Ad-Funded Programmes: What's all the hype about?

As TV budgets tighten, does ad-funded programming offer a potential solution? Production companies are increasingly bringing brands in at the inception of a show, and baking advertising in from the beginning in a bid to get projects off the ground. As revealed in today’s episode of Talking TV, ITV alone has jumped from 3 or 4 AFPs a year in 2023 to around 15 this year. Pete Fergusson, co-founder and chief executive of startup IPX, a company which connects brands with creators, producers, broadcasters and streamers, joins the podcast alongside Bandicoot TV’s own co-founder and creative director Daniel Nettleton, who has just launched the indie’s debut AFP on ITV, and ITV commissioning editor Paula Thomas, who oversees daytime and ad-funded entertainment. The trio accompany Heather Fallon in exploring the scale of the opportunity available, why producers need to get ‘scrappy’, and how best to work with partners to maximise potential in today’s episode of Talking TV. In today’s news recap, Rebecca Cooney and Heather Fallon discuss the still-awaited BBC cuts, a potential partnership between the Beeb and Channel 4 and the findings of this year’s distributor survey which saw BBC Studios take the crown with a major 20% revenue rise. For all the latest, head to broadcastnow.co.uk In the news this week: https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/you-and-yours-among-swathe-of-radio-4-cuts/5221206.article https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/bbc/bbc-and-c4-in-talks-over-merged-entity-report/5221190.article https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/broadcast-international/bbc-studios-retains-top-spot-as-rivals-stumble/5221047.article To learn more about Bandicoot TV’s AFP debut: https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/itv/bandicoot-scotland-lands-first-afp-with-itv/5218360.article Stay connected at broadcastnow.co.uk. Produced by Rebecca Cooney and Heather Fallon at Broadcast. With production support from Daisy Kyakulagira and Ollie Peart at Rethink Audio.