Backstage at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum: Insights from Digital Leaders | TellyCast Podcast

Join us behind the scenes of the TellyCast Digital Content Forum at BFI Southbank, where digital leaders share their strategies, innovations, and insights into the ever-evolving world of digital-first video. Featuring Gerrit Kemming (Quintus Studios), Serena Jones (The B1M), Dan Biddle (Meta), Ed Lindeman (TikTok), Josh Bloom (Twitch), Lucy Luke (Snapchat), Neil Price (YouTube), and more.

Discover how platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch are shaping the content landscape, why digital documentaries are thriving, and how creators are connecting with global audiences. Don’t miss this deep dive into the intersection of traditional broadcasting and the digital creator economy.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Justin Crosby and welcome to another TellyCast. This week, Andy Fry is chatting to the movers and shakers of the digital first video sector as we take a trip backstage to the TellyCast Digital Content Forum back at the BFI South Bank in November. Andy's chatting with digital leaders including Gerrit Kemming from Quinta Studios, Serena Jones from the B1M.

Dan Biddle from Meta, Ed Lindenman from TikTok, Josh Bloom from Twitch, Lucy Luke from Snapchat, and Neil Price from YouTube. Plus we chat with Ruth Berry and Graham Haig from ITV Studios, newly formed digital imprint Zoo55, Matt Risley and Janine Smith from Force Studios, and Victor Benson from The Sidemen.

It's all coming up on this week's TellyCast. Gerrit, lovely to see you again. You've been here for three years on the Trot and you're a sponsor. Tell us why you enjoy coming to this event. Well, I think the digital content forum is one of only a very few in that space, right? You have a lot of like TV markets, you have a lot of like very digital creator first things, but this one is one that is right in the middle, uh, combining TV and the creator.

economy into one event that is really exciting. And that, that very much fits your business model. So tell us a bit about how your business model aligns with that description. 100 percent because we're one of the biggest, um, uh, documentary, long form documentary channel networks on YouTube, Facebook, and Snapchat.

And that comprises, we need content that is TV quality, long form content, but we are in a digital space so that we bring both worlds together. So exactly what. You made a very interesting point in the session that we're now at a point where you can get TV quality content at a much lower price. Tell, tell me a little bit about the model, how you've managed to do that.

Well, I mean, there is, first of all, there's technology, so you don't need to have the big, big cameras, rent them and bring them to whatever place on this planet. Uh, you can sometimes, we did trials where we just went out with or, you know, Not, not me, but the, the, the production people went out just with an iPhone and the quality is fucking amazing.

So that's one thing, but then you also need to have different infrastructures, right? And, and different to the TV one where we wouldn't send any like production crew out from one space to the, to the other side on the planet. But we have our network of filmmakers that are based where they find the stories and they, they pitch them to us.

And then we, uh, we commissioned them. And that's how you get a much lower price. Okay, so you've just come off the digital docs panel, uh, very interesting panel. You've been immersed in this area for a long time, but was there anything you learned, I mean, from, from the other panelists? Was there anything that came out that really interested you?

Well, I mean, I think what's just amazing and that you realize that being on traditional TV markets, but also listening to these panelists. There is just a new world for documentaries, right? It's, it doesn't need to be the 45 minute documentary on a BBC or whatever. There is all sorts of forms of documentaries that are relevant now.

And I think this is also the most important thing that it's not about like the highest quality anymore. It's about relevance and that is the most important thing that you can see from the other panelists as well. So finally, um, you, you, you're growing a really interesting business. You have a number of channels on, on social platforms.

I think you said some like 13, 14, 15 million subscribers. What's next for you? Well, we, there's still a lot of room for growing this, and they, this is growing by six digit numbers, uh, per month, actually the subscriber base. So our channels are growing. We will grow more channels and then we will also go into where.

Both of those words, the TV documentary, but also the digital that professionalizes, we will grow into that space, meaning that we think in video verticals that we can own, and this could be a lot more niche genres than you had in TV, where it was like history, nature. Now it could be green tech, uh, sustainability.

I don't know, green business or whatever it is, right? A lot nicher, but because we're thinking about a global audience, each niche is still big enough to make money on it. Thanks, Gary. I do have one final question. Actually, you're going to be involved in the bridge as well, the Bias Forum. Tell me about that as an initiative.

Well, that's, you know, that is actually a system that has been proving Already 20 years ago on TV. You need to bring people together and companies together to, uh, to grow exciting things and projects, right? And that's what the bridge is about. Only that the partners could be different than 20 years ago, where 20 years ago you would have like 23 broadcasters that work together on a project.

Now it might be a digital YouTube channel that works with a traditional broadcaster that works with the brand together and a creator. And all of those together will find hopefully projects in the bridge. Brilliant. Thanks, Gerrit. And enjoy the rest of the day. Thanks a lot for having me. Bye bye. Serena Jones, who is head of content at the B1M.

So for those of us who don't know the business, tell us about it. The B1M is primarily a YouTube channel and we create documentary content around the built environment, so architecture and construction, and we have about three and a half million subscribers. So drill into that a little bit more. So what is the business model?

