The origins of AFTV are inspiring. by Dan Smith
Robbie Lyle, seeing a gap in the market, stood in front of his brother, who would record him outside of stadiums getting fans feedback on what they had just seen.
It inspired a generation of fans to have the dream job, get paid to talk about Football.
Several people who took part in AFTV’s fan cams grew in popularity where they too were able to make a career out of running their own YouTube Channels.
Some shockingly have forgotten the hand that fed them, now clashing with the same platform responsible for anyone knowing who they are.
Robbie’s ethos was to give a voice to fans who normally wouldn’t get listened to.
He tried to present his baby as an alternative in modern media, with the likes of papers, radio stations and TV jealous of the rise of fan channels.
It’s offensive to those who studied for a degree in Journalism or media studies to suggest the people he were recording were the equivalent.
Robbie maintained that anyone was welcome to approach him and would get an equal chance to have their voices heard.
Yet certain personalities garnered higher views then others. There was the angry one …… the deluded one …….. The depressed one …., etc.
This contradicted the channels MO.
No longer was its supporters relatable to their peers but people playing characters.
Everyday men had gained popularity so turned the volume up, essentially becoming cartoon characters.
Viewers would click on specific talking heads to see just how loud the angry man would shout, just how annoyed the depressed man would get with the positive guy.
Playing an act became more important than the actual football.
While the host maintained that none of these men were on his pay roll, he branched off giving them their own shows and segments, to encourage them to act a certain way.
Other fan channels steered clear of this, and for good reason.
The concept made Robbie more money than he would have thought possible, but that growth became a problem. Unlike other fan channels, AFTV was now generating sponsors and advertising. Suddenly you couldn’t just say what you wanted and be as offensive as you wanted to. Not now that you had people paying the bills to answer to.
Morality became a question?
If your making cash off a man getting stressed over football, at which point do you get him help?
If you’re watching him gain weight, rubbing his temple and clearly in distress over something so trivial, do you get him support or give him a show where the whole concept is to get him wound up?
AFTV became too big to be smal,l but too small to be big.
Their creator wanted comparisons with other media but didn’t want to operate within the same structure.
Sky Sports would never have put someone with obvious depression in front of cameras for entertainment.
Five Live and Talk Sport expect callers to form an argument without the use of the C words or racial slurs.
It changed how youngsters viewed supporting their club.
A generation now thinking that whoever shouts the loudest or swears the most will get the most subscribers.
Mr Lyle’s biggest contradiction was that it was okay for his product to critique every aspect of Arsenal the business, but he then got extra sensitive when the likes of Talksport did the same to AFTV.
Yet he had to listen to those now paying thousands to sponsor and advertise with him.
Eventually the host was forced to remove those guilty of racial abuse, religious symbols, etc.
The same man who encouraged strangers to shout and swear was now essentially sacking them for it.
The man who made money off these personalities now needed them censored.
You sense AFTV have tried to rebrand itself, with hosts less character driven who now openly ‘work for Robbie’.
You don’t instinctively know their name based on their personality, and surely contractually none have branched off to create their own channel.
Robbie was smart enough to see his old business wasn’t sustainable.
It was garnering too much negativity which while in the short term would get more views, would stop the Channel from growing.
While never admitted publicly, Arsenal have distanced themselves from the channel on more than one occasion.
Amazon paid millions to have the Gunners part of their All or Nothing Series.
………ever wondered why other YouTubers featured but not our so-called number one fan channel?
For a while AFTV was on fire but long term its output wasn’t viable.
Eventually someone was going to get offended, someone was going to take things too far, shout too loud, etc.
It forced the product to be watered down. It won’t reach the levels it once reached but the business model now is more solid.
Controversy creates attention and when your growing, any attention is good attention.
AFTV are bigger then that now.
Whatever your opinions, it changed the game in how fans get their content.
It inspired many to talk about football, either as a career or just as a hobby.
One man had ambition and a strong work ethic and made something beautiful for himself…
I admire that.
Dan Smith
Up next: Part 3- Talk Sport next
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
Full in-depth review of Arsenal’s Transfer Window with Alfie and Rob