Things are about to get easier and more lucrative for producers and creators wanting to make money from digital platforms such as YouTube.

For years podcasts on the main audio platforms have been able to use targeted, dynamic advertising (more of what that means in the story). Now Apple has allowed it for video and YouTube is due to follow suit.

But what does it mean for you and how can you harness this key change to increase your income?

This week we spoke to board advisor and consultant Steve Ackerman (who was previously Sony Music Entertainment’s global podcasting boss) about the new possibilities available.

So read on to find out:

• Why platforms’ new ad models can game-change your business

• How to capitalise on competition between podcasting platforms

• New advertising and income sources

• Where podcasting is heading next

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It may feel like half your LinkedIn contacts are building ‘portfolio careers,’ but TV makers may be surprised to learn that they should be taking the same approach to production.

Indielab’s Content Futures programme last week saw top executives from Banijay Rights, Fremantle, South Shore Productions and the podcast world detail the revenue streams savvy producers need to be considering if they are to succeed in today’s market.

How will you go beyond your original commission? Where can your content live? What is your multi-platform strategy? These questions need to be top of mind in development, financing, production and distribution.

Today, The Indie Hustle breaks down key learnings about the future of content, including how indies can best work with brands, squeeze the most revenue out of digital and explore the world of opportunity in audio.

Read on to find out:

• Why independent data-gathering is key to a successful brand partnership

• The in-demand genres still landing sales for international distributors

• Why any indie can recalibrate as a podcast prodco

• Why a two-year digital strategy for back catalog shows is essential

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Breaking into branded? Fund your own data research

In the span of five years, South Shore Productions has become one of the UK’s most prolific indies working in brand-funded entertainment, with credits including Champions: Full Gallop, The Great Escapers and M&S: Dress the Nation. These shows now comprise one third of the company’s revenue.

As The Indie Hustle recently reported, there’s no set model of how to work with brands, but South Shore co-founder Andrew MacKenzie said his team often has the same conversations with brands as they do with TV commissioners, particularly as select brands have marketing budgets that are equal to the commissioning budgets of some channels.

“You’re trying to persuade them that television can be part of their story and can give them a significant return on investment by dealing directly with what their story is,” said MacKenzie. “So, it’s a really similar relationship to the one [you have with] a commissioner.”

Brands are, in fact, “much more commercial” than some commercial broadcasters in that they are data-hungry and keen to see immediate returns on investment. To meet this need, South Shore works with an independent agency to collate data on how their branded commissions have landed. “We want it to be independent,” said MacKenzie. “We want it to be verifiable and not something we’ve made up.”

Having that data means the indie can then tell British Racing, their partner on ITV1’s Champions, that 70% of the audience is more likely to go to a horse racing event having seen their show. Or Aldi that their Channel 4 show Aldi: The Next Big Seller means people are more likely to set foot in an Aldi store.

Takeaways: data is imperative for brands, which need to see speedy ROI; fund your own data collection to present independent findings

Think beyond the commission

Fremantle VP of commercial strategy Jill Kellie’s resounding advice for indies was to think beyond their original commission and keep their eyes firmly on digital and what success in that realm looks like.

“Sometimes you just want reach and eyeballs, or you just want to look at how to exploit your back catalogue,” said Kellie. But mastering digital isn’t only about posting episodes and expecting revenue.

“It’s not just a ‘dump and run’,” continued Kellie. “You’ve got to work at it over months. You’ve got to build up a two-year content strategy about how you’re hosting that content with regards to format, the duration of that content, understand what’s working [and what] is really driving watch time from a revenue perspective.”

If a piece of content isn’t performing well online, Kellie advised revisiting thumbnail imagery, repackaging and reposting, or even crafting a compilation.

“It’s really about understanding the content you have and how that can work and also who you can work with, because all of the big studios are really keen to work with third parties in this space,” said Kellie.

The exec noted that Fremantle, whose content racked up 35 billion views on YouTube and Facebook in 2025 alone, has done “a whole host of deals” in the last 12 months with UK indies across a range of content.

Similarly, Banijay Rights boss and distribution veteran Cathy Payne noted that the company is hyper-focused on what happens to content beyond its “premier run.”

“Behind the [subscription] wall on Amazon is all revenue share and that does huge business for us,” said Payne.

The exec added that Roku has been surprisingly lucrative. “I thought there was a mistake when our figures came through from January for Roku and in [one] month, it was nearly as much as the whole of 2024 on a title I would have never believed.”

Takeaways: plan a two-year strategy for your content on digital; Fremantle is working with UK indies on digital deals for back catalog content; premier run no longer be-all end-all for distributors; Roku increasingly lucrative

You’re a podcast prodco. You just don’t know it yet

TV producers wondering how to expand into audio may not realise it, but they have a number of relevant and transferable skills, according to Steve Ackerman, the former head of global podcasts for Sony Music Entertainment.

“You know how to tell stories or create formats; you may be a specialist in a subject area; you may have really good links with celebrity talent or well-known hosts,” said Ackerman. “You obviously know how to shoot, light and edit and it’s a lot easier to learn audio editing skills if you have video editing skills, than to go the other way around.”

The value of podcasting has changed tremendously in recent years. Ten years ago, a podcast was seen as a proof of concept that could help you sell a show into a global streamer. But in the last 12 to 18 months, “it’s swung to the other side,” said Ackerman, noting that Netflix is now aggressively buying video podcasts. (Stay tuned for a deep-dive Indie Hustle interview with Steve Ackerman in the coming weeks.)

Takeaways: producers can organically transfer video productions and editing skills to audio; strong visualised podcasts are in demand

In demand: factual, scalable formats and lower-cost drama

What was Banijay Rights’ top-selling show out of February’s London TV Screenings? It wasn’t a pricey period drama, but rather the BBC’s Clickbait Clinic fronted by Stacey Dooley. Banijay Rights’ Payne said the Nutopia-produced series, which interrogates the wildest health trends on social media, was the company’s “most popular show.”

“Stacey isn’t really well known [internationally], but it was touching on a subject that is global,” said Payne. The title’s success suggests there is now “big demand for factual content,” added the exec, who urged producers not to underestimate what a global “calling card” valuable British IP can be.

Payne also underlined the importance of crafting scalable formats that can be made on either a huge budget or funded by multiple partners. Meanwhile, on the scripted side, she said buyers are looking for commercial shows with reasonable budgets. Reflecting on recent investments, Payne said four third-party scripted projects have been made with “good talent” for between £1.6 million to £2.2 million.

“They’ve been able to get other partners involved and look at clever tax breaks,” said Payne.

The exec said the market is still seeing a lot of “enhanced presales,” which means a territory will come in early, have some degree of editorial input (without driving the project) and be able to call a title an original. However, Payne advised that if producers want to land enhanced pre-sales on their projects, “You need to ask why that [country] needs to buy this before it comes to market. It has to be something that has just as much story interest in that market as it does here.”

Takeaways: demand returning for British factual content; scalability of a format is more important than ever; appetite among buyers for lower cost drama; enhanced presales still popular but need to have a reason for them

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Getting a new BBC daytime commission is like gold dust at the moment.

As is finding new sources of revenue and, if you’re a true indie, keeping a regular team on staff.

But Chepstow and Bath-based One Tribe TV have managed all three and they are also one of the companies selected by the BBC to pilot a straight to YouTube series.

How have they done it and what is their recipe for success?

Read on to find out:

• How to deliver in daytime

• The app that is rivalling TikTok for people's attention

• Innovative ways to get funding for YouTube channels

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When you’re tasked with getting a drama from blank page to an air date over the course of 12 months, you tend to think long and hard about the right business partner.

For Clapperboard Studios managing director Mike Benson, who is often tackling a yearly turnaround for his slate of shows for 5 and parent company, Paramount UK, distributors have become the linchpin behind a rapidly growing scripted slate that includes The Good Ship Murder, The Ex-Wife, Girl Taken and the just-announced The Day starring Minnie Driver.

The disruption to the traditional role of the distributor who has gone from handling straight international sales to navigating complex deficit financing models, editorial input and even commissioning has characterised the better part of the last decade. But their role in a challenged market for drama makers is unparalleled.

“Our relationships with distributors are as important as our relationship with channels,” says Benson, who established unscripted indie Chalkboard Productions in 2013 before setting up Clapperboard in 2020 for scripted commissions. “Distributors, in the current climate, are taking more risks than ever.”

That’s largely because producers can no longer rely on plum sales into the US, and this has had deep ramifications for the level of minimum guarantee (MG) distributors are able to offer (in scripted, a robust US sale used to constitute 40% to 50% of an MG, says Benson). A sluggish American market means “it’s increasingly important that you’re developing something that’s aligned with what the distribution market is telling you they can finance and sell on,” notes the exec.

It also means that choosing the right distributor for your project is paramount. Clapperboard, which is part of France’s Studio TF1 (formerly Newen Studios), works with a range of different distribution partners for its scripted projects, from boutique operators to larger superindies. There are, Benson says, pros and cons to both ways of working.

This week, the Clapperboard boss shares his tips on choosing the right distributor for your project.

Read on to learn:

· The various models of developing with distributors

· Why boutique outfits can have an edge on the superindies

· How a challenged US market is affecting distributor minimum guarantees

· Why talent attachments can give you a head start with distributors

· Why the industry can no longer afford to make limited miniseries

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This week sees the start of the eagerly-anticipated BBC comedy Twenty Twenty Six - the follow up to Twenty Twelve and W1A.

The latest instalment in the Ian Fletcher franchise of corporate and interpersonal dynamics is based around a global football tournament in the USA that is absolutely, definitely not (for branding and legal reasons) the FIFA World Cup.

For the show, north London’s Mill Hill doubles as Miami and, whilst filming took place before the war in Iran began, such moves could become more prevalent as the industry tries to factor in the current geopolitical situation.

With a looming energy crisis, flight costs increasing and some countries introducing measures such as fuel rationing, many are working out how it affects production.

So this week we’ve taken a deep dive into what the impact might be, what broadcasters and streamers are doing about it and how you can think strategically to mitigate some of the effects.

So read on to find out:

• The current state of play

• How to plan during unpredictable times

• Lessons that can be learnt from other productions

• Broadcasters and streamers’ response

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In a time where high-end period dramas have become challenging to produce in Britain due to soaring costs, Channel 4’s rags-to-riches series, A Woman of Substance is breaking the mould.