What kind of content would there be and how do you fund it? Yeah, so primarily, um, it is YouTube documentaries. So these will be minimum 10 minutes long up to about 40 minutes. Um, and that'll be Um, funded through either AdSense, but also, um, sponsorship partners. So either we'll be commissioned to go to a specific location and talk about construction there, or we'll have your classic sort of 60 second integration within a video.

So who are your audience? I mean, what kind of people are coming to the channel and what kind of numbers? Yeah. So it's 50 in terms of the audience. We'll have real experts within the industry who, um, want to see themselves represented from someone who actually knows what we're talking about. We're very authentically, um, invested within that industry, but also just general public who are interested in hearing about, you know, we did one recently about Mecca clock tower, the fifth tallest building in the entire world that no one talks about.

Um, so it's 50, 50 on that in terms of numbers, I think this year we've done about 180 million views. So quite big numbers like, um, especially on short form of finding increasingly a YouTube shorts. TikTok vertical is a really big place to be putting content out these days. All right. So incredible numbers.

And would you say it's a global channel? You're getting audience coming from all parts of the world. Yeah, definitely global. Um, primarily U. S., U. K., Australia, sort of your standards, but increasingly we're trying to make content about construction in countries that are underserved. Um, so things like Mecklenburg Tower, um, were really interesting, but also we want to make documentaries about places in Australia.

African countries and South American countries, which people just don't talk about the amazing architecture there. Um, so once we make a video, the beauty of YouTube is if we make a video about something that's been built in Taiwan, then a massive Taiwanese audience will come out and watch it. So, um, that's sort of what we're trying to super serve now.

So construction does occasionally come onto TV. You will get BBC or ITV or major channels talking about construction. How would you say your content compares to what you might see in a In a six part series on, on mainstream TV. Yeah. So I think the difference with us is that we really do love and live and breathe architecture and construction.

So we're not just going to do an overview of how the building was made. We will go into detail on the engineering and all the difficulties that were faced there and get really specific for that audience, but also. be, I guess the difficulty then we also want to be approachable for people who might not know anything about engineering, but still want to learn about how things are built.

So we're really in love with the specific detail of how these things happen. So you've just been on the digital docs panel. Did you learn anything from that panel? Was there anything that came out that kind of caught your eye? Yeah, I think definitely. I mean, my background is, um, that I worked in network at little dot studios.

So I'm used to running like 30 channels at once, all in different, um, different audiences with legacy content. And I think it was really interesting hearing from some of the people on that panel around how they're creating content digital first with that digital audience in mind has to be, you know, 4k has to be really authentic, um, but isn't just for digital also works for.

TV and broadcast. And how slowly, slowly commissioners are starting to learn that YouTube is actually really big deal. And it's not a case of, Oh, we don't want to put it on YouTube because that cheapens that content. It's more like, if we have a great audience from YouTube, let's supersave that on Netflix.

That's super save that on BBC on ITV. Um, so I think. It was sort of a nice feeling coming from that, learning that we are becoming a lot more connected and working together a lot more. Okay, you gave us a bit of an insight into what might happen next. Where are you going next as a company, do you think?

What are the opportunities? Yeah, so our next plans are, we're looking to move into sustainable stories more, so I'm starting a new channel soon, which will be talking about sustainable building, because it's obviously a massive problem for the entire world, and I really think Difficult audience to address online we find because there's so much opposition coming from it.

Um, but we're also looking to Serve the traditional media at some point Maybe make commissioning something with a netflix or a bbc or an itv as I mentioned so big things coming final question What does b1m mean? B1M stands for, it comes from BIM, which is a building operating system. Um, and we are number one.

So it's the B1M. Fabulous. Well, thank you so much for your time. Lovely to talk to you. Hi Dan, could you first of all, tell us a little bit about your role at Meta? Uh, yeah. I'm a strategic partnerships manager with the global content partnerships team. So we work, uh, across the media space, but, and the creator space to support and enable and, um, help strategize how to use the platforms of meta, how to grow community, and how to build bigger audiences.

Brilliant. So tell us a little bit about your keynote. You've just spent 15 minutes telling the audience about what you do in, in more depth. What, what kind of messages were you trying to get across? Um, in a ever shortening like amount of space and amount of resources and time in teams, which are often shrinking, unfortunately, rather than growing, I think it's important to be able to look at the strategy of what you're doing with more focus.

So my point with the keynote was when you're looking at the various surfaces of Instagram, why are you on Instagram? Think about what you want to achieve and then apply the strategy of each part of the platform accordingly. So reach and audience acquisition is all about reels, is all about carousels, top of funnel, going down to the point of being in broadcast lists or smaller areas where you could really double down on the engagement, but also the conversion of those audiences that you've gained with your great content in the first place.

I think sometimes people mistakenly use the word YouTube as shorthand for social media. Tell me about what's distinctive and interesting about Instagram. Why should a content creator or a broadcaster or any other media company be, be working with your platform? Um, there's a couple of things there's reach and discovery.

So obviously we have a platform of reels, which is short form and it's very highly consumptive. People can look for content, find content, and then find the next best thing and the next best thing. It's then sharing. It's the ability to share seamlessly. 3. 5 billion reels are shared every day on the platform.

