TellyCast: The content industry podcast

Justin Crosby
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  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly podcast featuring opinionated international content industry business leaders joining Justin Crosby to discuss the week's top industry news stories. In each episode we discuss key business developments around the world and look forward to the big moments in the week ahead. New episode every Thursday. 

  1. Why micro-dramas exploded in China

    2D AGO

    Why micro-dramas exploded in China

    Justin Crosby speaks to Chinese micro-drama expert Wenwen Han, founder and CEO of the Short Drama Alliance, about how China built the world’s most advanced short-form drama economy. The conversation explores platform ecosystems on Douyin and WeChat, in-app payments versus ad-funded viewing, the rise of AI-generated “motion comics,” and what Western producers keep getting wrong about vertical drama. Han also shares her predictions for where the market expands next and why the US and India could be on the brink of major growth. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    37 min
  2. The Secret Digital Producers

    JAN 29

    The Secret Digital Producers

    In this anonymous edition of TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by two experienced digital-first producers who speak candidly about the realities of building sustainable businesses in social video, YouTube and podcasting in 2026. They discuss why digital producers are suddenly in demand, how broadcaster strategies are changing, and why success on YouTube is far from guaranteed for traditional TV indies. The conversation digs into budget expectations, premium versus low-cost production models, the need for multi-skilled teams, and the growing importance of community building over single commissions. Rights and IP are a major focus, with the guests explaining how current broadcaster deals work, why ownership of audiences and channels matters, and what a future industry framework for digital-first production might look like. They also explore branded content pricing, fears of a race to the bottom, and whether new industry standards are needed to protect producers. The episode closes with predictions for the rest of 2026, including the impact of the BBC’s new digital initiatives, creator cross-overs into television, and what the next phase of the digital-first production economy could bring. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    44 min
  3. Micro Drama, Vertical Storytelling and the New Scripted Economy

    JAN 22

    Micro Drama, Vertical Storytelling and the New Scripted Economy

    Micro drama is one of the fastest-growing scripted formats in global digital video, and UK producers are only just beginning to understand its scale, speed and commercial potential. In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by micro drama producer Samantha Sun from ReelForce to unpack how vertical, app-based scripted series really work. Samantha shares her journey from early Chinese-backed micro drama platforms to producing some of the biggest-budget vertical dramas made in the UK, and explains why this format is not a downgrade from television, but a fundamentally different production and monetisation model. The conversation explores how micro drama platforms acquire audiences through social video, why the first ten episodes matter more than anything else, how payment and revenue-share models actually function, and what UK TV producers often misunderstand when they approach the space with traditional assumptions. Samantha also addresses talent, diversity, AI in post-production, genre limitations, audience behaviour, and why micro drama is attracting serious attention from Hollywood, platforms, brands and investors. This is an essential listen for producers, commissioners, and digital-first studios trying to understand where scripted content is heading next. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    44 min
  4. Steve Ackerman: The Future of Audio, Video and the New Podcast Economy

    JAN 15

    Steve Ackerman: The Future of Audio, Video and the New Podcast Economy

    This week Justin is joined by Steve Ackerman, one of the UK’s leading audio execs and former EVP and Head of Global Podcasts at Sony Music. Steve talks through three decades of shaping audio, from starting in hospital radio to building Somethin’ Else into a major content studio before its acquisition by Sony.  He explains why audio and video now need to work together, why podcasting is still early in its maturity cycle, how revenue models are evolving, and what traditional TV producers can learn from the podcast ecosystem. Steve also discusses his time in the US, why the market is more entrepreneurial, and why creators need to think beyond commissioning models to build real IP value. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    35 min

  5. 12/22/2025

    The State of Digital-First in 2025 and What Comes Next in 2026

    In this special end-of-year episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby looks back at 2025 and unpacks the structural shifts that have quietly but fundamentally reshaped the digital-first production economy. Drawing on reporting from The Drop, conversations on the podcast, and insights from TellyCast events throughout the year, the episode breaks down six defining trends: the rise of creator collectives as studio systems, the explosion of micro drama and vertical video, the maturation of vodcasting as a business model, YouTube’s dominance as the world’s leading AVOD platform, brands operating as broadcasters rather than advertisers, and AI becoming everyday production infrastructure rather than headline disruption. Justin then looks ahead to 2026, outlining how the industry is moving from speed to value, from publishing videos to building IP, and from chasing reach to prioritising audience loyalty. The episode explores why YouTube is now television, how brands are shifting towards funding entertainment rather than interrupting it, why social platforms have become the industry’s R&D engine, and how relevance is overtaking recency as the key performance driver. This episode is a clear-eyed assessment of where the digital-first industry stands, and what producers, creators, brands and studios need to focus on next to build sustainable businesses in the new production economy. Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    22 min