The Barbara Taylor Bradford novel was first adapted for Channel 4 in 1985, with its finale pulling in 13.8 million viewers, the broadcaster’s highest audience ever.

While that series squeezed the infamous novel into three parts, The Forge has again brought working-class heroine Emma Harte’s story to life for Channel 4, but this time over eight episodes. It’s a lengthy order that’s a rarity in today’s market, where terrestrial period fare is often limited to four or six parts. There’s also a premium sheen that makes it look far more lavish than it was to make.

The Forge’s joint managing director Beth Willis has been immersed in period drama over the past six years, helping to shepherd the company’s glossy series The Buccaneers for Apple TV+ across three seasons. But A Woman of Substance didn’t have the same streaming budget to play with, and Willis and her team had to make terrestrial pounds go much further, bolstered by deficit financing from distributor Banijay Rights, which pre-sold the show to BritBox in the U.S.

So, how do you stretch a terrestrial budget across eight episodes of period fare in today’s market?

Read on to find out:

• How to find stories with modern sensibilities within period book IP

• Willis’ two “secret weapons” to making modest budgets go further

• The one mistake producers make that becomes a money pit

• Plans for future series of A Woman of Substance

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Making ‘dusty’ period dramas feel modern

The first of a seven-book series, A Woman of Substance centers on Yorkshire-born Emma Harte (Jessica Reynolds), a maid at the grand Fairley Hall estate who strikes up an illicit romance with young Edwin Fairley. But when she falls pregnant, he casts her away and she’s forced to leave her family to make it on her own in Leeds as a seamstress. Emma vows to get revenge on the entire Fairley clan, and works her way up in the world.

The show opens in New York City with an elderly Emma (Brenda Blethyn), who has made good on her promise, and then some. She’s the richest woman in the world with a vast retail empire, but her legacy is in turmoil thanks to a PR crisis orchestrated by her own children.

Willis began developing the idea for A Woman of Substance in 2020, before Netflix released Bridgerton that December and upended what audiences should expect of the genre. Audience tastes have changed in the interim period, with viewers expecting new twists on the usual “corset” dramas.

“Pre-2020, period was having a bit of a dive, particularly for young people, because it didn’t speak to them,” says Willis, who joined the Banijay-backed Forge in 2018 after serving as Channel 4’s head of drama. “It was beginning to feel like a bit of a dusty genre that felt quite traditional.”

Bradford’s novel, published in 1979, had “all the history and all the texture” of a classic period entry, says Willis, “but it also had something I think would really resonate with a modern audience, which is an incredible female protagonist. Although [Emma] has lots of affairs and husbands and lovers throughout the book, getting married and finding the One is absolutely not what drives her.” Instead, Harte is fuelled by her determination to get revenge on the Fairley family.

It felt unusual for a TV drama to have a female protagonist “that isn’t either a detective who works really hard, or a love interest, or a messy Bridget Jones-type,” adds Willis.

As such, A Woman of Substance may be a period drama, but the producer hopes all these elements help elevate it to feel modern and fresh.

“Barbara Taylor Bradford always said about her book that having a female mogul going through the 20th century in a man’s world is a really interesting bit of history,” says Willis. “You see her fight for those contracts, and have to get married before she can get her mortgage. She doesn’t even have a right to vote in the first series.”

Takeaways: period dramas don’t need to feel dusty if you target stories that feel fresh and of the moment

Secret weapon #1: get scripts locked in early

As fresh as one’s idea may be, however, it’s tough to escape the sky-high costs of making premium drama in the U.K. where prices for crew, equipment and locations have been inflated due, in part, to streaming services driving up costs and the aftermath of the post-COVID boom years. In 2025, a number of leading drama figures spoke out about the crisis facing British broadcasters, who no longer have the budgets to fund uber-expensive dramas on their own.

Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky famously revealed that the series two shoot of the Tudor drama was almost called off weeks before cameras rolled due to budget pressures. Eventually, production went ahead by scrapping some costly exterior shots and centering most of the dialogue indoors.

Willis says she had two secret weapons on A Woman of Substance that helped the show stick within its budget range, which falls somewhere between £1.7 million to £2.3 million per hour.

Firstly, the producer worked closely with the show’s two writers, Katherine Jakeways and Roanne Bardsley, to get scripts finalised ahead of time in order to schedule the big location numbers.

“We shot in those places for just a few days, and we shot all episodes’ material in one go, so we didn’t go back to locations repeatedly throughout the series,” says Willis.

This way of shooting is “incredibly complicated” and tough for the cast and crew, “but we knew we had to scatter that scale across the series.”

It seems like a logical strategy, but this way of working is unusual. “The gap between a show being commissioned and shooting is so tight that there isn’t time to get scripts ahead of time,” Willis explains.

But if you don’t have the scripts and you need to return to an expensive location that’s far away from your base, that means “you’re having to put people in hotels, and if it’s a location that needs 100 extras, all in period costume, then you’re paying for that four times over, rather than once. And that adds up really, really quickly when you’re looking at multiple locations,” she continues.

“Channel 4 were really incredible in terms of supporting us with development and putting the money down to pay for those scripts ahead of time, which not all broadcasters are up for doing these days,” adds Willis. “That really allowed us to plan carefully about where that money was going to go.”

In reality, the show only has a handful of locations but by shooting those places in blocks, each episode looks as though it has a lot of variety and scale.

Takeaways: get scripts completed and signed off ahead of shooting so you can plan filming and save budget

Secret weapon #2: lean into your locations

Willis’ other trick on the show was leaning into the locations and landscapes available.

“We used Yorkshire as a landscape,” she says. “It’s beautiful countryside anyway, but that is free scale. And we made sure we shot in that landscape an awful lot.”

Throughout the show, Emma and other characters are often traipsing across the Moors, and there are plenty of breathtaking overhead shots that convey the beauty of the area, almost serving as a character on the show in its own right.

Meanwhile, Broughton Hall in North Yorkshire served as Fairley Hall, and plays a significant role in the series, appearing repeatedly for scenes shot outside the manor and in its gardens.

“We were lucky with Broughton Hall that it’s a private property, so unlike a National Trust property where you’re restricted with the hours that you can work, because they’ve got to open it to the public, Broughton Hall was very flexible, and allowed us to take it over completely when we were there, which was great and definitely helped.”

The way the show was filmed also meant that “we were booking those locations for tighter, shorter periods of time, rather than going back repeatedly.”

One of the show’s more challenging shoots was its big opening scene with an older Emma weaving through what may look like Manhattan on screen, but is actually Liverpool.

“It was a big number,” admits Willis. “Getting American cars and then actually making sure those cars looked like they were from the 1970s was a challenge for the art department,” she says. “But Liverpool is built in the same way that New York is, with that grid system. So, it really worked well.”

Will A Woman of Substance return for more series?

The Indie Hustle can reveal that scripts for series two are being developed, but haven’t yet received the greenlight. But Willis underlines that the first series alone is only half of the first book. “There are definitely more Emma Harte stories to tell,” she says.

Takeaways: lean into your natural backdrops and make them a focal point; find locations that provide extensive access

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At the press screening of Power: The Downfall of Huw Edwards in London, Channel 5 chief content officer Ben Frow highlighted the current fashion for factual drama.

“There seems to be a trend for factual dramas that highlight issues,” he said. “And I’m proud we’re able to join that group of people who are highlighting a very serious issue; in this case the grooming of young men and abuse of power.”

Factual dramas require rigour, courage and working closely with commissioners. But they can pay dividends, as the pre-TX positive reaction to Power - which stars Martin Clunes as the disgraced BBC newsreader - shows.

It airs on 24 March on Channel 5 and ahead of its transmission we spoke with Wonderhood director of development Tom Garton about how it worked, what he thinks commissioners and audiences are looking for and what Wonderhood has in store.

So read on to find out:

⁃ How to navigate a factual drama

⁃ Garton’s strategies for success

⁃ Big questions TV is grappling with

⁃ What Wonderhood is focusing on

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“We’d love to make this show, but there’s just not enough money.”

It’s a line that’s intensely familiar - and maybe even a little triggering - to any producer. Two years ago, the very suggestion of a brand to bridge a funding gap felt anathema to some TV commissioners. But in 2026, there is more open-mindedness around brand-funded entertainment than ever before.

“That’s what’s changed,” says Carlotta Rossi Spencer, global head of branded entertainment business development at Banijay. “Instead of a producer saying, ‘I can’t bring the budget down. I won’t get this commission,’ the answer can be, ‘Can we look for a brand or brands?’ And if the answer’s ‘yes,’ then you have an opportunity.”

Shows such as Prime Video’s The World Cook and ITV’s The Great Escapers have both been made in partnership with travel brands such as Tui and Jet2.com, respectively, while M&S has helped to fund both ITV’s Cooking With the Stars and Dress the Nation. In the U.S., brands such as Procter & Gamble are even leaning into the vertical drama craze for their own entertainment play. The consumer products giant launched its 55-part microsoap The Golden Pear Affair directly on a dedicated website.

However, the chasm between a desire to bring a brand on board, and the reality of securing one, has proved to be a hurdle for many well-intentioned indies who have discovered the hard way that the world of advertisers and media agencies don’t tend to align with the traditional TV production ecosystem.

In the last two years, executives such as Banijay’s Rossi Spencer, who came up in format development, have chartered new territory for brand partnerships in TV. What kind of research is essential in your pitch to a brand? When is the right time of year to approach them? Who, exactly, do you approach?

This week, she opens up her playbook for The Indie Hustle, sharing essential advice for any producer interested in setting up a brand-funded entertainment production.

Read on to learn more about:

• The three most common entry points for brand outreach

• Why studying a brand’s marketing strategy from the outset is crucial

• The best contacts on the brand side to hear your pitch

• Why media agencies can be a TV producer’s friend

• The minimum investment you should expect from a brand

• Why vertical dramas are helping brands get into scripted

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After drama’s long stint in the sun, comedy is having the last laugh as broadcasters and streamers realise the long-term value of the genre.