That's just DM'd to people. So that's earned media in and of itself. So the, it's a very shared platform. And then you've got the, uh, engagement and you've got the ability to build an audience, build loyalty, bring them closer to your brand, Closer to your talent to the things that matter and then eventually you can turn that into some form of conversion.

Again, we talked about whether you're telling selling the live Strictly experience the following year after Strictly or if you're selling t shirts, mugs and merch from your podcast, the power of taking people through the entire Instagram experience to whatever outcomes you're looking for is, is massive.

We do have a very diverse bunch here. We have everyone from the single operator creator through to the BBC or ITV. Do you have something for all of them? Absolutely. Yeah. So creators are building entire, you know, businesses off the back of Instagram. You know, they're gaining hundreds of thousands, millions of followers, which they are then using to convert to brand branded content deals.

You can use for subscriptions so people can pay for the access to their broadcast channels. People can give them stickers and gifts as well. Um, not to mention the fact that they can then promote their own owned and operated business off the back of that. Something like the BBC or ITV, this is again, audience reach.

It's a younger audience inevitably than those who are sitting on a sofa watching television. So that's the big outcome for them. But it's the ability to again, connect people more deeply and explain why. People might want to come to iPlayer, might want to come to ITVX, might want to come to Channel 4 to explore more about the clip that they just saw and watch all 10 episodes.

Brilliant. Well, Dan, lovely to have you here. Thanks so much for giving your keynote and hopefully you're going to be able to stick around for the rest of the day. Certainly am. I'm here with Ed Lindeman from TikTok. Ed, lovely to see you. Can you start by telling us a bit about your role at TikTok? Sure.

Thanks, Andy. So I head up our publisher operations and partnerships team. So we look after a portfolio of about 400 TikTok accounts from publishers in the UK, Ireland and Nordics, uh, publishers on TikTok would be, uh, the BBC, ITV, Sky, Channel 4. And then in sports, Premier League, Wimbledon, uh, we also look after news.

We also look after lifestyle and education. So helping the social media managers. At those organizations create and share videos on that so so give us a bit more insight into that you talked for example about Increasing emphasis on fang content. So tell us about the kind of things you can do for those organizations to amplify their content So I think the kind of the first thing we do when we work with an ip owner is to help them understand What is already happening in the platform, right?

Because that's the base upon which they can, they can work. Uh, and then depending on the, the nature of the title, um, they might decide that they want to have like a standalone account for that specific IP. Or maybe it will, that content will sit on the, uh, the TikTok account of the, The distributor or the, or the broadcaster.

Um, but then kind of we can zoom out and also look at how they want to sort of market that show as they're approaching TX. Um, and then if, if they actually want to look even earlier than that, we can look at how we can maybe support with kind of integrations of creators or even stuff related to, to TikTok into the actual show.

Um, so the earlier we start this conversation, the better. Um, and really just kind of trying to understand what their sort of business focus is. Yeah. Cool. So you've just sat in a really interesting panel with Twitch and Snapchat. Did you learn anything from that panel? Obviously, you're immersed in this business, but did anything come out that caught your eye?

Definitely. I think Twitch, I think, is such an exciting and interesting platform. Obviously, it's built around live streaming. We also have a live product on TikTok, but I really enjoyed hearing from Josh about how strong and important communities are on Twitch. on Twitch and that's also something that we're very focused on, uh, on, on TikTok.

And then also, uh, from Lucy on, on Snap about the Snap stars and how, uh, they're kind of, Building them out to be these like platform public figures, right? So that they become very synonymous with their, their platform. And so, yeah, those two things stood out to me as really interesting. Cool. And the final question, uh, as you know, this room is full of, it's a diverse, a diverse group, it's creators all the way through to big media organizations.

Do you have something for all of them? Or is there, is, is there something that they can all get from TikTok? Yeah, absolutely. I think. TikTok previously really been known as a creator platform because that's kind of our origin story. But we've seen publishers who my team look after really adopt the platform and lean in more and more over the last few years.

To the extent where actually publishers now post even more frequently than creators do and drive many more video views. So, um, We have to kind of tailor our approach to creators and publishers to make sure that they can get the most out of the platform as possible. Some features will be more relevant to publishers and creators and vice versa.

Uh, but really our job is to understand what they need and help them to, to, to use the platform in the best way possible. Ed Lindeman, thank you very much. Thanks, Andy. Josh, can you start by telling us a little bit about your role at Twitch? What is it you do? Uh, sure. So I'm a senior program manager at Twitch.

I'm creator facing, so I help creators get to grips with Twitch, try and be more successful on the platform. Cool. So I think a lot of people here would be familiar with what TikTok could do for them, or YouTube, or Snapchat. Tell us more about how Twitch fits into that, that digital ecosystem. Search to Twitch is a live platform.

So all of our, um, creators are building communities on our service. Uh, so we're trying to make, uh, help communities grow with that, uh, with that creator. And you made a really interesting point in the session, I think about the interconnection between what you do and what some of the other platforms do get to talk about that a little bit more about the way that people who develop a profile on Twitch might be able to, uh, amplify and further that through other platforms.

