BBC Studios highlighted the advantages of its collaboration with YouTube during Mipcom on Monday.
The panel featured BBC Studios’ digital SVP Jasmine Dawson and YouTube’s EMEA chief Pedro Pina, who discussed how the two organizations—commonly seen as rivals for the same audience—are joining forces to expand their respective fanbases.
“Centralizing our audience focus is essential for our current business approach. We are committed to a ‘fandom-first’ strategy,” stated Dawson. “BBC Studios takes pride in cultivating major fandoms globally… hence, our partnership with YouTube is vital, as it fosters and supports that ‘creative earth’ philosophy.”
Dawson pointed to the BBC Earth YouTube channel, a long-standing presence with 14 million subscribers, as a prime example of their collaborative success.
“Where we’re truly excelling is in identifying communities worldwide that are passionate about this content, giving them a space to engage with the material they cherish and that resonates with them,” she explained. “For us, this not only includes finding these fandoms where they exist, but also realizing we can monetize these audiences both on and off the platform.”
Additionally, Dawson emphasized that the organization, which serves as the commercial branch of U.K. broadcaster BBC, is not “sacrificing anything” by making its content accessible for free on the Google-managed platform. “With many of our intellectual properties, it’s not a zero-sum game,” she noted. “We’re not sacrificing value. In fact, it’s additive. This is a significant discussion point with our distribution partners, whether it’s with Disney on ‘Bluey’ or with PBS and others on our BBC Earth content, they recognize that this is where fandom flourishes, consequently driving additional revenue.”
Pina from YouTube also addressed the gathering of TV industry professionals, offering an argument for why they should consider collaboration with a platform many view as a rival in distribution and broadcasting.
“We’re all aware that incredible content is being created globally. BBC Studios is amongst the top content creators in our ecosystem, but there are countless others, and many congregate here annually. So, we chose to participate this year to convey that the same principles that govern our content creators apply to all who create. Everyone has the potential to be a YouTuber… We provide innovative and effective monetization strategies that ensure shared success. We don’t commission content and then seek profits back; our success is tied directly to yours. If you succeed, I succeed; conversely, if you don’t, I won’t.”
