Sidemen and BBC take World Cup viewing into the watchalong era
BBC Sport teams up with the Sidemen for a live watchalong of Ecuador v Germany, blending influencer reaction with public-service coverage.
Priya Sharma
Writer ·

BBC Sport is testing a new way of presenting World Cup football to younger online audiences by teaming up with the Sidemen for a live watchalong of Ecuador v Germany.
Background
The stream is due to run across BBC Football's YouTube channel, MoreSidemen and BBC iPlayer, alongside the traditional BBC One coverage, bringing influencer-led reaction and social video habits into mainstream sports broadcasting.
On the pitch, Germany have already secured control of their group, while Ecuador need a result to keep their tournament hopes alive.
What happens next
For UK viewers, the experiment shows how public-service sport is trying to stay visible where football fans already gather online, and could shape how future tournaments are covered.
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