![\"EOB_8524\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1478971_eob_8524_158451.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n
As commissioning budgets have grown tighter in recent years, ad-funded\u00a0programming\u00a0has become an increasingly\u00a0attractive proposition. Rather than making a show\u00a0and selling the advertising around it,\u00a0the thinking goes,\u00a0why not create\u00a0a format with\u00a0the brand\u2019s\u00a0message\u00a0baked in,\u00a0and bring them\u00a0(and their budgets) in at an earlier stage?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
But for many indies\u00a0this is\u00a0new territory\u00a0and,\u00a0from the outside, the four-way partnership between\u00a0production companies, broadcasters,\u00a0brands\u00a0and\u00a0talent can seem opaque. Where do the ideas come from? Who approaches who?\u00a0What role should talent play?\u00a0And\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0the best way to ensure that this way of working produces something audiences will\u00a0actually want\u00a0to watch?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
To help answer these questions, Broadcast,\u00a0in partnership with\u00a0Aurora Factual,\u00a0brought together a panel\u00a0of experts to\u00a0discuss\u00a0brand-funded content partnerships from\u00a0all four\u00a0perspectives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Leanne Clark, assistant commissioner for ITV daytime, points out that shows funded by brands are nothing new.\u00a0Even before the pandemic, the\u00a0boom\u00a0and the current slump, she says\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0was finding money to do\u00a0shows,\u00a0often through\u00a0tourist boards\u00a0for example, and we got to do beautiful\u00a0travel\u00a0and cookery shows with\u00a0great talent\u00a0that way\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she acknowledges\u00a0the industry has become less squeamish about the idea\u00a0of AFPs\u00a0than it might have been 10 years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the past six months, ITV has broadcast\u00a0Be Your Own Boss, made by True North in partnership with Royal Mail,\u00a0Sara\u00a0Davies\u2019\u00a0Christmas Craft Off, produced by\u00a0Twenty Six\u00a003\u00a0with Amazon,\u00a0and\u00a0Julia Bradbury\u2019s Wonders of the Frozen South, made by Captive Minds with the cruise company HX Expeditions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lifestyle shows\u00a0particularly\u00a0lend themselves to\u00a0branded content,\u00a0Clark says (although she\u00a0hasn\u2019t\u00a0given up hope of finding a gameshow format that works).\u00a0Ultimately for\u00a0the broadcaster,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not just about\u00a0scoring cheap content, she says,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0also\u00a0\u201cbums on seats and ratings\u201d \u2013 and a well thought-through idea can achieve just that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They can\u00a0also, she says,\u00a0make for promising returning series \u2013 the holy grail as far as indies\u00a0(and broadcasters)\u00a0are concerned.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Aurora\u00a0Factual director of development\u00a0Sarah\u00a0Stevenson\u00a0points out that ad-funded content can also offer indies\u00a0opportunities\u00a0to\u00a0work in the digital space, producing\u00a0shoulder\u00a0online\u00a0content\u00a0for\u00a0the main series, depending on the requirements of the brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the brand\u00a0side,\u00a0HX Expeditions\u2019\u00a0Jim Sayer, himself a former TV executive, says funding\u00a0such shows allows\u00a0them\u00a0to\u00a0give their audience a much deeper understanding of and\u00a0connection with the\u00a0product\u00a0than is possible through advertising.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_8801\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1479049_eob_8801_135707.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
In the case of\u00a0Wonders\u00a0of the Frozen South, he says, potential customers\u00a0will often spend years thinking about \u201cbuying\u00a0the\u00a0trip\u00a0of a\u00a0lifetime\u201d,\u00a0before committing to spending thousands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re buying a car, you can go and test\u00a0drive\u00a0it, but you can\u2019t test drive Antarctica,\u201d he says. \u201cA\u00a030-second\u00a0ad spot has a definite role\u00a0to play\u00a0but having 30\u00a0or 60 minutes of content gives them an opportunity to experience the place\u00a0and see themselves\u00a0in it\u00a0\u2013\u00a0that\u2019s a tantalising prospect.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For talent,\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0often an opportunity to work with brands\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0interested in anyway, says Hairy Biker Si King, who is contributing to the conversation both as\u00a0an\u00a0on-screen\u00a0star\u00a0and\u00a0as creative director of his indie Magnetic North.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about alignment and connection,\u201d he\u00a0explains. \u201cI have to be invested in\u00a0a brand partnership,\u00a0and I either have to use the brand\u00a0or just really\u00a0understand the ethos behind it, because it\u2019s an emotional\u00a0connection?.