COMMERCIAL ASSESSMENT · JULY 2026
Dorking Wanderers FC
A levelUP® commercial assessment quantifying the cost of commercial inaction and identifying the potential to close the gap.
SECTION 00 — INTRO
INTRO
levelUP® offers commercial support to ambitious clubs. This assessment covers the strengths & opportunities of Dorking Wanderers FC, while offering recommendations to drive conversion from an impressive digital audience to an established commercialisation model well ahead of any other club in non-league football.
SECTION 01 — THE CURRENT CHALLENGE
THE COST OF NOT COMMERCIALISING YOUR AUDIENCE
INCREMENTAL ANNUAL OPPORTUNITY ON TOP OF AN ALREADY STRONG BASELINE
£425k–£810k
This is an estimate of what Dorking Wanderers are leaving on the table every season by not commercialising their global audience. A risk few clubs can afford to continue. This assessment highlights the gaps, identifies the potential, and recommends work streams to bridge them in collaboration with existing staff at the club.
Dorking Wanderers have built an unprecedented global audience in non-league football: 400m+ annual content views, a 1m+ combined global following, a Disney Channel appearance via 'Welcome to Wrexham', and owner Marc White's podcast appearances delivering significant viewership uplifts. The OLBG principal deal was shortlisted for the iGB Affiliate Campaign of the Year within months of launch, and the Global Network is one of the most inclusive non-league commercial products in England.
The point is not that Dorking don't understand the power of digital activation. The facts above clearly demonstrate the opposite. The point is that the club is leaving revenues on the table by not commercialising their assets to the degree that their global audience demands. The figure to the left is an indicative range based on some example commercial packages which are detailed below. This figure is incremental starting from a strong baseline, and eminently achievable within 12–18 months without structural change.
WHAT EXISTS VS. WHAT COULD BE SOLD
CURRENT DIGITAL ASSET AUDIT
According to our analysis, Dorking Wanderers have better developed digital assets than any non-league club, and most clubs across National League & League Two. The below audit maps each asset including where the club sits compared to peer clubs and where incremental opportunity could exist.
| Asset | CURRENT POSITION | Commercialised? | Status & opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorking Uncovered documentary | Global distribution. Appeared on Disney Channel in 'Welcome to Wrexham'. Contributed significantly to 500M+ views in 2025. | Partially: OLBG references. BOA partners also present. | The most distinctive commercial asset in non-league football. No other club below the EFL has a globally distributed documentary series. A revisited commercial agreement with BOA, and a formal presenting partner specifically for the documentary (beyond OLBG's existing deal) could create a new commercial category. |
| Combined social audiences | 1M+ across all platforms. Club and BOA content regularly hitting 6- and 7-figure views. Huge media opportunity for brands. | Partially: OLBG activation, Global Network mentions | At 1M+ combined following, reach exceeds most League Two & National League clubs. The commercial packaging of this audience (structured social posts, audience data, email sends) is not at the level the audience size could offer. |
| Website (dwfc.co.uk) | Digital home of club. Contains digital media inventory. Unknown visitor numbers. | Partially: OLBG prominent across media assets. Other sponsors receive branding only. | The digital hub of the club with millions of visits per year, digital media inventory should be shared across sponsors to maximise each deal, as well as other media placements explored. |
| Marc White media personality | Regular appearances on 'That Peter Crouch Podcast', 'Under The Cosh', 'Bullard FC'. Impressive viewership uplift on appearances. Weekly update across all club social channels. | Partially: Global Network welcome post | The most commercially valuable individual media asset in non-league football. A sponsored segment of the weekly update, or a national brand paying for association with podcast appearances, is immediately sellable. |
| OLBG principal partnership | Long-term deal from 2025/26. Kit, fan engagement, social branding. Shortlisted for iGB Affiliate Campaign of the Year. | Yes: active and award-shortlisted | The strongest principal deal in non-league football in terms of digital reach. The OLBG x 'Dorking Uncovered' storytelling model is also the template for every future principal deal. The renewal question is whether digital deliverables are formally contracted with KPIs, or simply 'nice-to-have' assets. |
| Bunch of Amateurs YouTube / TikTok | BOA TikTok content of Marc White regularly hits 6–7-figure views. YouTube channel distributes Dorking Uncovered globally. | No: Not DWFC direct income | DWFC benefits enormously from BOA's content but the relationship is structured as content partnership, not a media rights deal. A formal revenue share agreement with BOA for content featuring the club would structure this value in a different and more prosperous way. |
| DWFC Women | Active in the Surrey women's football pyramid. | Partially: Mentioned on sponsorship page only | Women's football sponsorship is the fastest-growing category in UK sports. A dedicated women's team digital partner would be straightforward to sell given the club's overall brand profile. |
| Player social accounts | Squad active. Some players with personal social followings. | No structured programme | A coordinated player content programme has not been needed to date because Marc White and BOA drive the club's reach. As Dorking prepares for EFL football, player content becomes a more important commercial asset. |
| Meadowbank Stadium | National League equivalent ground. Lounge hire advertised on website. | Partially: Lounge hire listed | Non-matchday venue activation is limited compared with larger stadiums. The opportunity here is primarily content-led (Meadowbank as a content production backdrop) rather than venue hire. |
BENCHMARK: DORKING WANDERERS VS. COMPARISON CLUBS
No non-league club is a relevant comparison in terms of digital sophistication. The appropriate peer set are clubs 2-4 levels above in the pyramid, plus clubs with larger digital audiences.
