April, 2026.- In the modern football landscape of 2026, the battle for attention doesn’t end with the final whistle. Michael Russell, a key figure in the City Studios structure, has led the transition from traditional media (MTV, Sky Sports) toward a model where content is the fabric connecting the club with millions of followers 24/7. Under his leadership, Manchester City doesn’t just produce football; it produces stories surgically designed for massive channels like YouTube and premium subscription platforms like CITY+. Russell understands that success is measured not only in trophies but in over three billion views and the ability to integrate Esports as a legitimate brand pillar. His approach combines editorial instinct with unprecedented data analytics, allowing the club to remain culturally relevant for new generations discovering football through gaming and behind-the-scenes content.
In this exclusive interview with Roastbrief, Michael Russell breaks down the architecture of his “360° content engine,” explaining how the more than 9,800 weekly minutes when the ball isn’t rolling are filled. From using Artificial Intelligence to optimize production workflows to creating long-form documentaries that delve into the club’s identity, Russell offers a masterclass in balancing global reach with exclusivity for the most devoted fans. Discover how City Studios is paving the way for the future of sports entertainment, proving that in the digital age, the club that tells its story best is the one that secures its place in the heart—and the time—of the global audience.
1. The Evolution from Broadcast to Digital Ecosystem: You’ve witnessed the entire transformation from broadcast television (MTV, Sky Sports) to building a global digital content ecosystem from scratch. What was the single most significant mindset shift or operational challenge you had to overcome to move from linear, scheduled programming to the always-on, platform-driven world of City Studios?
The biggest mindset and operational shift was around process. In the world of linear, commissioned television there were few opportunities to take risks. Large teams of talented people would work towards a programme and then wait for the overnights to see whether it had worked.
When I moved into digital with City Studios, the results were instant. That created a huge shift in mindset. I saw it as an opportunity to leave behind the overthinking and publish more freely. The audience tells you immediately if you are on the right path.
Content ideas can be created and published in a day. And the next day you might never do it again because the audience didn’t want it. The creative cycle never stops and you do not need to second guess decisions. For me, it quickly became very clear.
2. Balancing Revenue Drivers with Fandom: You oversee City+ (a subscription service) and YouTube (an ad-supported platform), the two biggest digital revenue drivers. How do you strategically balance the content strategy between these two? What exclusive value do you reserve for City+ subscribers that you wouldn’t put on YouTube, and vice-versa, to maximize both revenue and overall fan engagement?
Let’s start with YouTube. It’s the second biggest search engine in the world, and City Studios has generated more than three billion video views on the platform for Manchester City. It offers a level of scale and discoverability that the CITY+ premium content platform simply cannot match.
Because of that, the stories we tell on YouTube serve a different purpose. A large share of the audience may not be regular viewers of this type of content or even dedicated Manchester City fans. The content therefore needs to be accessible, entertaining and easy to discover, often leaning into the player-led and personality-driven stories that introduce new audiences to the club.
CITY+, on the other hand, serves a much more committed audience. Our subscribers are our most engaged fans, and the audience tends to be more UK-centric. That allows us to tell more niche stories that resonate deeply with the fanbase.
On CITY+ we can go deeper, with longer-form documentaries, extended interviews, behind-the-scenes matchday access and more detailed storytelling around the team and the club.
Strategically, the two platforms are designed to complement each other. YouTube acts as a top-of-funnel channel that drives global reach and discovery, while CITY+ rewards our most dedicated supporters with deeper access and exclusive content. When those roles are aligned, the platforms strengthen each other and maximise both revenue and fan engagement.
3. Legitimizing Esports within Football: You’re focused on “legitimizing esports within the world of football.” What does “legitimacy” look like to the traditional football fan and the club’s commercial leadership? Is it about competitive success, integrating real players, creating new revenue streams, or something else? What’s been your most successful initiative to date in bridging this gap?
Competitive success is absolutely part of it. We operate in an elite sporting environment and Manchester City is one of the best football clubs in the world, so the expectation to compete and win extends into esports as well. If you want traditional football fans and people within the club to take esports seriously, success on the competitive stage helps validate it.
But legitimacy is not just about trophies. It is also about audience and relevance. Esports gives us access to communities who may not discover Manchester City through traditional football broadcasts. Many younger fans now encounter clubs through gaming titles like EA Sports FC, so being present in that ecosystem allows us to meet them earlier in their journey and start building a relationship.
It also helps future proof football fandom. Media habits are changing and there are ongoing questions about how younger audiences will engage with live sport. Esports allows clubs like ours to stay culturally relevant within the wider gaming and entertainment landscape.
In terms of results, we have been hugely successful within the EA Sports FC ecosystem, winning back to back ePremier League titles and three overall titles. That kind of performance reinforces that Manchester City approaches esports with the same seriousness as traditional sport.
One initiative I have been particularly proud of is our expansion into Rocket League. It is a genuinely team based esport that aligns closely with the values of football, while also introducing the club to a new gaming audience.
Ultimately, legitimacy comes from treating esports as a genuine extension of the club rather than a side project. That means investing in competition, telling the stories around our players and using it as a way to reach new audiences around the world.
