Redbridge but to the visibility of the level they play at.