  6. 12/18/2025

    How Brands Become Broadcasters: Joe Churchill on Branded Entertainment, Creators and the Future of Social Video

    In this episode of TellyCast, Justin Crosby is joined by Joe Churchill, former Digital Commissioning Editor for Branded Content at Channel 4 and now co-founder of Fan Club, a digital-first agency built around brands, creators and premium social video. Joe breaks down what it really means for brands to behave like broadcasters, why owning audiences now matters more than owning formats, and how branded entertainment has moved far beyond interruptive advertising. Drawing on his experience inside Channel 4 and now on the agency side, he explains how brands are developing long-term IP, building native formats for YouTube and social video, and working more strategically with creators. The conversation covers the realities of talent costs, the role of creators versus legacy talent, and why audiences are far more comfortable with brand-funded content than the industry often assumes. Joe also shares his predictions for 2026, including YouTube’s collaboration tools, the rise of brand-backed micro drama, consolidation between broadcasters and digital studios, and why audience ownership is replacing IP as the most valuable asset in the production economy. Topics include branded entertainment, social video strategy, creators and talent economics, micro drama, YouTube’s evolution, audience growth, and what comes next for digital-first studios. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    40 min

  7. 12/11/2025

    Sam Barcroft: News, Creators and the Big Reset Coming to Media in 2026

    Sam Barcroft returns to TellyCast with a major update: he’s now Group CEO of SWNS Media Group, the UK’s largest independent newswire. In this wide-ranging conversation, Sam explains why news, social video and the creator economy are colliding faster than anyone expected — and what that means for producers, brands and the entire media landscape. Sam breaks down the future of news in a video-first world, how SWNS is reshaping itself across six companies, and why trust, truth and journalistic rigour are becoming more valuable as AI-generated content floods feeds. He also gives a brutally honest diagnosis of the UK’s collapsing documentary ecosystem, why most TV producers misunderstand YouTube, and what it really takes to build a sustainable content business in 2026. The conversation digs into creator M&A, branded content, subscription models, the rise of news influencers, vertical video, micro-drama, Goalhanger’s expansion, TikTok’s disruption of YouTube, and the biggest consolidation moves sweeping global media. Sam also shares his story of the week, his hero of the week, and who he’s putting in the bin. A sharp, punchy, essential episode for anyone navigating the new production economy. #TellyCast #SamBarcroft #DigitalFirst #SocialVideo #CreatorEconomy #NewsMedia #YouTubeStrategy #MediaTrends Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    58 min

  8. 11/30/2025

    How Digital-First Studios Are Rewriting the Rules | Live from TellyCast Digital Content Forum 2025

    Factual isn’t standing still - and this panel proves it. Recorded live at the TellyCast Digital Content Forum, this conversation digs into how the factual genre is being rebuilt for a digital-first world. Lucy Smith hosts a sharp, unsentimental discussion with Gerrit Kemming (Quintus Studios), Marvyn Benoit (Baker’s Dozen Studios) and Jamie McDonald (After Party Studios) about who really owns value in today’s market: the audience-holders or the IP-holders. They unpack how social video has reshaped commissioning logic, why audience ownership is now the most powerful currency in factual, and how creators are becoming new-age broadcasters. The panel gets into hybrid funding models, co-ownership of IP, rapid-cycle development, YouTube economics, CPM realities, danger-led factual, testing formats on social platforms, and the rise of patchwork financing. This is a clear-eyed look at the future: faster turnarounds, collaborative models, creator-talent partnerships, and a factual economy where anyone with audience can commission. If you want to understand where factual formats are heading - and how digital-first production companies are finding new routes to money, scale and global reach - this session is required listening. Sign up for The Drop newsletter Support the show Enrol on the TellyCast Digital Bootcamp Buy tickets to How to Make Money in Digital Enter the Digital Video Awards Subscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videos Follow us on LinkedIn Connect with Justin on LinkedIN TellyCast videos on YouTube TellyCast website TellyCast insta TellyCast Twitter TellyCast TikTok

    29 min
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About

A weekly podcast featuring opinionated international content industry business leaders joining Justin Crosby to discuss the week's top industry news stories. In each episode we discuss key business developments around the world and look forward to the big moments in the week ahead. New episode every Thursday. 

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