| Club / comparator | Tier | Digital spon. % | What Dorking should take from this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrexham AFC | Championship (Football) | 40–55% | The club comparison built on content. 'Welcome to Wrexham' is the direct structural parallel to Dorking Uncovered, but Wrexham's commercial model has been built around the content explicitly (TikTok as shirt sponsor, Meta Quest as documentary integration, United Airlines as content-first partner). Dorking has an equivalent asset but a dis-silmilar commercial architecture built around it. |
| Salford City | League Two (Football) | 25–35% | The EFL comparison built on digital-driven associations. The AIG / Palantir partnership at League Two demonstrates that blue-chip global brands will partner at lower-EFL level if the commercial proposition is correctly packaged. Dorking's 500m+ view reach is a more compelling global proposition than Salford's at the equivalent stage, so Dorking should be having AIG-equivalent conversations now. |
| AFC Wimbledon (League One) | League One (Football) | 10–15% | The club comparison built on values: fan-ownership story, progressive identity, values-led partner ecosystem. The Sports Interactive / Football Manager deal is the direct template for Dorking's OLBG deal, a values-aligned brand choosing a club for its story, not its reach. Dorking has more reach than AFC Wimbledon, therefore should drive similar or larger incomes. |
| Hashtag United | Non-league (Football) | 60–80% (est.) | The most extreme version of what Dorking could aspire to. Hashtag's entire commercial model is built on YouTube and content. The football is the content vehicle, not the primary product. Dorking is more serious as a football club but the content-first commercial architecture is directly comparable. 400M views in 2024 is a stronger base than Hashtag's equivalent metrics at a comparable stage. |
| Dorking Wanderers (current) | National League South | ~15–30% (est.) | Baseline, but definitely best-in-class at their level. The OLBG deal, the Global Network and the 'Dorking Uncovered' partnership collectively represent the most sophisticated digital portfolio in non-league football. The gap vs. examples including Wrexham and Salford is the commercial elements being put in place. |
ESTIMATED ANNUAL DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY COST
The opportunity cost above is not primarily about selling new products. It is about re-framing and dispersing what Dorking already has & sells. The OLBG principle sponsor deal is obviously extremely important for the club, but it's monopoly of digital exposure threatens fan burn out, as well as limiting inventory opportunities for other sponsors & brands. Additional opportunities to package up assets including social reach & women's team digital partner should be the priority, as well as 'digitising' other sponsor packages to maximise commercial value for the club.
*This figure encompasses three components: (a) the estimated value of digital deliverables that current partners are not receiving and therefore not paying for; (b) the revenue from entirely new digital-only products that do not currently exist in Dorking Wanderers's commercial offering; and (c) the re-pricing uplift achievable on the existing partner portfolio if structured digital products were built and sold systematically. It does not include the compound value of promotion (which would represent a further step-change).
SECTION 02 — BRIDGING THE GAP
DIGITAL OPTIMISATION
Now that the current situation is clearer to us, our focus will shift to how we can support Dorking Wanderers FC in optimising their digital sponsorship portfolio to maximise revenue.
INVENTORY GAP IDENTIFICATION
DIGITAL INVENTORY WHICH BRANDS WANT
The following are opportunities of digital inventory Dorking Wanderers FC could package and sell to sponsors, (with high perceived value based on our experience as rights holders & sponsors), moving further towards structured content products and media solutions.
Social Presenting Partner
Branding across all social channels (TikTok, YouTube) including content produced by the club offering embedded partner visibility across every channel, post and episode.
Multi-Platform Social Bundle
Combined audience access with branded posts across Instagram (72K), TikTok (64K) and Facebook (30K), plus a consolidated reach figure of 1m followers.
