On the heels of announcing a deal with YouTube to make original content aimed at the platform’s Gen Z viewers, the BBC has unveiled a shortlist of 12 companies that could receive a slice of funding from its first digital accelerator initiative.
The £600,000 project, which the BBC launched last year in partnership with the North East Screen Industries Partnership, aims to encourage local studios to make digital-first content for distribution across YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch, C21Media reports.
To be eligible for the accelerator, production companies have to be headquartered in England’s North East or Tees Valley regions, have an established record in content production, and must commit to employing locals to fill at least 50% of its talent pool.
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The newly revealed shortlist of 12 companies will be narrowed to four, based on the strength of their content pitches to the BBC commissioning team. Those selected four will receive funding to make their pitched ideas and will take part in a nine-month program with education and mentorship on creating successful content for 16-to-24-year-olds.
“The Digital Accelerator is about backing brilliant ideas and ambitious companies to reach young audiences in fresh, authentic ways,” Fiona Campbell, the BBC’s Controller of Youth Audiences and Interim Director of Unscripted, said in a statement. “The North East is full of creative energy, and this shortlist shows the strength and diversity of talent coming through the region. We’re excited to work closely with these companies as they develop bold, digital-first ideas and take the next step in their growth.”
Shortlisted companies include:
- Adventure Alliance Films
- Candle & Bell
- Film Nova
- MOTIF
- MediaBorne
- North Wrestling
- Northern Child
- Nrthrn Baby
- Second Draft
- Sea & Sky Pictures
- Twenty Six 03
- Wander Films
Lisa Laws, North East Screen’s Development Director, added, “We’ve got a great mix of companies on the Digital Accelerator shortlist: well-established linear production companies and those already building IP in the digital sphere. This announcement is a powerful acknowledgement of the talent and creativity driving these companies to grow in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.”
This accelerator, combined with BBC’s YouTube deal, makes it clear one of England’s largest legacy entertainment companies is planning big moves in digital. We get it: YouTube, after all, is dominating TV watch time in the U.K. And, with digital content reaching more and more prestigious heights, challenging traditional media on traditional fields, the BBC has obviously decided to join ’em rather than try to beat ’em.