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good Culture commercial director of talent and marketing\u00a0Blondelle Baima agrees\u00a0that this is crucial for a successful\u00a0project. Talent\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0need to have a huge social media presence to be\u00a0a good candidate\u00a0to front an AFP, she says, but they do need an engaged audience \u2013 who will sniff out \u201cwhen something\u2019s\u00a0disingenuous\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For many of her\u00a0clients\u00a0brand-funded programmes offer ways\u00a0to\u00a0leverage\u00a0connections they might already have with a brand to\u00a0operate\u00a0on a bigger platform, and\u00a0that\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0seeing smaller brands show more interest in paying for shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baima\u00a0also suggests\u00a0talent and their management can play a crucial role in in kicking off the creation of an ad-funded programme, including through generating ideas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor people who already have super-engaged audiences and maybe a format on social media, they already have proof of concept,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a\u00a0talent management company, Good Culture\u00a0sits \u201cin a really good space where we have great relationships with brands, and\u00a0we know who is investing, because we\u2019re working directly with them our talent, [and] we\u2019re able to pitch things to them\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stevenson\u00a0agrees, adding\u00a0talent can also help\u00a0bring in the\u00a0brand\u00a0as\u00a0the last piece of the jigsaw.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTalent can open doors in ways we can\u2019t\u2026 so get them working a bit harder for you,\u201d she\u00a0urges, suggesting indies include a video message from the talent in the pitch to the brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMe saying \u2018Si really wanted to do this\u2019 is\u00a0very different\u00a0to Si saying \u2018Hey, I\u2019d like to do this\u2019,\u201d she\u00a0says, pointing to\u00a0King.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Starting points\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_8448\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1479076_eob_8448_675234.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Wonders of the Frozen South, Sayer says, started the way many\u00a0traditionally\u00a0funded\u00a0shows do,\u00a0following\u00a0a chance conversation with a former TV colleague \u2013 but as\u00a0everyone on the\u00a0panel\u00a0agrees, they really can originate\u00a0from any part of the partnership.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Clark, the preferred route is for the\u00a0indie to come with a strong idea, and potentially the talent attached,\u00a0so that ITV\u2019s\u00a0BE Studios\u00a0commercial\u00a0partnership team can help match them up with the brand.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
But, she says, \u201cthe bottom line is, idea first\u201d,\u00a0and\u00a0she\u2019s\u00a0open to being approached\u00a0with\u00a0projects where the brand is already in place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally feel it can come from anywhere, and I don\u2019t like to be closed off in that in that way,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sayer urges indies who want to pitch directly to a brand to think carefully\u00a0stressing the importance\u00a0of having\u00a0a sense of where and how it will sit within the brand\u2019s identity and strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook at as much of a brand\u2019s output as possible,\u00a0in whatever form, across all channels,\u201d he\u00a0urges. \u201cSome\u00a0publish their brand books, and you can\u00a0understand the DNA.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0Most\u00a0producers, he accepts,\u00a0are \u201cvery good at reverse-engineering content\u201d to fit a brief, but\u00a0cautions: \u201cDon\u2019t\u00a0try to over-position it from a marketing perspective, because it\u2019s unlikely\u00a0you\u2019ll know how to do that in a way that works for that particular brand\u00a0\u2013 sometimes the brand doesn\u2019t\u00a0even\u00a0know how to do that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Indies also need to recognise\u00a0their pitches\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0simply competing\u00a0with other shows when they pitch to\u00a0brands,\u2013\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0up against everything else the company could do with their marketing budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All indies can do,\u00a0he\u00a0adds, is\u00a0\u201cbring your own expertise, be really clear about it, and then ask for input and feedback\u201d.\u00a0This approach is likely to lay the groundwork for positive future collaborations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Expanding\u00a0on the\u00a0spontaneity of AFP, Stevenson points out that most recent Aurora\u00a0projects\u00a0\u201ccame from different starting points\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company has produced The Believers, a four-part documentary about the run up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup to support Coca Cola\u2019s sponsorship of the event, as well as Brooklyn Peltz-Beckham EVO SESSIONS TikDok \u2013 a first-of-its-kind TikTok documentary in partnership with Formula E team Jaguar TCS racing, and Inside the Ropes, a behind-the-scenes LIV Golf documentary series with Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood\u2019s Majesticks team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing they all have in common is that they live or die on trust \u2013 every partnership does,\u201d she goes on. \u201cWe\u2019re\u00a0really transparent\u00a0in communication about what everybody wants out of it \u2013what timeline are we all working to? When will there be money? When won\u2019t there be money? When might it TX?