Sure. So we allow, um, clipping on, on Twitch. So we're really trying to help creators who have a successful moment on their stream, um, clip that moment and push it to other socials if they wish to. So in terms of where Twitch is going in terms of the next year or so, what would you say would be the interesting developments happening at the platform?

Uh, so we're looking at shorter mobile sessions. That's a really interesting place for us. We acknowledge that while Twitch is the place to go for long sessions, we need to develop the app to help our viewers who just come for a shorter session. And as I said, I think, um, trying to get those clips that are really successful moments on your stream into other social, uh, uh, services, I think is a really interesting, um, part for us in the next 12 months or so.

You've just come off a panel, really interesting panel with Snapchat and with TikTok. Did you come away with any learnings? Was there anything there for you that you took away? I think the really interesting part of it is we're all living in the same ecosystem, right? I think, um, all of the platforms we're speaking to are thinking about how their creators can be successful in the rounds, uh, and that's long format, short formats.

And it's really interesting to hear from Snap and TikTok understanding what they're trying to do to help their creators be successful. It's what we're all passionate about and what we're trying to help our creators do. So a final question for you, Josh. Um, I think with the other two platforms, it's very, really, very much a sense of them working with creators, but also big media partners.

Is that also true for Twitch of you? Is there a role for big media partners, the BBCs so on within the Twitch world? Yeah, there's a role for everyone at Twitch, right? I think most of our content is UGC individual creators, but equally, I think anyone and anyone can be a part of Twitch. They just need to find the strategy that works best for them.

Fabulous, Josh. Lovely to meet you and hope you have an enjoyable rest of the day. Lucy, can you start by telling us what you do at Snapchat? So, uh, thank you for having me back again. It's my third year. Uh, my name's Lucy Luke and I look after the content partnerships in the UK. So that's working across news, sports, entertainment and creators.

So tell us what that means. Content partnerships. Are we talking about big media companies? What does that mean? Yes. We work with big, big, big media companies such as the BBCs, channel Fours, uh, sky Sports, but our creators are our Snap stars. So those are, uh, individuals who are verified on the platform.

Cool. So as you say, you've been here three years, um, so very, very loyal supporter of the event. How do you think it's changed in that time? I think the content I'm presenting has evolved. So this year, you would have noticed on stage, I was talking a lot more about how our Snap stars, our creators are driving watch time on the platform.

I mean, we've had a whopping 55 percent increase in total watch time and how they are posting to the platform is bringing us into their everyday lives through public stories and short clips and highlights. On spotlight. So I think as much as our media publishers can kind of mimic that behavior going into 2025.

It'll be a big win for them. That's really interesting point. As you say, you made that in the session itself. So that's about the big publishers looking to introduce more authenticity into into what they do, I guess. I mean, you mentioned this morning could talk a bit more about that. Yes, ITV, the national treasure that is, uh, this morning and Alison Hammond.

So this morning, ITV are posting highlights from the show. It may be a couple of times a week, cut down highlights from the show, as I mentioned, and then Alison Hammond, one of their presenters, is a snap star and she is posting a On a daily basis, you know that behind the scenes, the kind of bringing her audience to the access of seeing what it's like being a presenter on one of the biggest shows in the UK right now, that's really interesting observation.

So in a way, there's there's perhaps an idea for big media companies to identify snap stars within their organization and bridge the two approaches. Yeah. And that is something I'm hoping to get out of today to really connect with, you know, I know a lot of people here just because I'm a bit of a veteran of the, of the conference, but, you know, meeting those people that work with the talent within that organization, or they might be a talent agency and making sure they know how to do Snapchat.

Cool. So you were on an interesting panel with the guys from TikTok and Twitch. Do you feel like you learned anything from what they said? Was there anything that came out of it that was useful? Absolutely. So with Ed, I think his, his conversation about TikTok shopping is really interesting. You know, lots of my Snap stars, um, you know, they have things to sell, they're doing it a bit through Snap, but TikTok shopping is going to be huge for them next year.

And then with Twitch, we work with a lot of the same, um, Talent. So seeing how we can make that content travel to snap and cut downs from the lives they're doing. I think there'll be a big audience for them on Snapchat. So that was really interesting. Finally, just gives a sense of where you're heading next.

I mean, you did it very briefly in the session. Just tell us what, what we can expect from you over the coming year. Yeah, I think working with our broadcasters and media publishers to get them really comfortable with posting to public stories on a daily basis is number one. I mentioned Spectacles and how we have the fifth generation of Spectacles that have been launched this year.

I'm really excited to see how that develops, you know, as we get feedback from our developer community. And we are rolling out more and more ad products in the coming months. So watch this space for that. Thank you so much for that, Lucy, and I hope you have an enjoyable rest of the day. Thank you. You too.

Thank you. Ruth Berry and Graham Hague of ITV studios, and we're gonna be talking about Zoo 55, which is a new digital label within the group. So Ruth, we know ITV studios as a massive global production operation, massive distribution operation, and its broadcaster. So why. Are you launching Zoo55? The moment of time for Zoo55 is absolutely perfect.

So as you say, you know, we're an enormous, uh, distribution business, production business, and we have around about 90, 000 hours in our catalogue. And when we look at the market we've been operating in for the last few years, you can see there is seismic changes. And, you know, as you've written about and TellyCast has talked a lot about over the last few years, audiences are fragmenting and they're moving into different places.