The success of the Gavin & Stacey finale, Amandaland and Last One Laughing, plus the ‘clipability’ of comic moments for socials and YouTube has led to more commissioner confidence in comedy and big swings such as the forthcoming UK version of Saturday Night Live.

Yet Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee told Peter Fincham and Jimmy Mulville's Insiders podcast recently that “fewer people understand comedy...finding people to work with comedy writers is really tricky" these days.

To look at the challenges and opportunities in the sector, we spoke to a colossus of comedy, Shane Allen.

Allen has overseen some of the best-loved shows on TV, including Peep Show, Ghosts, The Inbetweeners, Black Mirror, Motherland and Car Share, during his stints as head of Channel 4 and then at the BBC - the first person to have held both roles.

Now he’s chief creative officer of his own indie, Boffala Pictures, which works with big names such as Sian Gibson in the acclaimed Power of Parker and Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston in the forthcoming BBC1 robot sitcom Ann Droid, as well as nurturing new talent such as Ada Player in the award-winning Peaked and Lenny Rush in the upcoming The Reluctant Vampire.

So read on to find out:

• Why streamers are looking for more comedy

• Genre insights

• Tips on structuring a comedy indie success

• Strategies for growth

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Factual co-productions used to be perceived as the rarefied pursuit of a handful of indie producers, but in today’s pressurised landscape, this funding model plays an essential role in programme-making. Yet getting these bi- or multi-national projects over the line can be complex at best… and excruciating at worst.

As Kirstie McLure, managing director of My Best Friend’s An Animal indie Big Wave Entertainment, tells us this week, they’re not for the faint-hearted. But if you can find the right partners, work closely with a tax credit expert and know exactly how your budget split is being allocated, the rewards can be material.

McLure recently partnered with Cantina Media - the Canadian production outfit backed by Solange Attwood and Julie Chang’s Serial Maven Studios - for Baby Elephant School, which goes inside a Sri Lankan elephant sanctuary that rehabilitates orphaned calves. The U.K.-Canada co-production is between Channel 4 and CBC, with France’s Arte on board as a pre-sale partner.

The show is a treaty co-production, meaning it takes advantage of the formal treaty between the U.K. and Canada, first set up in 1975. This official pact is not always leveraged for factual projects because certain criteria can push prices up and erode the overall value of a co-production.

But for projects such as Baby Elephant School, savvy producers have proven that the right factual production can take advantage of the treaty requirements, as long as they stay within some essential guardrails.

Read on to learn more about…

• How to find the right Canadian co-production partner

• Why working with a tax credit expert will save you down the line

• When to apply for official treaty co-production status

• Crafting different versions of a story for different countries

• How to work the budget split according to treaty lines

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Finding the Right Match

McLure, former managing director of Pioneer Productions, first engaged with the co-production model when budgets tightened up during an industry crunch around the 2008 recession. Since then, she has set up several co-productions (Can Dogs Talk? recently aired on CBC), with Canada becoming a favoured market due to its appealing tax credits and rich production sector.

McLure encourages producers to, firstly, think carefully about their story, and whether it has a Canadian link or interest. If it does and lends itself to a treaty co-production (specific criteria is found on the BFI website), you can either reach out to a Canadian producer directly, or ask for support from U.K. producers’ trade org Pact or a co-production consultant who will have those connections. (Tip: Canada is a huge country, and there is an eight-hour time difference for the U.K. with West Coast-based companies, compared to five hours with the East Coast. Keep in mind that you’ll likely meet regularly on Zoom to discuss the project so time differences can make or break your schedule.)

In McLure’s case, she had a long-standing relationship with Canadian public broadcaster CBC and, once she secured her commission from Channel 4, she was able to pitch Baby Elephant School directly to CBC and reverse engineer the project, bringing Cantina on board as her Canadian production partner.

Finding the right partner with the same sensibilities is critical for a ‘harmonious’ co-production. In McLure’s case, she had a long history of working with Serial Maven’s Chang and Attwood at their previous home of Blue Ant Media, and with Cantina’s Betty Orr when she was still at Pioneer.

‘It’s a bit like a marriage; it’s quite an intimate relationship,’ says McLure, who encourages transparent communication about everything from budgets to timelines. ‘You need to date your Canadian partner a little bit. You need to make sure you’re going to get along when times are difficult, which they really are in productions with low budgets and high expectations.’

When a co-production is agreed, each respective side needs to apply for official co-production status with official funding bodies Telefilm Canada and the BFI. Here, assistance from an exceptional tax credit expert is worth their weight in gold.

‘It’s really important that all that is done early on, to be sure that you are actually going to qualify,’ says McLure. ‘You have to do a lot of work to get that qualification, in terms of business affairs, paperwork and budgeting. And it all needs to be filed through BFI and Telefilm quite early. You can’t spend too much until you’re convinced you’ve got co-production status.’

Takeaways: Think about your story and whether it has a Canadian angle or interest; find an appropriate production partner; keep the time difference with the U.K. in mind

Crafting the Story

Some stories will have obvious ties to a certain country, but sometimes the subject matter will be more universal. Wildlife series such as Baby Elephant School can fall into the latter, and attract a Canadian broadcast partner without a local connection. Even so, the project, which is now in production, took roughly three years to bring together due to complex permissions and access protocols in Sri Lanka.

‘It’s very hard to make wildlife,’ says McLure, who notes that once robust cable networks such as Discovery’s Animal Planet are no longer commissioning in the same way. ‘There are very few hours being commissioned in the wildlife community, and very few at tariffs that make it doable. We were chasing this access with our partners in Sri Lanka for a long time, and [because] commission rates are dropping, we thought the only way this will work is to turn it into a co-production with partners.”

Channel 4’s version is four parts with wildlife host Lizzy Daly attached, while the CBC’s popular The Nature of Things strand will get a one-hour film fronted by science presenter Anthony Morgan. France’s Arte, which has signed on to the project on a pre-sale basis, will take a three-hour series without a host.

‘Each of these are having their own versions,’ says McLure. ‘We have to make sure we have our shot list for each channel. There will be some shared material, because there are wonderful elephant characters who will be similar in each version, but then we take time [shooting with each host].’

Takeaways: Wildlife is time-consuming and lends itself to co-production because it’s so expensive to make; each country needs its own bespoke version of the show

Keep Your Spend on Track

Budgets tend to rise on Canadian co-productions because the treaty requires that certain roles are occupied by nationals. On Baby Elephant School, for example, there are both Canadian and U.K. directors, editors and executive producers.

‘You have to be quite careful, because it can get expensive when you’ve got two teams running,’ says McLure. ‘Look at the project and understand where the split of spend should be, and who should be in which office. Where should the editing be done? Where should the final post-production be done?’

The budget should ultimately follow the same ratio as the treaty co-production split. For example, a 60-40 U.K.-Canada split means that 60 percent of spend is in the U.K. and 40 percent is in Canada.

‘If you get that wrong, when you don’t comply at final audit, it will fail. You won’t get your money, and you end up in a real hole,’ warns McLure, who handles most of the business affairs for productions herself, alongside her reliable tax credit expert.

Funding the tax credit is also mission critical, particularly as Canada pays back the tax credits at the very end of production.

‘Cash flow becomes an issue you have to understand before you undertake a production,’ says McLure. ‘You may need to make a provision for funding the tax credits, which is an area not to be forgotten because you [may not] have the finance to go ahead and make the project.’

Money aside, bringing the right attitude and working with like-minded partners is paramount, says McLure. And that often means staying open to compromise.

‘Make sure you go into it in the real spirit of true co-production,’ she says. ‘You have to be aware that there will be leads on both sides, execs on both sides and probably a director on both sides. And you have to discuss the process with your partners to be sure everyone’s going to be comfortable with the way the production is set out.’

Takeaways: Budgets must follow treaty co-pro ratios; it’s essential to think about cash flowing your project because tax credits are paid at the very end

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Everyone is talking about how to raise new revenue streams. One way to do that is through platforms such as Patreon.

It can seem daunting going direct to consumer, but the brains behind Time Team did just that after the show was cancelled by Channel 4.

They have built up a membership that has funded the return of the much-loved archaeological show, which now airs on YouTube.

So read on for advice on:

• How to make the leap to fandom funding

• Smart strategies to grow and activate your membership

• Production playbooks for YouTube

• Unlocking partnerships and monetising your archive

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Hiring? We feature paid job listings, to book a listing, email hello@theindiehustle.com

Sponsorship? If your organisation would like to find out about sponsorship and advertising opportunities, email hello@theindiehustle.com

Read more

There are wildly different estimates of how much the vertical drama business is worth, but Media Partners Asia estimated that 2025 revenues in China, where the ‘duanju’ format originated, exceeded an eye-watering $9 billion.

Over in the U.S., where short-form’s popularity has skyrocketed in the last year, headline-grabbing deals such as Fox Entertainment’s equity stake in Ukrainian vertical drama operator Holywater and scripted pact with creator Dhar Mann last month have illustrated how seriously legacy players are beginning to take the burgeoning format.

As the U.K.’s vertical offerings start rolling out onto market, we’re seeing the first local test cases. Will local producers and app developers manage to sustain businesses in the Wild West of vertical dramas? Can they sidestep the crushing marketing costs required to get eyeballs to the platforms?

To dig into the mechanics of how the U.K.’s pioneering vertical video makers are navigating the format, Indie Hustle caught up with two vertical drama specialists playing very different roles in this space: production house Onset Octopus, which is carving a niche as a trusted supplier to platforms such as DramaBox and ReelShort; and EMC Productions, founders of Britain’s first vertical drama app Tattle TV, who are focusing their efforts on licensing and commissioning.

Read on to learn more about:

• The budgets, production timelines and tech behind successful vertical dramas

• Why the U.K. is ‘wide open’ as a short-form market

• How vertical dramas are keeping actors and crews in steady work

• How one app is keeping marketing costs low and growing organically

• Why leveraging AI is necessary to scale a vertical drama app

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Hiring? We feature paid job listings, to book a listing, email hello@theindiehustle.com

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In the week that it emerged creative industries minister Ian Murray has written to Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes, saying that “the television market is transforming” so Channel 4 and the BBC should forge closer ties, we are taking time to look at the tectonic plates that are shifting and reshaping the industry.

Mega-mergers and consolidation are the buzzwords of the moment, whether it be the proposed union between All3Media and Banijay or Sky’s owner Comcast looking at buying ITV.