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_8740\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1478968_eob_8740_85468.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can have those conversations as early as possible and trust each other when we say what we want – that\u2019s a big part of it for me.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For brands, both King and Sayer acknowledge, elements of these conversations can be difficult. Companies will\u00a0likely have\u00a0metrics in mind\u00a0they want to\u00a0hit,\u00a0both from\u00a0TX and the wraparound online content.\u00a0King\u00a0notes this\u00a0is \u201cquite sensitive information from a corporate body\u201d,\u00a0and they may not be willing to share it until the relationship has developed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once an idea has been agreed, Clark says, \u201cyou\u2019ve got to be quite quick\u00a0\u2013\u00a0they\u2019re like buses, and you\u2019ve got to go for it, because otherwise you lose them\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
King agrees. \u201cIt\u2019s just about being light of foot,\u201d he says, adding it might not be\u00a0a bad thing\u00a0for the\u00a0often slow-moving\u00a0world of TV to learn \u201ca different professional language\u201d,\u00a0and match the pace of the commercial world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_3534\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1479066_eob_3534_327681.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Quality control\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clark is keen to point out that ad-funded shows are still held to high editorial standards, and she has rejected\u00a0pitches she\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel were strong enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_8767\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1479068_eob_8767_981586.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cHand on heart,\u00a0all the ad-funds\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0commissioned, I would almost 100%\u00a0have\u00a0commissioned them without a brand,\u201d she says. \u201cThey go through the same process as every other show, where I go to Katie [Rawcliffe, ITV director of entertainment,\u00a0reality\u00a0and daytime] and Kevin [Lygo, director of television]\u00a0to get them signed off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u00a0has to look like a TV show\u00a0\u2013\u00a0because it is\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stevenson\u00a0says\u00a0\u201cholding the editorial line\u201d\u00a0is a key role for the\u00a0indie,\u00a0and\u00a0ensures\u00a0the brand trusts producers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need\u00a0to say\u00a0=\u00a0we\u00a0know what we\u2019re doing and\u00a0have agreed\u00a0the story\u00a0we want\u00a0to tell,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause as soon as\u00a0it starts feeling like an ad,\u00a0you\u2019ve lost\u00a0what we were all here to make in the first place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Throughout the roundtable\u00a0discussion, the conversation repeatedly returns to the ideas of trust,\u00a0transparency\u00a0and relationships\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0ultimately all\u00a0panellists agree they are\u00a0the make-or-break element in producing quality\u00a0telly\u00a0that works for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brand-funded content may be a lucrative way to get content made and on air, but King warns against viewing\u00a0corporate partners as simply a\u00a0cash cow.\u00a0If an idea\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0initially come together, it might well be worth continuing to explore and deepen the relationship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not particularly into one-hit wonders,\u201d he says, adding: \u201cThe longer the relationship\u00a0and the more exposure you have to each other, the more opportunities come.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re all in it trying to mould a new way to take the industry forward\u00a0\u2013 because it\u2019s a new world entirely\u00a0\u2013 the\u00a0old days are gone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stevenson\u00a0urges anyone who wants to explore the world of brand funded content to simply start having conversations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more occasions we can get where everyone its down together, the faster and easier it is to get stuff off the ground.\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"EOB_3389\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1479073_eob_3389_164491.jpg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As commissioning budgets have grown tighter in recent years, ad-funded\u00a0programming\u00a0has become an increasingly\u00a0attractive proposition. Rather than making…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":969330,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[3937],"tags":[77,382,16,15],"class_list":["post-969329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-tv","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116597094525364940","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=969329"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/969329\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/969330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=969329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=969329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=969329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}