Globally renowned digital media channel AFTV has finally confirmed its visit to Uganda. This came through announcements made via their social media platforms yesterday, reading “AFTV is coming to UGANDA! 🇺🇬🔴
Robbie, Cecil, and Lee Judges are touching down 24-30 April.
#AFTVUganda #ExploreUganda”
The London-based group, which produces print and video content on Premier League club Arsenal FC,is expected to jet in before live watch parties of the Gunners’ crucial showdowns against Newcastle United on the 25th at Kati Kati Restaurant,as well as the Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid on the 29th.
Fronted by founder and most famous face Robbie Lyle, AFTV has built a reputation mainly off viral video content encompassing live watchalongs,fancams, post-match reactions, transfer rumours and news, and tactical debates.
Despite facing criticism from fellow fans due to what is perceived as benefiting from negative news about the club, AFTV has continued to grow steadily and now boasts 1.8 million YouTube subscribers and 1.8 billion total views.
Those statistics make them one of the biggest fan channels across sports in the world. So why are they coming to Uganda?
Officially, AFTV is coming to Uganda for a content creation workshop whose objective is to equip the country’s largely youthful population with increasingly valuable skills in digital content creation and monetization.
But it goes deeper than that. For starters, while Arsenal fans around the globe have gained notoriety for being overzealous, the ones in Uganda have taken it a notch higher and earned global attention for their shenanigans.
Just last week, a fan called Eric Kyama went viral after posting a parody of a legal document expressing “notice of intent to sue” the club, its first team players, and manager Mikel Arteta over “the unacceptable performance against AFC Bournemouth,” in the aftermath of a devastating 2-1 defeat to the Cherries.
A BBC article last year explained why the East African nation might have the most passionate Arsenal fans, noting the intensity of celebrations after big wins, dramatic church services held before major fixtures, and the darker side of this fandom, which often results in violence that even ends in deaths.
For context, Arsenal and Manchester United are the two most supported clubs in the country, a legacy of their hotly contested title battles in the 2000s.
It is against that background that eight fans were taken into police custody in January 2023 after holding a procession, complete with a trophy parade, in the eastern town of Jinja, after a 3-2 victory over the Red Devils.
It ought to be noted that Arsenal fans in Uganda are not unique in this, as other clubs, most notably United, also have fans engage in such gimmicks. Videos of United fans decked in replica jerseys, filling up churches to pray before big games, also routinely go viral.
But Arsenal fans take the prize for sheer notoriety due to how much more elaborate their schemes tend to be. Fans of other teams do not do “trophy parades”, for instance. The opportunity to engage directly with that passion surely played into Robbie’s decision to come to Uganda.
Only a week ago, American artist Diplo visited the country and went gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Game Park, before giving Kampala a surprise show at popular nightclub Mezo Noir.
The other major reason for the AFTV visit is the country’s attempts to boost its tourism sector by attracting famous figures and capitalising on the attention they garner across traditional and social media.
This is evident in the AFTV travel program, which features a two-day tour of the country’s national parks, opening Uganda’s myriad attractions to millions of AFTV viewers.
This is in line with the country’s strategy to promote global awareness of itself via social media.
And now, AFTV is slated to be the next influencer relied on to shine the torch on Uganda.