Sometimes we are so busy looking at the waves we cannot see the tides.

So we spoke with the chair of the British Broadcasting Challenge, Pat Younge, for his overview of the industry, the challenges it faces and the opportunities in the emerging new landscape.

With his extensive experience at the BBC, ITV Studios and as an indie boss at Sugar Films and Cardiff Productions, and now at creative consultancy Skin In The Game Studios, he has some ideas about how smaller indies can continue to thrive and win more commissions.

So read on for a resounding rallying call and insights about:

• Why the mega-mergers change the game for everyone

• Archive is the new currency (and what to do about it)

• Policy is market-shaping: have your say in the BBC charter consultation

• Think 360 or get squeezed: building ecosystems around ideas

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Hiring? We feature paid job listings, to book a listing, email hello@theindiehustle.com

Sponsorship? If your organisation would like to find out about sponsorship and advertising opportunities, email hello@theindiehustle.com

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As UKTV factual commissioner Emile Nawagamuwa recently predicted in The Indie Hustle, production companies will self-fund and go direct to consumer in 2026 more than ever before “as a way to prove market value without waiting for a shrinking pool of traditional commissioning slots.”

One important case study, he observed, is the ongoing digital series HUMAN from Zandland, a slick collection of films fronted by Zandland founder and filmmaker Benjamin Zand. Its mission is to make unmissable programmes about controversial people and subcultures that build a community among its online audience.

But are enough viewers seeking out HUMAN on digital and social platforms to make it worth Zandland’s while?

Four months since the first film, a journey into a “whites-only” town in post-apartheid South Africa, dropped on YouTube, Zand tells us HUMAN is a bet that’s paid off, but not quite in the way you might expect.

Read on for Zand’s insights on:

• Why Zandland put its ITV doc series Breaking Ranks on YouTube internationally

• Building a digital audience that will eventually pay for your content

• How branded content helped to fund HUMAN films

• Why HUMAN’s success is in recurring audience numbers rather than digital revenue

• Why producers need to stop expecting overnight success from digital originals

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It’s that time of year when all eyes are (even more than usual) on finances and talk of quarterly forecasts for the year ahead.

So let us take something off your plate this week by helping you plan out your TV events for 2026.

With more conferences and markets than ever before, it can be bewildering working out which to attend.

In this global content era, you know you need to go to some to keep up with the latest developments and to network with partners, commissioners and distributors – but which ones should you go to and why?

Your time is valuable and, with budgets squeezed, every penny counts; so we’ve compiled a calendar and guide to assist with your decision-making.

Read on to find out:

• Which events are right for you

• The most up-to-date info on the major markets

• What the costs might be

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TV EVENTS 2026

The increasing costs of attending conferences and events hit the headlines when the Edinburgh TV Festival announced that it’s considering moving city to mitigate the rising accommodation prices in the Scottish capital.

So to help you plan, let’s map out what’s happening when and where. Prices are correct at time of publication but may change and you may be able to get discounts so check organisers’ websites for details.

February

Realscreen Summit, 2–6 February (Miami) NATPE Global, 2–6 February 2026 (Miami)

Last year these two events came together and they’re doing the same again this year.

UK distributors don’t usually attend but, focusing on the global unscripted business, Realscreen’s speakers this year include All3Media CEO Jane Turton, president of Fox Television Network Michael Thorn and Amazon MGM Studios head of international formats Anais Baker.

The more content-focused NATPE covers all genres. Held at the Intercontinental Miami there’ll be speed pitching and networking events aplenty, plus the RealScreen Awards.

Full ticket price for 2026: $1,975 for RealScreen, $2,375 for both RealScreen and NATPE Global

Broadcast Awards, 4 February (Grosvenor House, London)

Kicking off TV awards season is industry bible Broadcast’s annual awards - it’s a sit-down meal but with plenty of time to catch up with contacts during the pre-event drinks or on the dance floor.

Full ticket price for 2026: £720+VAT for a seat and from £6,500+VAT for a table of ten

Berlin International Film Festival, 12–22 February and Berlinale Co-Production Market, 14-17 February

Known as the Berlinale, this is one of the major annual international film festivals and the first key film showcase of the year. The festival’s jury awards eight prizes, including the Golden Bear for Best Film at the closing gala in the Berlinale Palast. Running alongside the main festival is Berlinale Pro, which encompasses four deal-making and financing, conference and networking events under one umbrella: the huge European Film Market (EFM), the Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund.

Full ticket price for 2026: EFM’s tiered rates are from €320 to €450

BAFTA Film Awards, 22 February 2026 (Royal Festival Hall, London)

The UK’s prestige film awards, which include one for best short film, is seen as the bellwether for the Oscars.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

MIP London, 22–24 February 2026 (Savoy Hotel and IET London)

Last year, in reaction to changes in how the global TV market operates, conference organiser RX France ended six decades of the long-standing Cannes international content market brand MIPTV (short for Marché International des Programme) and relocated the event to the UK under the new name MIP London. Panellists include executives from Banijay, Snap, Zinc Media, Little Dot, NatGeo, ZDTV and SVT and sessions including topics such as vertical content. Runs alongside the London TV Screenings.

Full ticket price for 2026: £560

London TV Screenings, 22-27 February (London)

Founded by All3Media International, Banijay Entertainment, Fremantle and ITV Studios in 2021 this is free, independent, invite-only showcase has grown to become a must-see event and features all the major UK and global players including Paramount, StudioCanal, NBC Universal, ITV, Banijay and Lionsgate.

Invite only

BBC Studios Showcase, 23–24 February (180 Studios, The Strand, London)

Running alongside the London TV Screenings, it celebrates 50 years this year (yes, really) and will shine a light on the best of what the BBC is making and selling.

Invite only

March

Royal Television Society Programme Awards, 24 March (Grosvenor House, London)

Plenty of networking and catch-ups happen at these formal but buzzy awards during the pre-award drinks and the sit-down meal.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

C21 – Content India, 16–18 March 2026 (Taj Lands End hotel, Mumbai)

A partnership between C21Media and DishTV, this three-day event aims to connect the Indian market with international partners

Full ticket price for 2026: £999

Series Mania, 20–27 March 2026 (Lille and online)

An international TV festival dedicated to television series and fans, it features masterclasses pitching, networking and conference sessions, as well as international premieres. Its Upfronts for buyers is invite-only but you can buy tickets to its Forum conference.

Full ticket price for 2026: €450 for a daily pass, €150 for online pass.

April

Broadcast Summit, 15 April (London)

The event previously known as the Broadcast Indie Summit, this event brings together producers, broadcasters, streamers and suppliers, this event features speakers and debates about the future of the industry and 1:1 meetings. Program not yet revealed.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

C21 – Content Europe, 21–23 April (Marriott Hotel, Lisbon)

A three-part conference programme featuring the Future Formats Forum, The Content Acquisitions Summit and The Kids Content Summit.

Full ticket price for 2026: €799

Canneseries, 23–28 April 2026 (Cannes)

Open to the public and in its ninth year these awards and conference at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès de Cannes, focus on series. Includes pink carpet premieres and networking opportunities.

Full ticket price for 2026: €360

BAFTA Television Craft Awards, April date TBC

Prestige event that rewards and connects technicians, crew and those at the top of their game in their craft.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

NATPE Budapest, (paused this year)

C21 – Create London, 29 April 2026 (King’s Cross, London)

Debuted in 2025, this year it’ll bring together creators, brands, commercial partners and platforms plus feature an AI Festival.

Full ticket price for 2026: £699

May

Creative Cities, 6–7 May 2026 (Liverpool)

Will feature speakers who are creative economy leaders. Full programme released a few weeks before the event but 2025’s one in Leeds included BBC director general Tim Davie and commissioners from Amazon, ITV, UKTV and Channel 5.

Earlybird rate for 2026: £225

BAFTA Television Awards, 10 May 2026

Prestige event that’s televised and a prime networking opportunity during the sit-down dinner after the awards, plus during the post-ceremony drinks and dancing.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Media Production & Technology Show, 13–14 May (Olympia, London)

Focused on new tech and connections, this event is now in its tenth year and organised by the company behind industry bible Broadcast.

The show is traditionally free to attend for industry professionals, with paid add-ons only for certain workshops or closed sessions. Access is usually granted via advance online registration rather than ticket sales.

Conecta Fiction & Entertainment, 25-28 May (Mallorca)

Now in its tenth year, this festival includes premieres and networking and pitching opportunities. An additional attraction is it takes place on Magaluf Beach!

No confirmed pricing for 2026

LA Screenings – no confirmed 2026 dates yet

C21 Content LA – no confirmed 2026 event yet

June

C21 – Content Warsaw, 1-3 June (Kinogram, Warsaw) Content Warsaw Co-pro Pitch is included at this central and eastern European-focused market, screenings and conference event in Poland.

Full ticket price for 2026: €399 if you’re outside the CEE area

SXSW London, 1-6 June

Cultural festival that in 2025 featured talks ranging from CEO of Google’s AI laboratory DeepMind Demis Hassabis to actor Idris Elba.

Full ticket price for 2026: £1560

Seriencamp Festival, 9–11 June (Cologne)

Programme for this event in Germany for fans, creators and execs of series yet to be announced.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Sheffield Doc/Fest, 10–15 June (sites across Sheffield)

Premier international festival for documentaries, which includes talks, panels and its MeetMarket for documentary features and series which are either in development, production, post-production or rough cut stage looking for partners.

Full ticket price for 2026: £425

Monte Carlo TV Festival, 12–16 June (Monaco)

One of the most glamorous TV festivals, this is also one of the oldest (it’s in its 65th year) and features speakers, industry discussions and a pitching contest. Programme TBC but often starry - last year one of the speakers was Robin Wright.

Full ticket price for 2026: €800–€950 per person and €8000 for a table

Banff World Media Festival, 14–17 June (Banff)

Another one for leading decision makers who gather to discuss industry and content issues and network amid the stunning Canadian scenery. Also home to the Rockie awards. Programme TBC.