4. The 360° Non-Live Matchday Content Engine: The non-live matchday content team is a fascinating unit. Beyond highlights and press conferences, how do you architect a content strategy for the days between matches to sustain fan engagement and narrative? What are the key content pillars, and how do you measure the success of this “always-on” approach?
This is not a maths lesson, I promise. There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Our men’s team might play two or three matches in that time, roughly 270 minutes of football.
That leaves more than 9,800 minutes where fans around the world still want to feel connected to Manchester City. Our job is to make sure the club is present in those minutes.
Matchday is the centrepiece, but the story starts long before kick-off and continues long after the final whistle. There is anticipation before the game, drama during it and reaction afterwards. A big win can carry emotion and conversation for days, and our role is to extend that narrative for fans.
To sustain engagement between matches, we focus on a few key content pillars.
The first is access. Fans want to feel closer to the players and the environment around the team, whether that is training ground moments, behind-the-scenes content or alternative matchday perspectives. This season, for example, we have started filming games from angles that move away from traditional broadcast production, which has proved very popular with supporters.
The second pillar is storytelling and history. Manchester City has a rich past, and we feel a responsibility to tell those stories. Many international fans are discovering the club for the first time and want to understand the moments and personalities that shaped it.
The third pillar is recognising that Manchester City is more than the men’s first team. Our women’s team, academy and esports programmes all create stories that help keep the club present in fans’ lives even when the men’s team is not playing.
In terms of success, we look at reach, engagement and audience behaviour across platforms, including views, watch time, retention and subscriber growth on CITY+.
Ultimately, the goal is simple. We want Manchester City to exist in a fan’s daily media consumption, not just for 90 minutes on a weekend. When that works, it strengthens the relationship supporters have with the club and creates opportunities to grow the business.
5. The Producer’s Role in a Data-Driven Club: Working within the City Football Group, you have access to unparalleled data on fan behavior and performance analytics. How does this data directly influence your editorial and production decisions? Can you give an example of a time data led you to greenlight or kill a content idea, or significantly change its format?
Working with a global club like Manchester City means we have access to huge amounts of data on fan behaviour, from video retention and platform performance to geographic audiences and subscription patterns on CITY+. That information is incredibly valuable when we work on content for Manchester City, partners and wider brands, but it does not replace editorial instinct.
Data cannot bring you into the stands on a matchday or capture the emotion around the club. Understanding the culture of the fanbase still relies on human judgement and experience.
At the same time, ignoring the data would be a mistake. It gives us a global view of how millions of fans engage with our content and often reveals behaviour we would not otherwise see.
A good example is how data has shaped the format of our content across platforms. Retention data shows that audiences behave very differently depending on where they are watching. On YouTube or CITY+, fans are happy to watch long-form documentaries, behind-the-scenes features or extended interviews. On social platforms, however, attention drops quickly if you do not capture interest immediately.
Data has also helped us kill ideas. Sometimes a concept feels strong internally, but the numbers show the audience is not responding. In those cases, the data gives you confidence to pivot quickly rather than continue investing in something that is not resonating.
Ultimately, data should inform decisions, not make them on its own. The strongest content usually comes when editorial instinct is supported by clear audience insight. When those two align, that is when you create work that genuinely connects with fans.
6. The Future of Football Content & Revenue: Looking ahead 3-5 years, what emerging platform, technology (e.g., AI, VR), or content format do you believe will become the next major revenue driver or fan engagement pillar for a club like Manchester City? How is City Studios currently experimenting in that space to stay ahead?
Looking ahead three to five years, I think the biggest opportunity for agencies such as City Studios, brands involved in sport and clubs like Manchester City, will continue to be direct-to-fan platforms. At the same time, we cannot ignore the growing impact of AI on the creative industry.
Platforms like CITY+ are incredibly important because they allow clubs to build a direct relationship with their global fanbase. Social platforms are powerful for discovery and scale, but a direct environment gives you the opportunity to deepen that relationship and monetise it through subscriptions, premium storytelling and personalised experiences.
AI is another area we have to take seriously. It is an uncertain moment for parts of the creative industry, but the right approach is to engage with it rather than ignore it. We are exploring how AI tools can support creators, whether that is through production workflows, ideation or personalising content for fans. The commercial opportunities are still evolving, but it is something we are already experimenting with.
In terms of fan behaviour, one constant is that supporters always want closer access to players. They are the stars of the club, and content that brings fans closer to them will always resonate. While short-form content dominates reach and discovery, there are also clear signals that fans still value longer-form storytelling and deeper insight into the club.
From a revenue perspective, the most realistic growth areas over the next few years are subscriptions, branded content, premium storytelling and more personalised fan experiences. As clubs strengthen direct relationships with their audiences, there will be more opportunities to create content fans are willing to pay for, alongside deeper integrations with commercial partners.
At City Studios we are already testing many of these areas, from exploring AI tools within our creative process to experimenting with formats across CITY+ and our social platforms.
Ultimately, the clubs that succeed will not chase every new trend. They will focus on building a strong identity and a genuine relationship with their fans. When supporters feel a club is speaking with them rather than broadcasting to them, that is when lasting engagement and sustainable revenue follow.
