Is YouTube really the new TV? In this week’s TellyCast, Justin Crosby speaks with Ben Woods, Creator Economy Analyst at MIDiA Research, about his new report The New Hollywood: Tactics for YouTube’s TV Takeover. They explore why YouTube has now overtaken Netflix on living room TV sets, how younger audiences are watching social video instead of broadcast, and what this means for broadcasters, producers, and advertisers.

From the dominance of children’s content and the long-tail power of creators, to the rise of AI tools and the threat of platform cannibalisation, Ben unpacks the biggest shifts shaping the production economy. He also shares lessons traditional media can learn from creators who iterate fast, build communities, and turn audiences into collaborators.

Discover why thinking like a creator – not a broadcaster – is becoming essential for the future of TV and digital video.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Tom Jenkins, Creative Director of Spud Gun Studios, the digital-first indie behind the hugely popular animation channel Mashed. Fresh from taking full ownership of the brand from Channel 4, Tom reveals how the studio is building on Mashed’s global fanbase of nearly seven million followers, striking new brand partnerships with the likes of Xbox and Baldur’s Gate, and winning four awards at the inaugural TellyCast Digital Video Awards. He shares insights on developing fan-focused animation in the new production economy, diversifying revenue through branded content, Patreon and FAST channels, and why staying human-made is central to their creative ethos in an era of AI-generated “slop.”

Knights of Guinevere trailer

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Branded entertainment is booming - but how can producers really work with brands? In this TellyCast episode, Justin Crosby talks to brand funded content specialist Charlie Read, founder of Upstream, about the five things every content producer needs to know about brand-funded content. From understanding business outcomes and audience insight to building IP with brands, learning their language, and shifting from interruption to engagement, this episode is a practical guide to the fast-growing branded content space.

Charlie's Story of the Week https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/aug/28/bland-easy-to-follow-for-fans-of-everything-what-has-the-netflix-algorithm-done-to-our-films

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Big Deal Films co-founder Dhanny Joshi joins Justin Crosby to share how he turned a call centre hustle into a BAFTA-winning indie. They discuss breaking through with Dreaming Whilst Black, navigating the commissioning crisis, and why digital-first, talent-led content is the future of TV.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Ofcom’s Director of Broadcasting and Media, Cristina Nicolotti Squires, for a deep dive into the regulator’s urgent six-point action plan to save public service media in the digital-first era. 

With younger audiences flocking to YouTube, Netflix and TikTok, and PSBs losing share, is the UK’s broadcast model reaching a breaking point? Christina unpacks the tough questions: securing YouTube prominence, the future of Freeview, public funding for news and kids content, and why media literacy and strategic collaboration are vital to survival. Essential listening for anyone working in public service, digital-first or social video production.

Includes key insights on:

• Why PSBs are losing visibility and what can be done
• The digital terrestrial TV dilemma and future of Freeview
• AI, misinformation and media literacy in the online content era
• Whether it’s already too late to save UK public service broadcasting

Listen now and stay ahead of the changing media landscape.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Taf Makopa, founder of Mako Studios and one of the most exciting new forces in digital production. Taf reveals his first slate of four brand-funded shows with BoohooMan — including Are You Even Real?, a dating series hosted by UK rap icon Chip, and Luke Comes Home, a Luke Littler documentary featuring Angry Ginge.

In this candid conversation, Taf unpacks why talent-first formats are the future, how brand-creator partnerships are evolving, and why social video is no longer just “digital TV” - it’s its own creative economy.

Expect honest reflections on leaving Wall of Entertainment, the business of making hit social formats on a budget, and how Mako Studios plans to shake up the industry.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby sits down with Andrew Trotman, CEO and founder of Komi Group, to explore how one of the UK’s most forward-thinking creator businesses is reshaping the digital content landscape. From building data-driven social brands to launching creator-led businesses, Andrew shares how Komi Group went from a horse racing tipster account to a global social video powerhouse producing 4.5 billion views a month.

We dive into the realities of creator burnout, why Facebook might be poised for a comeback, and how Andrew is backing creators with rapid payments, platform diversification strategies, and mental health support. With 40+ owned brands, a proprietary data stack, and a growing talent division, this is a masterclass in the modern creator economy from someone who’s building it from the inside.

Recorded in London and produced by Spirit Studios.

Listen now to discover how the digital-first game is changing — and how to win it.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by social video sensation Hayley Morris. Known for her viral vertical comedies and brilliant multi-character sketches, Hayley shares her journey from early YouTube experiments to creating hit series like ‘The V Hotel’ and her growing portfolio of self-funded short films. She reveals how she built an audience of over nine million followers, the creative process behind her weekly videos, why she’s passionate about retaining creative control, and how she sees the future of social video evolving. Hayley also talks about her plans to develop longer form episodic content for YouTube and the importance of balancing creativity with social platform algorithms. If you’re interested in social video, digital-first production, or how to build an audience from scratch—this is essential listening.

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On this week’s TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by two of the UK’s most respected TV leaders – Jimmy Mulville, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions, and Peter Fincham, co-founder of Expectation and former controller of BBC One and director of television at ITV. 

They discuss the health of the UK TV industry, the impact of YouTube, the future of comedy, and the challenges facing independent producers today. Jimmy and Peter also reflect on their own experiences as producers and commissioners, the Channel 4 in-house production shake-up, and what it takes to build a successful indie in today’s digital-first landscape.

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This week on TellyCast, Justin is reporting from Conecta Fiction & Entertainment in Cuenca, Spain — the heart of Hispanic TV content innovation. He’s joined by two of Banijay’s top executives shaping the future of unscripted in Latin America: Frank Scheuermann, Chief Content Officer of Endemol Shine Boomdog, and Marie Leguizamo, Managing Director of Banijay Mexico and US Hispanic.

Frank unpacks why long-running formats are dominating in Mexico, the rise of celebrity-led content, and how digital-first strategies are reshaping audience habits. Marie reveals why LOL (Last One Laughing) has become Prime Video’s most successful unscripted show globally, how to pitch in the region, and teases her new dating-meets-superfan format Star Crush.

Recorded live among the lightning storms of Castilla-La Mancha, it’s a frontline insight into how Latin America is redefining global unscripted.

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