Full ticket price for 2026: CAD $1,895 or $299 for an online pass

Sunny Side of the Doc, 22–25 June (La Rochelle)

Another glamorous location for a market, this doc-focused international market (founded in 1990) focuses on co-production funding and distribution.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

August

Edinburgh Television Festival, 25–28 August

The OG of UK TV conferences, it began in the Scottish capital in 1976 and is renowned for its content and business-focused sessions and networking opportunities, as well as is awards and the agenda-setting MacTaggart Lecture. Could this be its last year in Edinburgh though?

Full ticket price for 2026: £1,299 + Booking Fee & VAT

September

National Television Awards, 8 September (O2 Arena, London)

Voted for by the public, the NTAs provide a sociable networking opportunity with talent and execs at the after show parties.

Full ticket price for 2026: £257 for a seat package

TIFF: The Market, September 10-16 (Toronto)

Toronto International Film Festival is debuting its official content market designed to champion film, television, new media, and Canadian creators.

Full ticket price for 2026: $800 +HST - $1,030 +HST

Royal Television Society London Convention (London)

Attracting top industry execs, policy-makers and leaders, this prestige conference focuses on the big issues facing the business and rotates each year between London and Cambridge.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Berlin TV Series Festival, 19–21 September

Another event dedicated to TV series, it provides a showcase and networking opportunities.

Full ticket price for 2026: $149.

Content Canada, September (Toronto, dates TBC)

October

Breaking-TV Film Festival – 2-4 October (London)

Focusing on independent film, the British Films Market is held alongside it, making it an attractive meeting point for producers, distributors and buyers.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Brand Licensing Europe, 6–8 October (ExCeL London)

Key event for doing lucrative licensing deals for your valuable intellectual property.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

BFI London Film Festival, 7–18 October

Leading festival for British film; features talks and premieres.

Various ticket prices available on BFI website

MIPCOM, 12–15 October 2026 (Cannes)

The famed Croisette will once again be home to the global content market for four days of deal-making, talks and events.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Wildscreen, 19-21 October (Bath)

Natural history-focused conference featuring masterclasses, workshops and meetings, as well as its Panda awards – which celebrate the best natural world storytelling.

Full ticket price for 2026: £510. £90 for an online pass.

November

TellyCast Digital Content Forum – 5 November (BFI Southbank, London)

Creators and social video-focused event that specialises in next generation content.

Earlybird rate for 2026: £299.99

Grierson Awards – 10 November (usually London)

Documentary awards ceremony run by the Grierson Trust and attended by sector leaders.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

GrowthLab London - 17 November (London)

Premier gathering for the UK television and content industry to connect, pitch and do business across every screen and revenue stream. Featuring commercially-focused panel sessions, last years speakers included Dan McGolpin, Specs and Jane Turton. The market hall offers high impact networking and real deal-making opportunities, with distributors, broadcast and streamer commissioning editors and a wide range of digital and brand partners. Last year these included; Banijay Entertainment, BBC Studios, Tik Tok, Zoo 55, Amazon Prime amongst many others. Full disclosure, it's run by Indielab - the company behind this newsletter.

Super reveal early bird rate for 2026: From £150 + VAT. Available here.

AI Creative Summit – date TBC

An AI-focused event from the company behind Broadcast.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards – date TBC

Broadcast’s tech awards are usually attended by broadcasters, rights holders and tech companies.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Rose d’Or Awards – 30 November (venue TBC)

Once held in Switzerland, this European Broadcasting Union flagship event is now produced in partnership with C21 and in 2025 the ceremony was held in King’s Cross in London.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

C21 – Content London, December (dates TBC)

London-based event consisting of markets, meetings and session discussions.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

Women in Film & Television Awards – date TBC

Always entertaining and packed with leading creatives and talent, this is one of the most fun events in the calendar and provides opportunities to network during the drinks and sit-down meal.

No confirmed pricing for 2026

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Most indie producers will likely agree it no longer pays to be 100% faithful to an industry that’s shape-shifting virtually every quarter. Just last week, The Times declared a “tragedy” for traditional TV as new figures by UK ratings body Barb revealed YouTube had overtaken the BBC in monthly reach since October, when the organisation first began measuring the video-sharing platform.

In addition, Amol Rajan announced he was leaving the Today programme “to jump into the Great Digital Narnia of the Creator Economy, and build my own company”, as he put it.

While the BBC remains a market leader across other significant viewership metrics, it’s undeniable that what once felt like conjecture about an all-powerful YouTube-fuelled creator economy and digital shift is quickly becoming a market reality that requires a little getting used to.

But how do you stay across market shifts in traditional commissioning, and gauge which additional revenue streams are actually viable in a volatile market? It’s a question stumping indies of all shapes and sizes, including established companies that enjoyed success with traditional partners but are struggling to penetrate the new wave of platforms.

This year, Indielab’s TV Accelerator returns as Content Futures, a fresh offering that will cater to those indies - including Indielab alumni - looking to reposition and recalibrate in a changing market where tariffs are tighter, decision-making takes longer, and separating fact from fiction around commercial returns from digital is becoming mission critical. The programme is open nationally and regionally, with half the cohort expected to be based outside London.

To break down what you can expect from Content Futures, which is accepting applications from Tuesday, here’s Indielab CEO and programme director Victoria Powell to discuss her view from the ground and what’s driving the strategic accelerator.

Read on to learn about:

· Why even established production companies are looking to reinvent
· How generative and agentic AI will guide Content Futures
· Why understanding international co-productions and alternative funding models could save your business
· Why audience data is critical to smart development
· How indies need to balance business from traditional commissioning while expanding their IP digitally

Too Big to Fail? Think Again

Waiting for the industry to bounce back stopped being an option for most companies around 2024. It’s the rare indie that hasn’t been forced to consider what reinvention looks like for them. And Powell has received calls from big, multinational players looking to do exactly this.

“We’ve been approached over recent months by major studios who are operating all over EMEA to come in and deliver strategic workshops for their very successful, established labels,” she explains, noting that Indielab has been tasked with helping them understand how to better diversify and monetise IP and talent.

The surge of outreach was a wake-up call.

“This is not a problem that’s happening just for smaller indies,” says Powell. “This is an issue that is happening across the sector around the need to fundamentally adjust for changing market dynamics and understand how to continue to make great TV programmes, but also monetise them and understand how to get the best value out of IP and talent across multiple, diversified revenue streams, with a broader set of finances and funding partners.”

Powell notes the need for a “stop, start, continue” mindset about the industry and how people are operating, because commissioning is slower and far more selective. Indeed, UK trade body Pact’s annual Production Survey results in September revealed that public-service broadcasters are continuing to spend less on new IP. Just 29% of PSB spend in 2024 went to new commissions (returning programmes claimed 71%), down from 36% in 2023 and 34% in 2022.

While genres such as drama enjoyed record levels of spend, those scoring greenlights are an exclusive group: 75.5% of all drama spend went to companies with revenues of more than £25 million.

Certain genres of programming “just aren’t being commissioned in the same volume, or have almost ceased to operate in the same way,” says Powell. Meanwhile, “other areas are expanding, and there are opportunities in moving into [them].”

Takeaways: Established indies are looking for more support; all companies, regardless of size, need to adjust to changing market dynamics.

Understanding Audiences & AI

Content Futures is designed around four key pillars: strategic direction and growth planning; partnerships and routes to market; industry insight, data and applied technology; and an indie showcase and market positioning.

A major focus of the edition is how to finance production in the current climate, whether that’s by way of an international co-production or an alternative funding model, such as a brand partnership. Companies will also be connected to distributors and other funding partners that now present further avenues for financing beyond the usual stable of broadcasters.

Elsewhere, while AI and technology received dedicated sessions in the previous TV Accelerator, the new programme features a strand that embeds both generative and agentic AI (autonomous AI that requires minimal supervision) across the entire edition.

“We’re really looking at workflows and how you move with the development of the technology and continue to stay in an open, learning mindset,” says Powell.

A practical analysis of data and technology to better understand audience demand is also a crucial element of this year’s offering, as well as a new frontier for Indielab.

“A vital part of the make-up of a production company is really understanding, engaging, growing and evolving with your audience,” says Powell.

As such, a new plank will examine how to leverage audience insight to better inform development. Streamers and broadcasters have been parsing audience analysis and data for years to guide their commissioning. Now, both scripted and unscripted indies can generate their own data, from free open sources, to turbocharge ideas and pitch smarter.

“It’s about helping indies understand how to use open-source data about audiences to drive creative development more successfully,” says Powell.

Takeaways: Knowing how to set up an international co-production could be vital for growth; generative and agentic AI will inform an entire Content Futures strand; understanding audience demand via open-source data analysis is critical for all indies.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Digital Revenues

There’s a delicate balance in maintaining the development engine geared towards PSBs and traditional commissioning (essential business that still keeps the lights on at most indies) while exploring IP optimisation across new, buzzy avenues such as branded entertainment, podcasting and vertical dramas.

Powell hopes to separate reality from hype in a Content Futures session that will “pull back the curtain on understanding what the actual revenue models are and what’s creating value, and where, within digital and branded entertainment revenue streams”.

“The reality is, in the digital space, there are around 15 creators that are making an enormous amount of money. But the median income rate for a digital creator is only £10,000,” says Powell. “There’s got to be a bit of reality about what is making actual revenue when moving into any of these spaces - where the value lies and what the mechanics of those business models are. A lot of that potential still stems from traditional TV IP and talent, which is good news for our indies.”

Will vertical drama provide a lucrative reality check for some? The burgeoning format will certainly be a key focus, particularly as British producers gear up to crack the market.

“I think it’s only a matter of time before drama and scripted producers in the UK have managed to figure out how to really access that market and bring the incredible talent and quality of content production we’ve got in our drama landscape,” says Powell.

“Branded entertainment does represent a real opportunity for some indies in both digital and traditional TV, but understanding how the brands and consultants operate and the type of formats that work is key,” says Powell.

Ultimately, Content Futures is designed around honing producers’ expectations and addressing market realities, with a focus on where real opportunity lies, says the Indielab boss.

“It’s a really interesting but very critical time in the sector,” Powell notes. “Our programme right now is looking at that dynamic between squeezed budgets and lower commissioning on one side, and opportunities [on the other]. But what are the commercial realities of those opportunities? Where and how can production companies navigate and diversify into that world, bringing with them our amazing talent and sector?”