CUSTOM CONTENT + CONTENT SERIES SPONSORSHIP
Bespoke film, photography and editorial built around partner objectives and club stories or multi-episode digital series with dedicated partner branding and integrated messaging.
Audience Intelligence Partner
Category-exclusive fan data product offering quarterly demographic report: postcode distribution, age/gender split, employer types, income proxy, top spending categories.
DIGITAL EXTENSION FOR RENEWALS
Maximise revenue from renewals with digital extensions added to analogue assets, to maximise ROI for sponsors.
Media & Audience Buying
Access to Dorking Wanderers FC's engaged (local + global) digital audience through targeted media placements and campaigns.
Example packages
TO OFFER DIGITAL PACKAGES WHICH BRANDS WILL BUY
Below are example packages built from the inventory above, designed for the specific commercial position Dorking Wanderers occupies: a global digital audience, an internationally recognised documentary brand, and a club on the path towards EFL promotion. Pricing is indicative and incremental on the current strong baseline.
01Global challenger brands, B-Corp, sports equipment, financial services
CUSTOM CONTENT: DOCUMENTARY SERIES
'DORKING UNCOVERED' PRESENTING PARTNER
Named presenting partner of Dorking Uncovered Series 7 with authentic narrative integration (sponsor enables a story-driven element). Global YouTube + social distribution via BOA + DWFC channels, est. 5–20M views per episode over lifetime, co-produced 60s sponsor highlight reel per episode, Marc White personal endorsement in the weekly update throughout production.
LEVEL
£80k–£150k / series
Volume
1 series/yr
Annual
£80k–£150k
02INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSES, MEDIA AGENCIES, B2B SERVICES
MULTI-PLATFORM SOCIAL BUNDLE
GLOBAL SOCIAL EXPOSURE
With 500m+ views annually + 1m+ engaged social following across social platforms aimed at different age demographics. Brands can tailor reach campaigns targeted to specific audiences around key milestones (matchdays, start of season, etc) and specific to countries / regions where the fans are based.
LEVEL
£30k-40k / yr
Volume
3-4 brands
Annual
£90k–£160k
03Betting & sports info, recruitment, financial services, national consumer brands
SERIES SPONSORSHIP: PERSONALITY MEDIA
MARC WHITE WEEKLY SPONSORED SEGMENT
Official presenting partner of the Marc White Weekly Update (52 episodes/yr). 60–90s branded segment per episode in Marc's authentic voice, sponsor logo in thumbnail & description, monthly reach and geographic breakdown report, 1x extended sponsored episode/quarter, and clip rights so the sponsor can use Marc White segments in their own marketing.
LEVEL
£40k–£80k / yr
Volume
1 brand
Annual
£40k–£80k
04Travel & tourism, US/AU brands entering UK, sports equipment, cross-border FS
GLOBAL AUDIENCE DATA
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE INTELLIGENCE PARTNER
Category-exclusive quarterly International Audience Intelligence Report on DWFC's 1m+ global following: top 10 countries by following & engagement, age/gender split by region, peak formats, bi-annual global fan survey (3x sponsor questions), social audience overlap report and 1x country-targeted sponsored post/quarter.
LEVEL
£35k–£60k / yr
Volume
1 category
Annual
£35k–£60k
05Principal partner category — betting & sports information
EXISTING DEAL RESTRUCTURE
DIGITAL RENEWAL FRAMEWORK
Formalise the digital deliverables for other premier partners in line with OLGB's assets. Convert analogue-only deals into a blend of both, featuring a measurable framework: monthly social content calendar, monthly reach report, quarterly international audience insight, 'Dorking Uncovered' narrative integration, Marc White Weekly co-branding across 52x episodes, and an annual partnership impact report with equivalent media value.
LEVEL
Uplift £30k–£60k
Volume
2 current sponsors
Annual
£60k–£120k
06MEDIA AGENCIES REPRESENTING BRANDS ACROSS MULTIPLE SECTORS
MEDIA CAMPAIGN BUYS
MEDIA PARTNERS (CAMPAIGN-ONLY)
Curated content + media partnership partners looking to reach a football meets celebrity audience. Offer 4wk, 8wk, 12wk campaign bursts to cater for any campaign length. Include custom content produced by the club as a value add, with specific measurement KPIs being set so in line with media agency measurement frameworks.
LEVEL
£40k–£60k / yr
Volume
3-4 partners
Annual
£120k–£240k
ESTIMATED ANNUAL DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY COST
£425k – £810k
Indicative estimate only. Based on creating packages across the above categories.
