As of the coming season, David Butler will become the new international face of Ajax Media. The 29-year-old American has spent the last few years as the well-known host of 433, the largest football community on social media in the world. Butler, also known as ‘David the Host’ will also be seen in Ajax’s new programme on Ziggo Sport.
With the acquisition of Butler, Ajax is taking the next step in expanding the international reach of their own media channels. The move is in line with international ambitions of the club and the fact that more than three-quarters of the club’s followers on social media come from abroad. For this reason, English has been the main language on Ajax channels for some time. Naturally, Ajax will continue to produce Dutch content as well.
For the last 3 years, Butler (who speaks Spanish in addition to English) worked for 433, the last two of which he served as a host. A resident of Amsterdam, Butler was born in Maryland, on the east coast of the United States. During his time at 433, he covered such events as the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as well as working with various top European football clubs to make unique content for social media. Two years ago, Butler was also present with 433 in Florida with Ajax’s training camp and US tour. He has also worked with several well-known brands such as adidas.
Ajax Podcast in English
In addition to other club activities (including Ajax eSports), the international face of Ajax Media can also be heard in the Official Ajax Podcast, which will be entirely in English as of mid-September. In doing so, Ajax addresses the growing number of international fans who will now also be able to follow the podcast. This has long been the case on all social media channels, the website, and YouTube, where content is offered either in English or with English subtitles.
International Content Distribution
Furthermore, Ajax has entered numerous international media partnerships in recent years in order to increase international reach. The club has been doing so for some time in Asia, as well as in the United States (ESPN, Bleacher Report), South America (DAZN), in the Middle East and other continents. This includes not only the distribution of individual content but also complete, weekly TV broadcasts (Ajax TV International).