Takeaways: Indies must demystify what’s actually creating value in digital; British scripted producers are gearing up to crack the vertical drama market.

Indielab Content Futures Accelerator opens on 20 January. Find out more here.

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When Twitch streamer Angry Ginge was crowned winner of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in December, it marked another milestone in the journey of social-first content creators into the mainstream.

His victory was followed two weeks later by a second-place finish on Strictly Come Dancing for TikTok and YouTube star George Clarke.

For Benjy Leslie, founder and chief executive of social-first talent agency Connect Management, this was further proof that in the year ahead content creators will increasingly “bridge the gap” between social and traditional media, and producers will develop more social-first shows.

Connect Management is one of the fastest-growing talent agencies for stars of the creator economy, with a roster of talent that includes Eurovision star Sam Ryder and Lioness footballer Lucy Bronze.

So we asked Leslie what 2026 will hold for social-first stars and what indies need to know about the changing relationship between TV and the creator sector.

With the 2026 World Cup coming and AI shifting the tools creators use every day, Leslie believes audiences will move more fluidly between platforms, and that brands and broadcasters will need to follow creators if they want to stay relevant.

So read on to find out about:

• How social and TV will converge

• Which platforms will be dominant

• Which creators will be popular this year

• How indies can work with content creators

• Opportunities in AI

2026: When social and TV begin to converge?

For Benjy Leslie, a major area for growth in the content creator economy will be increased crossover of talent between social and traditional media.

Last year, commercial brands delivered “meaningful campaigns” with social-first talent, and he says the TV industry is now turning to social media stars as well.

“This year you’re really going to see that gap being bridged, where the TV world is actually wanting this audience that they are not tapped into.

“They’re realising that the only way to get this younger-skewing audience to watch traditional TV is to bring in people that they resonate with.”

He says the TV industry will start taking “much more risks” on “original IP”, which will involve “funding shows around these social stars”.

Leslie, who founded the agency in 2020 when he was just 21, is “very confident” the next big TV format, on the level of The Traitors, will come from social-first talent.

Citing the success of social media output like Chicken Shop Date and the Sidemen, he believes big TV production companies will increasingly buy up the IP for these types of formats and put them onto traditional television services like ITV or Netflix. Netflix has already aired two seasons of the Sidemen-hosted Inside, which features social stars such as George Clarke doing challenges and hit the third most watched show on Netflix globally and number 2 in the UK.

According to Leslie: “The honest truth is that I think Netflix are going to dominate. I think Netflix are going to start to buy up a lot of these creator shows.”

The boss of Connect, which has more than 150 creators on its books, says major TV producers are already developing social-first shows. They are also hiring people who understand social and are working out who is “relevant enough to have their own show”.

He says it is important for production companies to invest in formats from content creators; otherwise, they could miss out to rivals who are prepared to take the risk.

Takeaways: Increased crossover of talent; huge formats to come from social media; TV companies will buy up content creator IP.

YouTube will dominate

In terms of which platforms are going to grow most in the year ahead, Leslie singles out YouTube.

He describes himself as a “big believer in YouTube”, saying it is “where a lot of creators will see massive success in 2026”.

“I would put a lot of eggs into the YouTube basket. They’ve been extremely aggressive last year with Shorts, but long-form is where it’s at,” he adds.

“One, it’s one of the only platforms that actually is sustainable monetisation-wise as a creator. You put content out there and you get paid for it.

“But two, it’s one of the only places that you can captivate an entire family in front of their television - in the way you would on traditional TV - without having to pay to be there.”

Leslie, who sits on the Children in Need Commercial Advisory Group, compares posting videos on YouTube to having “unlimited lottery tickets”.

He explains: “The more videos you post, the more lottery tickets you’re buying yourself, but for free, basically.

“All you need is one of those videos to get picked up on the trending page. The whole account then gets followed and picked up, and you become a YouTuber overnight.”

He said one of his creators had been posting for six months but could not get past 2,000 subscribers. Then one video went viral and within a month they had grown to 600,000.

“It really is a long game,” he adds. “It’s something that I would really urge content creators and production companies to be investing their time into, especially if you’re thinking about creating traditional formats.”

He points to the importance of utilising other social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat to promote YouTube content.

Takeaways: Target YouTube growth; focus on long-form; use other social platforms to promote.

What type of creator will thrive in 2026

With 2026 being a World Cup year, you might expect football creators to be the big winners in the year ahead.

But Leslie has a slightly different take on the type of social media stars that will go viral in the next 12 months.

He explains: “If you asked me two years ago, I would have said the World Cup is coming, football creators are going to smash it.

“I actually think - from the discussions we’ve been having with a lot of the World Cup sponsors - that they’re looking for lifestyle people, normal people, that can showcase the fact that football as a sport is really fun to watch.”

He believes sponsors are going after talent that would not traditionally talk about the World Cup, to try and capture a different audience.

“Who watches football creators? People that love football. If you love football, you’re probably going to be watching the World Cup anyway,” he points out.

He says football creators will be flown out to the World Cup and attending games, but adds: “I think there will be a lot of creators from home that are going to be really driving viewership digitally.”

Another of his big tips for 2026 is that there will be increased success for social creators who are prepared to be “honest and open” and “put their raw selves out”.

He said social media stars who project a “perfect life” are beginning to “annoy” people.

Instead, “you’re going to see some people that are, quite frankly, the opposite of brand-safe.

“I think you’re going to have people that are just outlandishly themselves; that become extremely viral, talking about really sensitive subjects, like [their] sex life and all that sort of stuff.

“I think that’s the type of thing that’s going to really be connecting with people this year.”

Amid a fairly bleak news agenda, he also predicts a big trend for humorous creator content this year.

With social media in danger of becoming a “doom and gloom” portal, he thinks there will be success for people who “showcase” the positive and “fab” things that are happening across the world.

He also predicts one of his own clients, Grime Gran - the East End grandmother who interviews grime stars in her living room - is set for a big year.

Takeaways: Non-football content creators covering the World Cup; outrageously honest viral content; increased appetite for uplifting content and humour.

How indies and creators can work together

The need for production companies to work more closely with content creators is vital, says the boss of the talent agency that now has more than 40 staff.

“I think that the production companies that don’t do this, that don’t utilise creators and do these deals, will go bankrupt.”

He adds: “You will see a load of creators creating their own production companies to do this themselves.”

Traditionally, content creators have wanted flat fees to be involved in deals with producers. But Leslie thinks that if shows are built around the talent, they are increasingly likely to want to take equity in the show.

He explains: “If that show is going to turn over a million quid, why would you want a £10,000 appearance fee? It’s just about being clever with it.”

He suggests these projects should be done more as joint ventures and gives the example of a model where once the production company has made its money back, everything is split 50/50.

The good news, in Leslie’s view, is that production companies should not underestimate the pull traditional TV still has for social media stars. Television is the “one way” social stars can prove to their families they have “made it”.

“That’s subconsciously almost hardwired into the back of all these creators’ heads,” he adds.

His advice to production companies is to “back creators, build a relationship and work together”, and he thinks TV companies should build out a roster of social stars that they love working with.

Indies should also “build friendships” with social-first agents like him, who can tell “honest truths” about who would be good for certain shows.

Takeaways: Build relationships with social creators; structure attractive deals; TV still has massive pull.

Opportunities in AI

Leslie is bullish about threats posed by AI to the content creator economy in 2026, believing that social media is quick to reject inauthentic voices.

He also thinks that AI, if used cleverly, will benefit production companies and talent agents like him by helping to search for the best creators to front a show or assisting with editing and scheduling content.

But he is not unduly worried about competition from AI-generated content.

“It’s obvious when there’s no human touch on it. So I’m not so much scared that it’s going to replace stuff that we do.”

“As soon as you find out that somebody you’re following isn’t a real person, you don’t want to engage with them anymore,” he reckons.

He points to the product influencer sector, explaining that people buy things “based on recommendations” from people they “trust”. So, “as soon as I know that the person recommending me stuff isn’t a real person that’s never even tried the product, why on earth would I take that person’s recommendation?”

Takeaways: AI will not kill content creators; authenticity is key; AI can benefit the industry.

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AI is still the principal word on everyone’s lips right now.

Last year the tech really made its mark in TV, culminating in Disney’s Sora licensing agreement with OpenAI. But what can you expect this year and what opportunities do the new AI models present?

We asked Dan Taylor-Watt - who led the development of two of the UK’s most successful digital products: BBC iPlayer & BBC Sounds and now advises media companies on AI - for his thoughts on how the technology could affect the content creation industry in 2026.

He thinks we are at a “watershed moment” and your unique skillset and industry understanding can prove fruitful; so read on to find out why and learn about:

• The benefits and challenges ahead

• The new AI to keep an eye on

• Strategies to learn from the big deals

• Five developments in AI you can expect to see this year

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The benefits and challenges ahead

I believe AI can bring immediate benefit to all TV companies and team members with the right training, tools and time to experiment.

It can help with day-to-day productivity tasks like transcribing, summarising, translating and cleaning up audio, but it can also play a valuable role in more open-ended tasks like research, idea generation, writing, and generating and re-versioning media.

One of the biggest challenges is knowing what’s possible. Most AI tools have text input boxes inviting you to “ask anything”, but it’s not clear what tasks they’ll be good or bad at. There’s also huge amounts of hype.

Another challenge is people viewing AI as a single, monolithic and often threatening thing. In practice, AI is a label that’s been given to a wide range of different tools and we have agency over what we do and don’t want to use them for.

Having a basic understanding of how AI works and its strengths and weaknesses can help identify the areas where it can actually add value, as can seeing examples of what’s worked elsewhere. I’m hopeful we’ll start to see more sharing within the industry of where AI is and isn’t adding value.

The new AI to keep an eye on

With Nano Banana Pro and the new ChatGPT Images, AI image generation and editing have got to a fairly high level of quality, consistency and control.

I expect the same to happen with video in 2026, with improved adherence to real-world physics, AI video generation’s Achilles heel, better text rendering, longer generations and the ability to easily make fine-grained edits.

In addition, I think Google and OpenAI will continue pushing the envelope with their Veo and Sora models, although expect companies with a more singular focus on video, for example Runway, to potentially offer more fine-grained control and better tooling. To date, Chinese AI models have been catching up with, rather than overtaking, the leading US models, but we may see that change in 2026.

