- Bukayo Saka becomes a global brand partner for WhatsApp, starring in a full-length documentary titled "The Time Is Now," now streaming on Disney+, the ESPN App, and FOX One.
- The film, directed by Emmy Award-winning director Robert Alexander and produced by creative studio Modern Arts, uses a private WhatsApp message from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry after Euro 2020 as a centerpiece moment to show how the platform functions in an elite athlete's real life.
- Timed to Arsenal's historic Premier League title and the FIFA World Cup 2026 on U.S. soil, WhatsApp, with 3 billion+ global users and 100 million+ in the U.S., is using the documentary to deepen its foothold in the American football market.
- Saka recently signed a new five-year Arsenal deal and carries active brand partnerships with New Balance, Burberry, and Fiverr.
WhatsApp has named Bukayo Saka as its global brand partner, releasing a full-length documentary about the Arsenal and England forward.
“Bukayo Saka: The Time Is Now”, produced with creative studio Modern Arts and directed by Emmy Award-winner Robert Alexander, dropped June 5, 2026, on Disney+ and the ESPN App, with a linear television broadcast following on June 7 on FOX One.
The 42-minute documentary digs into the private conversations behind Saka’s public rise, anchored by a real WhatsApp message Arsenal legend Thierry Henry sent him to offer support after the Euro 2020 final penalty miss. The two also revisit Saka’s childhood roots in Ealing, West London, in an unscripted, emotional reunion that grounds the entire piece.
This marks another ambitious chapter in WhatsApp’s growing long-form sports entertainment strategy. The film follows the Meta-owned platform’s previous major sports documentary projects, including We Are Ayenda (2023), which chronicled the escape of the Afghan Youth Women’s National Football Team, and The Seat (2025), a deep-dive looking at the Mercedes F1 team.
While WhatsApp’s previous global athlete marketing has heavily centered on its landmark partnership with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, “The Time Is Now” represents its most deeply intimate, football-focused creative narrative yet.
The timing is deliberate. Arsenal just won a historic Premier League title, and the FIFA World Cup 2026 is about to explode football’s profile in the U.S., where WhatsApp has over 100 million users.
Saka, who also stars in New Balance campaigns alongside Endrick and Eberechi Eze is one of the most marketable footballers in the world right now. His commercial portfolio also includes Burberry, Fiverr, and Beats by Dre, alongside his long-running boot deal with New Balance, which included the Stone Island x New Balance ABZORB 1890 campaign.
Repped by Elite Project Group, who also brokered his five-year Arsenal contract extension in February 2026, Saka’s off-pitch portfolio is growing as fast as his on-pitch reputation.
Takeaways
This deal is a blueprint for what sports brand marketing looks like in 2026. WhatsApp isn’t slapping a logo on a jersey or dropping a 30-second ad, it’s commissioning cinema-grade storytelling and putting it on one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms. That’s a significant investment, and it tells you everything about where brand-athlete partnerships are heading.
The smarter move here is how WhatsApp embeds itself into the narrative, a real message from Thierry Henry to Saka isn’t an ad, it’s an emotional anchor. That’s the difference between a product placement and a story people actually remember.
For Bukayo Saka, this deepens a commercial portfolio that’s already impressively diverse, from New Balance boots to Burberry fashion to now a tech giant. He’s not just an athlete for hire; he’s becoming a cultural figure that global brands want to build around, not just feature in.
Can a documentary actually move the needle on WhatsApp downloads and usage in the U.S., or does it preach to already-converted football fans? With WhatsApp going long-form, will other tech platforms follow suit with their own athlete documentary strategies?