And traditionally, as a B2B business, we've licensed to Commercial broadcasters, free to air streamers around the world in that traditional TV sense. And I think what we're learning very quickly, and have been for a while, is that those audiences are moving towards social, to gaming, and fragmenting rapidly.

So that really begs the question for us is, what's our opportunity in that new world? Where should we be pivoting and diversifying our business? And how do we find those audiences moving into other spaces? So, um, Zoo55 is the short answer. Uh, to that question, which is really about us thinking about how we publish content into social media onto those social platforms, how we license our IP to build up gaming, um, how we work with fast channels and how we essentially repackage, repurpose, remix our content to find audiences on those new platforms.

So, so is it fair to say that Zoo55 is everything that's non traditional? So, uh, MetaVision. And fast channels and all the digital social platform. Is everything going into zoo 55? So, I mean, yes and no. So I guess the nuance within that is when you look at the traditional distribution and as a distributor, we trade rights.

So, um, zoo 55 or the digital business we've been running for the last few years, um, to get us to where we are today to, to propel into zoo 55 is an extension of a lot of rights we already have. So you've got this business that's working hand in glove with traditional to extend the reach of those rights into different platforms.

But then there is an entire area of Z55 that has the right to play on its own. So the answer is a little bit of yes and no for that one. The big question over the years with social has always been about monetization versus promotion, I guess. or both. So what are you hoping Zoo55 will achieve for you?

Are you hoping it's going to unlock new revenues and monetization strategy? Or is it more about the promotion of existing content? So I think what we've seen already and bearing in mind that we, we planted the seed for this, what is now Zoo55 three to four years ago. And as we started publishing our content and monetizing it.

Um, we found a pretty successful revenue stream there. So, I think you're, you're right to ask a question around marketing versus monetization. I think that's a question that we ask ourselves a lot. Um, and, uh, in different times and in different environments, you'll do an element of both. So, if we have a show on broadcast live at any point in time, we'll want to do the extensions.

We'll want social to be an extension of marketing and monetization. Uh, but when you're looking at the archive, it's absolutely about both. monetization. Uh, but that that also then becomes a little bit more complicated because you need to work with the different social platforms to almost market the platforms to each other to drive that monetization.

So there's a really lovely sort of web, um, within that that we're learning, uh, each and every day. So obviously you've got Uh, Martin Trickey coming on to, to run the company next year, is that right? And Graham, you're the COO. So, so give me, give me a sense of, um, why this business excites you. What do you think is going to happen in Zoo55 that's of interest to you?

Oh, lots of things. Uh, you know, it's been a bit of a, a journey over the last three years since we, since we sort of started and launched this digital business. Um, so I think one of the key things that really excites me is data. I know that sounds a little bit, um, unexciting, but for me, it's super exciting as a business.

You know, we haven't traditionally had access to first party data, um, which makes things, you know, a little bit more instinctive. Whereas now we can be both instinctive, but also we can really lean on the data that we get from platforms. You know, that's on YouTube and TikTok and Samsung on the fast side.

So we have access to that data, uh, and it can tell us, you know, who's watching what, where they're watching it, what devices, what territories, and we can really use that to inform our go forward strategy for Zoo55, but also for our broader studios production distribution business. So, you know, that is really exciting, um, and it's different for us, um, within the studios business.

And I think the other, the other key bit is, is about innovation, um, and being able to, um, have a, perhaps a little bit more freedom to think within Zoo55, right? Where, where are the things where we want to spend some time? And that could be anything from, um, partnerships in the generative AI space. We've done some stuff already in dubbing there.

It's been super successful. Uh, you know, it could be content, it could be brands. So there's, there's lots of things that we haven't done lots of, but we have the opportunity to do that now within Zoo55. Within Zoo55. Talk to me about Zoo55 and generative AI. Do you see that the two is melding well over the next year or two?

Where that makes sense. Absolutely. So we've done, as I said, we've done some, some dubbing there for YouTube specifically, and we've seen some really positive effects of that. Um, you know, and I think there's also about how can we use that more effectively to make Zoo55 You know, some of the processes just simply more efficient.

Then we can use the, the great talent that we've got within the business to focus on content creation and, and monetization and marketing and such like, so I think there absolutely are opportunities I don't think we have, well, I know we don't have all the answers there yet, but it definitely is something that we want to work, you know, with Zoo 55 on.

You guys have just done a really interesting session in, in front of all the delegates where the, the question of content creation obviously came up and I mean, it's obvious that. Content creation is not your priority right now as a business, but, but you were, you were interesting on the subject of partnership, the kind of ways that people could partner with you.

So do you want to spell that out again? The, the kind of partners that would be relevant to you now? We're open to all opportunities, I guess, that, that, that, that makes sense. And I think opportunities is the right way to phrase it. We're not actively out there seeking content partnerships and looking to acquire IP nor are we necessarily really out there, you know, Knocking down the doors of lots of brands, but, um, they're definitely two areas where we think in the short term, you know, there's definite room for us to think about how we sort of, um, Explore partnerships with the brand on content.

