Brits are keeping up with their favorite shows by moving from the telly to YouTube. As broadcasters like Channel 4 see strong viewership on social media, Netflix is moving in with a development deal for a show that got its start on YouTube.
According to Deadline, Netflix has started casting for its version of Blue Therapy, which began three years ago on the Trend Centrl YouTube channel. An initial run of episodes followed multiple U.K. couples as the sought relationship help through therapy. The first of those videos has accumulated 3.2 million views on YouTube.
Channel 4 was quick to recognize Blue Therapy‘s potential. It teamed up with producer Luti Fagbenle for an adaptation that aired on platforms like BET+ under the name In Love & Toxic: Blue Therapy. The Netflix version comes from Fagbenle’s Osun Group, according to Deadline.
Blue Therapy is not Channel 4’s only inroad to YouTube. The 42-year-old public broadcaster has garnered millions of views with salacious documentaries and content on the Channel 4.0 hub, which adapts formats made famous by creators like Beta Squad.
Netflix’s dealings with the YouTube superstars known as the Sidemen gave it its own connections to creator culture. Since Inside became a hit on Netflix, other players in British television have rushed in to make deals with creators. Channel 4 is looking to stay on top by bringing a YouTube star into one of its best-known panel shows. The new host of Countdown is Dr. Tom Crawford, who will look to provide an updated look for a classic program.
The biggest U.K. broadcast TV channel on YouTube is still the digital home of BBC News, which reaches more than 17 million subscribers.
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