Audiences
WHICH APPEAL TO DIFFERENT BUYING AUDIENCES
With such impressive local + global audience reach, it would be remiss not to look at different types of buying audiences for your digital inventory across the season. While brands might buy into Dorking's identity, media agencies will buy into their impressive digital audience & global reach.
Brands / sponsors
Longer-term deals featuring digital inventory, but usually merged with analogue assets. Traditional sell + innovation.
Media agencies
In contrast, short-burst campaign buys with brands focusing on specific audience buys rather than football topics. Repeatable + scalable.
Example pricing model
ORGANIC CPM BENCHMARK VS. PAID ALTERNATIVES
Based on trailing 6-month content performance across Dorking Wanderers FC and Bunch of Amateurs channels, proving that media packages are favourable given the club's organic reach & global audience.
| Channel | Dorking organic CPM (est.) | Paid social CPM (industry avg.) | Dorking advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok | £8–14 | £20–45 | 2–5x cheaper |
| £6–12 | £8–18 | Comparable or better | |
| YouTube (documentary) | £4–9 | £10–25 (pre-roll) | 2–3x cheaper |
| Podcast appearance window | £3–7 | N/A (no direct equivalent) | Unique asset |
| CPM estimates based on trailing 6-month average views per post across DWFC (@dwfc) and Bunch of Amateurs (@bunchofamateurs) channels. Full performance data available on request. | |||
In summary
A fully activated digital commercial programme could generate £425k–£810k of additional annual revenue for Dorking Wanderers FC, incremental on an already strong non-league baseline. This is achievable within 12–18 months without structural change and using existing channels, audience and partner relationships repackaged with structure and measurability, as well as opening up new revenue streams via digital media packages aimed at audience buys.
CONCLUSION
OUR FINDINGS
The above is an assessment of intel which we have found in the public domain, and could obviously vary from the sponsor agreements in place currently or any renewal conversations.
It is obvious that Dorking Wanderers have built one of the non-league's most distinctive digital audiences, anchored by incredible social reach numbers, and a media personality at the helm brands are excited to connect with. This, alongside an impressive but all-encompassing front-of-shirt deal, creates the greater need for a commercial portfolio which can maximise revenues. Every season without a structured digital sponsorship architecture (social reach & audience buys, audience data products, fan CRM) is a season in which that window narrows, National League & League Two competitors build their own, and the OLBG partnership renews at logo prices rather than media-asset prices. In our view, the cost of inaction is not standing still, it is falling behind where the club's ambition lies. And with EFL qualification a goal in the coming seasons, the need to maximise revenue in the short-term is greater than ever.
SECTION 03 — levelUP
OUR UNIQUE PROPOSITION
Why work with us? We have worked across the sports industry for 30+ years, across clubs, rights holders, digital media owners and broadcasters, and have gained invaluable experience around the operations of commercial revenue growth in the process.
Our ambition is to offer this spectrum of knowledge and expertise to clubs who know they need to move, but might not have the resource or expertise to know where to start.
Our fractional consultancy allows clubs to start their own journey of growth, with senior-level expertise across the commercial ecosystem, working collaboratively with your existing resource base.
In summary, we aim to shape and grow the full commercial ecosystem of ambitious clubs by supporting the development of incremental and long-term revenue solutions.
“Senior-level experience, for less than the cost of an FTE.”
The levelUP promise
SECTION 04 — SUPPORT
OTHER AREAS WE CAN SUPPORT ON
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
VENUE OPTIMISATION
- .Conference & Events
- .Facility Optimisation
MARCOMMS, RETAIL & DATA OPTIMISATION
- .Ticketing & Membership
- .Marketing (all marcomms channels)
- .Matchday revenue
- .Hospitality
- .Retail
- .Fan data optimisation
Assessment of these subject topics would be required before a detailed analysis could be provided.
Section 05 — Timeline & Remuneration
Engagement Model
The levelUP® promise: Senior level experience for less than the cost of an FTE. Below is the remuneration model for us to deliver work streams in collaboration with existing staff.
PHASE 01
~£15k
TOTAL
3 MONTHS
FIRST BREAK CLAUSE
Develop digital sponsorship optimisation work stream + assess secondary subjects based on club requirements.
PHASE 02
~£30k
TOTAL
ROLLING 6 MONTHS
POST-INITIAL BREAK CLAUSE
Ongoing support for delivery of initial work streams + development of required work streams toward solution.
Minimum 3 months consultancy; workstreams agreed based on club requirements. All costs and timelines are indicative. The final scope to be agreed by both parties in the post-assessment phase.
Next steps
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Why not book a follow-up to walk through the findings and agree a approach? We look forward to discussing more.
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