Um, how can we do that around our existing IP or our portfolio of channels? Uh, and then on the content side, you know, as I mentioned on stage, we've done a few different partnerships with, um, with content owners where, you know, that's not our IP, but something like Ninja Warrior, uh, is owned by Belon and we're working with the format holder there.

It's a, it's a show that ITV commissioned in the UK. We run the Ninja Warrior Parks, um, You know, for them around the UK. So it's, there's an obvious synergy there for Ninja Warrior and we're running the fast channel that's now live in the UK, um, and Canada and soon to be more territory. So I think in the short term where, where it makes sense, we're, we're open to, you know, those types of conversations, absolutely.

So I'm going to stick with Graham for one more. So, cause you also dropped in the, the idea of the chase working with the sideband, which struck me as very interesting, so would Zoo 55 be the place that would. that would look to create those kind of creator, big IP partnerships. Is that, do you think you'd be at the front line of that?

Yeah, I think we would, absolutely. Um, but very much in partnership with our, you know, existing suite of production labels. So that, that partnership with the Sidemen and the Chase, you know, was done very much in conjunction with Potato, who are the producer of the chase, you know, with, with my team, obviously with, you know, Jordan's team at the Sidemen and Arcade Media.

So it was a real collaboration between, you know, three different groups ultimately. Um, so I think, I'd like to think that as we move forward, yeah, Zoo55 can absolutely lead on a lot of those opportunities, but we very much need to do it. in collaboration with our production partners within studios. The question I ask almost everybody at this event, because they all have such unusual names, is, you know, what is your name about?

Zoo55, explain that. Yeah, um, and quite right to ask that question. Um, so there was a, the first video uploaded into YouTube was me at the zoo in 2005. And the first operational year for ITV in the UK as a broadcast business was 1955. And interestingly, I couldn't decide whether that was a long or a short 50 years of progress.

Um, but in either way, uh, we thought they were two really iconic moments to bring together that, that gave a sort of emblematic of what we're, we're doing and evolving. Um, and I think the really iconic moments that give us a personality for the business that, that, you know, we'll launch early next year. So that became Zoo55.

Talk about the genre buckets a little bit. Um, there are certain properties like Love Island that obviously lend themselves to all kinds of exploitation. Um, not that I would watch any of them, but, um, but, um, from your own point of view, where do you see the opportunities? What kind of genre opportunities do you see?

There's so many, it's hard to tell. And I think to Graham's point earlier about data, you know, we're learning all the time. So there is a huge audience. I think, you know, we know that what many. online video streaming in the US is on YouTube. It's the most viewed video platform in the world. And when you look at that, there's, there's a humongous audience to learn about.

So we know we've got huge audiences around the voice around love Island, around the chase. Um, so we're leaning into things that we know most of now, which obviously makes complete sense, but we're finding different audiences and different niches all the time. So actually we have a piece of IP, um, that, that, um, Uh, river monsters that you may maybe more that more your thing than Love Island because it's it's, you know, fishing and then, and, um, it is a fast channel and we've just launched, uh, in Germany, um, uh, to a huge response, um, on Samsung and, uh, and it was like, wow, there's a whole audience here for a show that was commissioned sort of 15, 20 years ago, uh, that's finding its whole new audience.

And so there's things that are. constantly going to surprise us. And I think that's what's most exciting about it is, um, is what, what we learn, what we find and where we bring content, particularly out of that 90, 000 hours is which genres pop and when, and that audience and that data that we get are going to teach us so much.

I think that the. challenge for us is responding to it. And I think, you know, you asked the right question earlier about, um, content creation or where the priorities are for the business. And I think, you know, that's, that's a hard question for Graham, who I'm sure would like to be doing a lot of everything.

But I think the reality is certainly a launch phase. And the next iteration for us is we have to prioritize what we focus on. So getting that Data in understanding the audience better, um, and continuing to sort of publish our content into those spaces and learn more as we go. Feels like the foundation we need to build first.

Um, but we are really excited about everything else. We just can't do everything else at the same time. And a final question, um, as you say, because essentially you're a massive production distribution business and your job is to monetize that. And this is an aspect of that. Are you learning culturally from the kind of people that Zoo55 employs, and the kind of messaging coming up?

Do you feel like that trickles up through the organization? Yeah, I, you know, I love that conversation because it's, it's, it's quite funny. I'll, um, very teeny, but yesterday I, I was talking to our, PLC board about 255 and people are in suits, and I feel quite corporate today. I knew I was coming to TellyCast, so I tried to be young and trendy.

Um, so yes, I'm learning different things from different people. Um, and, uh, that's really important. And that's another real reason that we created an identity for the team, which is currently a digital team within the broader business, and it felt like it needed its own culture and identity. We want to.

What we really want to attract different talent, people who are thinking digitally first, people who might not be attracted to work for an ITV, but would find a Zoo55 really exciting. So there is a real cultural aspect to that. And I think it's really important that, you know, Martin and Graham developed that culture, um, within Zoo55 to have the right people to take us to that next level.

So yeah, they're teaching me a lot all the time. Fabulous. Ruth, Graham, thank you so much for joining us and, and speaking to the delegates and then speaking to us again now. So much appreciated Janine. You've just come off a really interesting panel, but tell us who you are and what you do at channel four.

