Their matches rack up 250,000 to 500,000 views (for comparison, just under half a million Americans watch the average Premier League match). Hashtag United are a decent team for their level, but their appeal has little to do with winning. But just as any escapist entertainment comes into sharpest relief when contrasted with what it’s an escape from, it seems unlikely you’ll ever see Hashtag United on the big screen at a bar. Hashtag United is the ideal “second team” for its fans, all of whom watch the team the same way I do: alone, and all to ourselves. We each follow our first team of choice every week out of obligation, but we all follow Hashtag United just for fun.

Source: New York Times April 27, 2019 13:21 UTC