It’s easy to fixate on wholly AI-generated video, but outside of advertising, animation and historical re-enactments, I anticipate the primary on-screen application of AI for established TV producers in 2026 will be a more affordable route to on-screen graphics and VFX.

AI-generated and edited audio is another area set to mature in 2026, as the quality increase makes AI a viable tool for narration, music and sound effects.

I’d also call out the ability to transform content from one format to another. After the addition of “audio overviews”, AI-hosted podcasts increased attention on Google’s NotebookLM, it’s been quietly plumbing in its image and video generation models to enable content to be morphed into a variety of new formats.

Strategies to learn from the big deals

The Disney/OpenAI agreement feels like a watershed moment in the media industry, accepting generative AI is here to stay and that attempting to exercise some control over it may be a better strategy than pure opposition.

It’s a story we’ve seen play out before with online music, Napster to Spotify, and video, pre-Google YouTube to post-Google YouTube.

However, I think the partnership isn’t going to be plain sailing. Problematic generations feel inevitable and the restrictions imposed on what can and can’t be generated, and Disney’s claim on any outputs involving their IP, are likely to frustrate Sora users. Featuring select Sora-generated videos on Disney+ is also likely to draw ire from some viewers opposed to AI-generated video.

Once the dust has settled and more equitable licensing deals are in place, I’m hopeful we’ll get back to focusing on storytelling and the creation of characters and worlds viewers want to spend time with, as the audience appetite for that remains undiminished, regardless of the tools used to bring it to life.

Five key developments you can expect to see this year

1.) From standalone tools to AI capabilities in the software you use every day

Thousands of AI tools have been launched in the last few years. In 2026, more AI capabilities will be integrated into the software we use every day, from operating systems like Windows and iOS, to productivity suites like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, to creativity platforms like Adobe Creative Cloud, to content platforms like YouTube and TikTok.

Standalone AI tools won’t disappear, but lots of AI startups will see their idea emulated at scale by established players. The challenge for TV companies will be keeping on top of these new capabilities as they get integrated, both to realise the benefits and to manage the risks.

2.) New tools better tailored to real industry workflows

Whilst AI will increasingly get peppered through the software we already use every day, I anticipate we’ll also see a new breed of tool emerge, tailored towards real industry workflows. However capable Google and OpenAI’s models become, they won’t be tailored to the unique workflows of established industries.

This presents an opportunity for companies with an in-depth understanding of industry workflows to create simple tools which take the powerful capabilities being developed by the AI giants and stitch them together in a way that is optimised for specific industry workflows.

For example, MotionHub, which was developed by the founders of Chalk Productions with a grant from Innovate UK, addresses a real pain point for them, which was managing and monetising rushes.

3.) More generative AI models trained only on licensed material

Most generative AI models, including all of the household-name AI assistants, ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini, have been trained on unlicensed material. Whilst the volume of material these models have been trained on means they’re unlikely to recreate copyrighted material unless you directly ask them to, most within the creative industries are unhappy that the AI companies have used material for model training without permission or payment.

As more material gets licensed as training data, we’ll see more models trained exclusively on licensed material made available. Last year gave us Moonvalley’s video model Marey and ElevenLabs’ music model Eleven Music. Expect to see more emerge in 2026, giving production companies the option of using media generation models without a question mark about the material that was used to train them.

To what extent fairly trained models can catch up and keep pace with the frontier models from the likes of Google and OpenAI remains to be seen.

4.) AI tailored to you or your company

One area the big AI companies are now focused on is how to make their products more tailored to you and your company. It’s already possible to customise AI models to write in your or your company’s style, to respond using only information you’ve provided, rather than some random Reddit thread, and to connect to your email and other data stores.

Of course, there are trade-offs in sharing this sort of data, and the AI companies which are likely to succeed in this area are those that can provide sufficient reassurance to customers that they will keep their data safe and not use it for other purposes, for example model training or advertising.

However, to get the most value from AI, I’d suggest tailoring to you and your company is a necessary step.

5.) Hype over ‘agentic AI’ will give way to ‘tell me what it actually does’

I have an aversion to the term agentic AI, which is being liberally used to describe and hype a range of wildly different capabilities and tools. Truly agentic AI is AI that can autonomously use tools in pursuit of a goal you’ve given it. In practice, much of what is being marketed as agentic AI is predetermined ‘if this then that’ workflows, which make use of generative AI to report back in natural language. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just not agentic AI.

The challenge with truly agentic AI is reliability. Generative AI is inherently probabilistic, which means it’s not predictable and can easily go off the rails. Consequently, agentic AI is currently only useful in some fairly narrow domains, where missteps are easy to spot and correct. Generative AI will increasingly be paired with more deterministic, and therefore predictable, systems to achieve more agentic outcomes.

However, we are a long way from generalised agentic AI that can reliably go off and complete any task you throw at it, so don’t let FOMO lead you to invest in tools which are overpromising on their agentic capabilities. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

*Dan Taylor-Watt writes a weekly Substack Dan's Media & AI Sandwich

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From shooting a new film that could update audiences’ Richard Curtis-esque view of Notting Hill, to cold-calling Beyoncé’s father Matthew Knowles to collaborate on a children’s show, and from working on a documentary marking the tenth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower tragedy to creating a new studio space, Doc Hearts’ founder Andy Mundy-Castle is juggling a wide portfolio.

His company has embraced both diversity and diverse funding models. The latter wasn’t necessarily through choice, but it’s paying dividends now, financially and on the awards front. Doc Hearts won a BAFTA last year for White Nanny, Black Child and the recent IndieLab Innovation Awards Diversity & Inclusion prize for Geordie Stories: Nathan & Dad.

So what is his roadmap for how true indies can keep moving forward?

Read on to find out about:

• Funding stories through new sources of income
• Making authenticity key
• How embedding in communities can create better content
• Future-proofing your indie through digital, IP and infrastructure

Creative new sources of income

The commercial realities of the current market might be a jolt for some, but finding new avenues for funding is something Mundy-Castle has been doing for years.

He explains that not being part of television’s “inner circle” meant his company had to look elsewhere for money - a perceived disadvantage in the previous era, but now a strength.

“I think the fact that our niche, and sort of not being in the inner circle of television, has kind of ended up holding us in very good stead.

“I had to constantly look in very dynamic, diverse places for the financing and be quite disruptive and unorthodox with our models of trying to raise money.”

As a true indie focused on a wide range of opportunities, Doc Hearts has the freedom to source finance globally and creatively, without waiting in line behind hundreds of other development projects.

He explains: “You can literally go wherever you want around the world to facilitate content. I’ve just been having a conversation with somebody who wants us to consider doing work in the British Virgin Islands. We’re strongly considering what that looks like, what shape that is, and what rights we can then have to create content that we can sell into the acquisition pipeline globally.”

That potential source comes through the islands’ tourist board, and the potential deal is “indicative of the kind of landscape for true indies who don’t just rely on the television commissioning pipeline - as much as I would love to be self-sufficient on that pipeline, it isn’t a reality, and it isn’t a reality for many companies.”

Mundy-Castle adds: “If you don’t have a story that’s urgent, you’re in a pipeline of development amongst hundreds of other companies - months of working out the ‘isms and schisms’ of an idea. Then the production of it which, invariably, the numbers still don’t quite make sense unless you are doing one of those juggernaut shows.

“And even then, you’ve still got to really monitor percentages for the company. So I’ve always looked at it like this: the vehicle of commerce that we choose is storytelling. The playground is every industry beyond just broadcasting.”

Doc Hearts has worked for a wide range of clients, including banks, sportswear companies, tourism boards, airlines and charities. The social good sector can be a useful source of funding - Doc Hearts received paid development for a medical-based crime doc from Prostate Cancer Research.

“That fortunately came to us because of a collaboration on a development we were doing at an initial stage with Steve McQueen’s company, Lammas Park, which we’ve now progressed self-sufficiently,” explains Mundy-Castle.

“Things come to us in a varied manner. And in this current landscape, it’s hard to completely say no to things. If it does make some form of financial sense, if it’s not going to cost us to do it, and if it aligns with our values, then I pay close consideration to that.”

He adds: “What is interesting is I’ve literally just been having a conversation about an AFP that we’re working on, and the commissioner wrote to me and said, ‘God, you’re moving so fast - normally we’d speak to TV producers and it takes them a while to get their head around how to approach a brand, because they’re so used to the traditional commissioning model.’

“Fortunately for me and us, one of the lifebloods we had initially was branded content.”

“So having those conversations, or knowing how to access brands in a certain way, comes easier to Doc Hearts,” he pointed out. “We’ve managed to cut through that. I think where even bigger TV production companies still struggle is that immediately the margins won’t make sense.”

That creates an opportunity if you’re a smaller indie.

Takeaways: your difference can be a strength; treat funding as a creative problem; consider tourism boards as a source of funding; look at partnering with the social good sector.

Making authenticity key

If independence is one pillar of Mundy-Castle’s approach, authenticity is another.

Reflecting on Geordie Stories: Nathan & Dad, he pointed to the unique “nucleus” of the MTV production: a Black female commissioner, a Black-led indie, and a story centred on a young Black gay man and his father. “I don’t think it’s common,” he said, despite the industry’s rhetoric around diversity.

What made the project particularly powerful, he said, was that Nathan Henry was already a genuine reality star, embedded within MTV’s long-running Geordie Shore brand. The authenticity was real, the audience already there and stereotypes were challenged at every level of production.

Stories rooted in under-represented communities can take longer to get commissioned and require more trust from decision-makers. But when they do reach the screen, Mundy-Castle said awards help by highlighting the unseen work behind the project.

He added: “There are very nuanced challenges as the industry gets tighter and more squeezed for people who are trying to show the true diversity of content on screen.”

Takeaways: build authenticity into the DNA of a project, not just the pitch; align real audience buy-in with lived experience; recognise that representation off-screen is part of the creative outcome.

Embedding in communities creates better content

Community-rooted production pays dividends, says Mundy-Castle.

Discussing the company’s forthcoming Grenfell Tower anniversary project, he explained that the directors had been filming in the area long before the fire.