So I look after all the creative and culture at four studio, which is channel four's department and trusted with digital excellence and digital transformation of the business. Brilliant. So you've joined us today to talk about podcasts to TV and back again. Um, what would you say were the key kind of insights that you got from the session?

Well, um, as a participant in the session, obviously I have a view that with the lines are blurred and they don't have to, one is not distinct from the other. We've heard from several people today about the content ecosystem and how different parts of content can lead to others. So in the journey of, you know, Of the married at first sight podcast, for example, which is one that's live.

Now we started off as a podcast, which we then visualized, which then has become a TV show. Um, either any one of those three things could work on its own, but with them all together, coupled with the social media promotional content that we're on off the back of it, it makes a much more powerful tool for many, many more views and engagements.

So married at first sight, it's obviously a massive blockbuster entertainment show. Does, does this idea of. Of working across platforms. Um, does it, does it work for all types and types of content, all genres? I mean, have you got other examples? I think, yes, definitely other examples. Uh, lots of them are based on big entertainment shows.

We heard from the traders today and rivals, we've done love Island. There's lots and lots of places where this has been successful, but I think what you have to think about is rather than the format of the show, it's about the audience. Is there an audience or a community built around that program? And that could be, uh, You know, educating Yorkshire.

It could be mastermind. It's just is there a community of people around that that would be willing to consume that additional content? Because not every show has a spinoff show and they don't need them. But having that the communities that you can build across digital platforms because you have access to that data is the really valuable way of deciding whether that Content is going to have impact.

Podcasts to TV. Podcasts don't have to be turned into television. Do you think podcasters set out one seeing seeing the work that they do as being development for television or do you think it's, you know, there's still an auto feeling that podcasters are podcasters? Again, I think it's not mutually exclusive and sometimes it can and sometimes it can't.

What we We have seen success in both directions from TV becoming podcasts. If you think about something like a big comedy, like inside number nine, that's spun off, spun off a really interesting podcast that was super popular with fans of that show. But I don't think they set out to have a podcast. It became something beyond that.

Um, we heard from spirit media today, how they started off with a TV show, which has spurned a whole different content ecosystem from short form to long form with a podcast in the middle. Um, so I don't think they're mutually exclusive in any way. And finally, um, I think you said at the start, this, this is an area channel four is getting more interested in.

Do you think you, do you think we'll be seeing more output, more podcast output from channel four? Well, I think it's, again, it's the way that you have to look at the whole content ecosystem. Like we're having huge growth in niche areas across YouTube. Um, what else can we do to serve those audiences? Some of that might be podcasts.

Some of that might be more original content. Some of that might be more, um, TV show adaptations. We don't know yet, but we're looking at the data to try and figure out what are those areas where we can grow across multiple platforms, not just mutually exclusive to an audio channel, for example. Brilliant Janine, lovely to talk to you and thanks for attending the event and being on the panel.

Thanks so much. Victor, lovely to meet you. Can you tell us a little bit about your role with the Sidemen? So my role is taking care of their day to day office. I've helped them build out their team. So I essentially solve all the problems for all the people that make the great content that goes out across their channels.

Fantastic. So today you've been on a panel here at the forum. Uh, can you give me some reflections on the panel? It was very, it was a panel that was very much about data. What, what kind of things did you get out of the panel? I think the highlighting of data to traditional media, like we have such an advantage when we put, push things live that we can see how something performs immediately in real time.

With TV, they struggle to see that. So I think it's highlighting the idea that we have the advantage is what I take away primarily. So, so how would you in, in simple terms, use data for the Sidemen? What, you know, what, how would that inform the great content that those guys do? I think we are super, super harsh in how we review what we do.

So the boys are like the absolute best creatives in this country. So when they come up with an idea, they push it live. If the audience doesn't like it, there is no ego. They just move back, readjust, we go again. So we use it as the complete benchmark if we're doing something right. And what would your measures be?

I mean, what kind of numbers would you look at in order to get a sense of whether something's working well or not? So the beauty of the back end of YouTube is that it gives you a very clear and most people work in the industry of YouTube will know that there's a ranking system every last 10 videos. Uh, if we do a new concept and we're above a five, then we're happy.

If it's a returning format that we know is a well performing format and it's not a top three. Then we readjust again. So I think it's super basic and it's part of being a, being a YouTube company that you understand data and you use it. So, you know, give us a sense of what the Sidemen are up to. What, what's coming for them in the next few months?

Uh, right now what we're sitting down to do in the summer, we released our first, uh, reality TV show inside. Uh, we had 50 million views in 10 days. Uh, I think that our goal now is to start, start asking questions like How dangerously close to the TV production side are we and how fast can we move to start chasing them?

Fantastic. Victor, lovely to talk to you and I hope you have an enjoyable time here at the forum. No, thank you so much. It's been great this far. Matt, just tell us a bit more about your role at Channel 4. What is it you do? Sure. So I'm Matt Risley. I'm the MD for Studio, which is a department that was set up in 2020 to basically harness Channel 4's overarching social strategy.

