Is YouTube the new TV?
Date: Wednesday 18 March
Venue: Film City Glasgow, 401 Govan Rd, Glasgow G51 2QJ
Timings: Please arrive at 2.45pm
Session: 3.00 - 5.00pm
followed by a networking reception until 6.30pm
Is YouTube the new TV?
Digital-first content is no longer a side experiment or marketing add-on; it is a fully-fledged commissioning ecosystem with its own economics, audience behaviours, data models & creative grammar.
For traditional TV indies, however, entering this space requires more than simply uploading clips or repackaging broadcast content. Sustainable digital strategy demands a different development mindset, production workflow, talent model and monetisation framework.
This session focuses on how traditional TV & Film companies can operate a digital-first strategy & work in partnerships with digital-first companies.
Moderator:
Ashe Hussain, Programme Director (FOCUS), & Co-Director (HORIZONS-2 & Creative Connexions)
Speakers:
Lara Sword, Head of Factual Network, Night Train Digital
Lara Sword is Head of Factual at Night Train Digital, where she leads content acquisition and distribution strategy across YouTube and social. With over 15 years in digital acquisitions and TV distribution, she specialises in maximising revenue from archive and factual content, developing owned and operated YouTube channels, and building partnerships that bring established IP into the digital-first space. Lara has been at the forefront of the shift from traditional broadcast to platform-led monetisation.
Anthony Browne, Interim Head of Content for BBC Three
Anthony Browne is an award-winning creative leader dedicated to bridging the gap between traditional broadcasting and the future of digital content.
In 2015, he co-founded the RTS award-winning BBC The Social, the BBC’s first social creator project, and has since spent over a decade leading large-scale multidisciplinary teams. As Head of BBC Scotland Productions and a member of the BBC Scotland Executive team, he oversaw output across TV, Radio, and Digital at one of the BBC’s largest production hubs.
Since 2025, he has operated at a strategic level across the BBC, leading a YouTube pilot project across the Nations, driving the responsible adoption of AI tools across BBC Content, and helping launch a Digital Accelerator in the North East of England.
He is currently Interim Head of Content for BBC Three, shaping the channel's YouTube strategy and championing the new voices and stories that matter to young audiences across the UK.
Mark MacDonald, Co-Founder, Ferry Media
Mark MacDonald has spent the last decade building YouTube and social media strategies for some of the biggest shows on TV - from his role as Global Head of Social Media at Banijay Entertainment, overseeing brands like Survivor, Big Brother, and Masterchef.
Prior to this Mark was one of the founding members of Little Dot Studios, the pioneering company established in 2013 to help TV companies embrace social video. Clients included ITV, Channel 4, Discovery, Amazon and Netflix.
Charlie Hyland, Digital Commissioning Editor, C4 Comedy
Charlie works within C4’s digital & social commissioning team, focusing on developing & commissioning digital-first content for Channel 4’s online platforms. His work supports emerging creators & independent producers in developing content that reaches new audiences across YouTube, social platforms & C4’s digital ecosystem.
Please note: spaces for this event are limited and Glasgow-based companies will be prioritised.
Creative Connexions forms part of the Glasgow City Council Business Growth Programme and is funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme is managed and delivered by Film City Futures.
GENERAL EVENT INFORMATION
Accessibility:
If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the FOCUS team in advance: hello@filmcityfutures.com
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By booking this event you consent to FOCUS & Film City Futures storing your contact details. Please note: we will only ever contact you via email regarding FOCUS events and will not share your confidential information with any external third parties.
Photography notice:
Please be aware that we may take photographs and videos at this event. By attending and/ or participating in this event, you agree for us to photograph and/ or video record you and to use such images and recordings on our website, social media and other platforms as required. IF you do not wish to be photographed please let us know.
COVID-19 statement:
Please do not attend in-person events if you, or anyone in your household, has had any symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 within the past five days prior to the event.