“Wyn Baptiste and Dom Asbridge are directing and producing it, and we’re on board as exec producers alongside a couple of other companies, but we’re the vehicle they’re running through. They’re two lads from the area, from Notting Hill, and they were making the film before the fire.”

“It’s actually not until the film comes out that you’ll see the gold of what they’ve captured. Because they were already part of the community, they have a different handle and sensitivity on the story. We don’t just pick stories up and leave - we almost ingrain ourselves into them.”

He gave the example of a new Channel 5 commission currently casting, involving access to “a major institution in the north”, where the core team are from the location.

Another example of the power of community is Mundy-Castle’s first drama feature, One Summer Love, based in Notting Hill and around its famous carnival.

It’s been a steep learning curve, but he laughs: “I think it’s time for a rebrand of Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant’s Notting Hill.”

Takeaways: prioritise local creative leadership; hire from the communities you’re depicting; view access and trust as production assets, not just values.

How to future-proof your indie through digital, IP and infrastructure

Mundy-Castle is candid about the challenges and opportunities of the creator economy.

His company is developing a YouTube network, but the learning curve is steep. The team is taking a considered approach: securing funding first, then building sustainable content that plays to their strengths.

He is also considering an original, low-cost, high-turnover vertical documentary series for next year as a direct-to-YouTube experiment.

Of YouTube monetisation, he says: “I haven’t spoken to too many people that have nailed that.”

Revenue remains the hardest aspect. While companies like LADbible and Million Youth Media have cracked parts of the model, many producers still see YouTube as a gateway rather than a profit centre.

But presence matters: “It’s about a gateway, a platform, and a presence. If you don’t have that presence, you’re just not part of the party.”

Returns may be slow, but his eye is on the long game.

Children’s content is a key focus. Alongside BBC Teach projects and a 26-part Milkshake! series Move It Milkshakers, he’s developing an animated mindfulness show Zen’s Den, inspired by his daughter, in collaboration with Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles.

Doc Hearts has also invested in infrastructure, with a new 1,000-square-foot, multi-disciplinary studio opening in 2026: Imperial Wharf Studios.

Designed as an affordable, one-stop shop for podcasts, it includes a green screen and facilities for creator-led production.

As Mundy-Castle puts it: “I long for having great IP out there that lives far longer than I do, and a house on a beach somewhere that allows me to kick my feet up and be proud of the work I’ve done.”

Takeaways: stake your claim on new digital platforms; invest in children’s IP for longevity; build flexible infrastructure to create new revenue streams.

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High-quality documentary series have become a vital part of any successful streaming service, with shows like The Tinder Swindler, Harry & Meghan and Drive to Survive racking up big audiences for Netflix.

As a result, premium popular factual commissioning has proved to be more resilient than other forms of documentary-making, with a continued appetite for well-funded and ambitious projects that will cut through.

But some topics are resonating more than others, so to find out the latest trends and where the opportunities for growth are, this week we spoke with Curious Films co-founder Dov Freedman.

His company has successfully tapped into the streaming-era demand for distinctive, mass-appeal documentary series with high-end production values. The company boasts hit shows including Lover, Stalker, Killer for Netflix, Sky’s hugely successful Boyzone: No Matter What and the recently released Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth for Disney+.

So read on to find out about:

• What docs are in demand

• How to sell popular factual shows

• Working with the streamers

• Empowering your development team

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What’s in demand

According to Freedman, the hunger for premium popular factual projects is still really strong. He admits: “We’re fortunate in one regard, that the part of the factual market that still seems to be doing well is premium, which we are known for doing.”

The producer, who co-founded Curious Films in 2018, says there is still huge interest from commissioners in true crime projects. He singles out what he calls the sub-genre of “true-con”, which are shows about con artists and deception. He points to the success of The Tinder Swindler, but also his own Netflix show The Man With 1000 Kids, about a Dutch scammer who misled mothers about the huge scale of his sperm donations.

Freedman says: “There is no one dying in the first 90 seconds or a 911 call, [but] there is a redemptive arc of the tables being turned. There’s always an appetite for those kinds of shows.”

While commissioners will always be hugely interested in major celebrity access docs, with the likes of the Beckhams or Harry and Meghan, Freedman says there is also real hunger for shows about “the dark side of pop culture”.

Interestingly, he says in an age of “social media saturation”, audiences want to go beyond “carefully curated content” and engage with something that offers “more truth and honesty”.

Freedman says his own show Boyzone: No Matter What, which explores the “true cost” of fame, is “one of the highest-rated unscripted shows in the history of Sky Docs”. His company has also made the new Disney show about the death of Caroline Flack, which sees the star’s mother investigate the final months of her daughter’s life. Outside of his own work, Freedman draws attention to the success of Discovery show Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.

Freedman also sees sports documentaries as a growth area as streamers become increasingly interested in acquiring sports rights. Netflix airs WWE wrestling, as well as boxing, and has just signed a deal with Gary Lineker to air his visualised podcast The Rest Is Football during the World Cup.

The Curious Films chief executive agrees projects that can straddle sport and popular culture, such as Netflix’s David Beckham series, are coveted. But he admits access to top-level sporting figures or organisations involves “some very exclusive conversations”.

Takeaways: ‘True-con’ shows are popular; audiences want to go beyond ‘carefully curated’ shows

Selling your popular factual idea

Freedman says if you’re a less-established production company trying to get a factual programme commissioned, then a sizzle tape is “really helpful”. He points out that Curious got their first break as a new company when they were commissioned to make Britain’s Youngest Football Boss for the BBC, but it only happened after they showed the broadcaster footage they’d already filmed.

He adds: “When you are trying to establish that reputation, tape is everything.”

Freedman says with “cautious funders” taking “less gambles”, it is vital for producers to “project confidence, excitement and reassurance” to buyers. He adds: “So [it’s about] confidence in the pitch, a distinctive, creative take on an idea, and knowing the story.”

When talking about true crime documentaries, he says there are a set of vital questions producers should ask themselves: “Has it been done before? Has it been done definitively before? What’s the new take on it? What’s the access or the archive or tapes that no one’s seen before? What allows you to tell the most definitive story?”

He believes if the subject of a programme is a less well-known crime, then a “more detailed” pitch may be required to show how it can be made into a “gripping story”.

Freedman says when pitching crime shows, which can have legal complications, it is vital to “know your subject” and understand the “compliance challenges”. Producers need to “give confidence to the buyer that you know how to handle that story”.

He adds that when working on celebrity documentaries, it is important to use initial “chemistry meetings” to get a sense of the untold story they are prepared to tell.

Producers should also answer the “Why now?” question when developing factual ideas. Speaking about his recent Boyzone project, he explains: “They’ve never done it before, they got together 30 years ago, and now’s the time that they really want to open up.”

Takeaways: sizzle tapes sold with confidence sell; chemistry with celebrities is vital; ask yourself, ‘Why now?’

Working with the streamers

The Curious Films boss says work is now “spread across” seven buyers. But he insists he sells his shows to streamers in largely the same way he does to traditional broadcasters, focusing on the story.

Freedman says as well as delivering on the creative side, producers working for the big streamers also need to impress their paymasters with their grip on the finances. He stresses that accomplished “financial reporting” and proper management of a production are “really highly valued” by these companies.

He says part of this is the ability to be “pragmatic” in the “unpredictable world” of documentaries, adding that the “best stories” involve “unpredictable people”.

“On some of these projects, when they’re investing lots of money, they want to feel that investment is being managed in the right way,” he points out.

He adds: “One piece of advice I got when we did our first Netflix feature three or four years ago is to deliver them a great service, obviously on creative, but also on production and finance.

“I think that’s really important, to respect all the different forms of delivery, and that will hopefully help cement relationships for future business.”

With about 70 per cent of his company’s slate with streaming services, Freedman says a key tip for dealing with commissioners is ensuring the buyer feels they’re involved in shaping the show.

He says: “It’s important, especially maybe for the streamers, when it’s something more premium and there’s more money being spent on it, to allow the buyer to be able to meaningfully input creatively into what the project’s going to look like.”

This can be a balancing act between taking enough into the buyer to sell the show, but also leaving enough space for them to feel they can help “sharpen” the idea. Indies should also consider how they can help give a commissioner the tools they need to re-pitch the idea within their own companies, to the “person at the top”.

Freedman believes if producers are strategic about spending and resources, then the “premium” feel of US streamer documentaries is achievable on shows for UK broadcasters. He points to his own Channel 4 two-parter Shoot to Kill about the killing of Jean Charles de Menezes.

He adds that the company’s work with the UK public service broadcasters is still “really important”, forming part of a “mixed ecology” for Curious. Significantly, the British broadcasters allow producers to make money from international rights in a way that Netflix and some other streamers do not.

Curious has made a range of shows for public service broadcasters, including Reclaiming Amy for BBC Two and Paula for Channel 4. Other shows include Confessions of a Brain Surgeon and Making Sense of Cancer with Hannah Fry, both for the BBC.

Freedman explains: “That’s how we’re trying to tackle the slowdown, staying relevant with all the buyers. They’re all doing less, so you’ve got to be working for more of them.”

Takeaways: good financial reporting and management are vital; be aware of buyers’ desire for creative input; work for more outlets

Empower your development team

For Freedman, who co-founded Curious with Charlie Russell, one of the most vital aspects of a thriving production company is “having a great development team”.

He advises that you build a group of people who “get the brand” of the company and enable them to have their own individual relationships with buyers.

“I think exposing the development team to buyers as well is really helpful,” he says. “I hear anecdotally maybe some development teams don’t meet too many commissioners, but I think that’s really important, that the development team have their own relationships or are active in pitches.”

He adds: “We want our development team to have that exposure to buyers, to sharpen those instincts really.”

“We’re obviously involved in every aspect of the company, but when you’re servicing stuff in production as well, you need to know that the development team are thinking about things in the right way,” he says.

Freedman says it’s important to analyse your prior successes when coming up with new ideas. He says that when developing new shows, the company has looked at the success of Lover, Stalker, Killer for Netflix and examined why it worked. In addition, the company does analytics not only in the development stage but also in pre-production.

Giving an overview of the popular factual market, Freedman reckons there is “cause for optimism” in the premium documentary space, as big platforms “have seen what numbers these stories can bring to them”.

Takeaways: ensure your development team knows your buyers; keep an eye on analytics throughout the process

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