So it's everything from making money, through to making content, through to promoting our shows. If you see anything from Channel 4 on a social platform, most of it's come through us. Cool. So give us some examples. I know you've been commissioning shows, you've made shows, so tell us about the kind of stuff you've been doing.

Yeah, so I suppose our standout kind of digital original proposition is called Channel 4. 0. Um, which is us trying to make kind of the world of TV and the internet really merge in a way that feels harmonious. So lots of creators that everybody will know and love, but kind of brought to you with uh, Channel 4 formats and tone of voice.

Uh, as well as that we do clips and compilations from all of our TV shows. Kind of trying to find the best moment from Bake Off to entertain someone when they're on the loo, uh, looking at their phone. Uh, through to live streams. So this year we live streamed 1, 300 hours of Paralympics purely through YouTube.

So we do a bit of everything. So, um, the session, the YouTube session was, which you've just come from, was this idea of friend, foe, frenemy. Um, you guys have actually been pretty ambitious and you've got out there and you've used YouTube pretty aggressively and creatively. So does that mean you sit as a friend?

Yeah, I'd say I'd say more of a friend than a friend of me, but still kind of, you know, keeping an eye out. Um, the landscape is changing so quickly, uh, and Channel 4 in the past has had an evolving relationship. So back in 2009, we were the first broadcaster in the world to put a library of full episode content on YouTube.

We pulled all that down in 2014 because the landscape changed back in 2020. We started this thing up and started to see where the new opportunity was. And now that audience consumption habits are changing so much, it makes sense for us to be on there to reach audiences. So, so obviously you're, you're In this market every day, you're seeing it progress, you know, at the coalface, but what did you get out of that session sitting with those guys?

Was there anything that came out that interested you in particular? Um, I just think the fact that everyone is alive to the fact that it's always changing. There is no simple answer to it. Um, not only that, but I suppose good content is good content. You need to be data led and where your content is going and how it's built and kind of how it's why depending on the platform, but fundamentally, The lines shouldn't be as separate as they are.

Um, good content is good content. You find audiences as long as you're doing it in the right way. Brilliant. Thanks, Matt. Lovely to speak to you. Sorry. Thank you very much. Neil Price of YouTube. Uh, Neil, just start by telling us a bit more about who you are and what you do. Yeah. So I lead our partnerships here in the UK with The broadcasters and production companies.

Uh, so I help them navigate their approach to YouTube, help them make sense of the platform and hopefully succeed and achieve their goals. Cool. So, so tell us a bit more about what that might mean. What are they, are they just taking their programming and putting it on YouTube or is it more sophisticated than that?

Yeah, so I think it probably depends on the partner, uh, but, uh, no, increasingly they're becoming much more sophisticated and, uh, it depends on the partner also what their goals are, right? If it's about sort of incremental revenue, then you probably have a different approach in terms of longer form content.

You're probably thinking about elements like, you know, Uh, like how to better monetize, how can you make your content available in high advertising markets? Um, if it's about reach and awareness of programs in the market where you operate. So here in the UK, it could be a bit more of a focus on short form, sort of really growing that awareness and discussion around new titles.

So, um, I attend a lot of the TV markets and I talked to a lot of the broadcasters and I really get a sense in the last year that everybody is talking a lot more about YouTube. I mean, about YouTube being on the big screen, about putting their long form programming. Do you get that sense? You're getting lots more interaction with the traditional TV mob?

Yeah, I think, Uh, I mean, two things are true. One, we've, we've been in partnership and, uh, sort of in working relationship with the traditional TV mob, as you would call them, uh, for many, many years. Uh, but certainly within the last 12 months, you can see a sort of shift and change in approach. And I think some of that has to do with, uh, sort of YouTube has matured as well.

People understand that a bit more. People are using it more themselves at a lot of these organizations, and therefore they can start to understand how their content could make sense on that platform. Uh, the platform is also improving in terms of its monetization, which I also think can really move the needle for some of these partners and conversations.

Yeah, so you've just been on a really interesting panel with some of the Channel 4 guys and Taf Makopa talking about whether YouTube is friend, frenemy, or foe. So you were obviously very much in the spotlight. Did you take any learnings from the panel yourself and was there anything in the vibe of the discussion that you found interesting?

Yeah, I mean, I think. Although my employer is YouTube and I come with a sort of YouTube hat and YouTube lens, uh, I try to also approach all of the partnership discussions with a lot of awareness and empathy for, um, the business as a whole, um, where a lot of these organizations are coming from and what they're trying to navigate.

And so I would never want to take anything away from how challenging that's been, um, and why it can at sometimes feel, uh, That we're at cross purposes, but that's really the point of the job. And that's kind of my role is to advocate to try to make our purposes more aligned. And I think at the end of the session, you concluded that you were a friend.

Well, I'm certainly a friend. And certainly everyone that I work with within YouTube also looks at the industry as a friend. Um, and I think What we hope to do is just continue to prove that more and more with the coming years. Brilliant. Thanks for your time, Neil. My pleasure. Well, that's about it from the TellyCast Digital Content Forum.

You can stream the panels from the day via our OTT channel. Just click the link in the episode description. For videos featuring the movers and shakers of the digital first video sector, just hit the link in the episode description. Or search TellyCast TV on YouTube.