With the fourth edition of the TellyCast Digital Content Forum set for 6th November 2025 at London’s BFI Southbank, the event promises to be the largest yet, featuring over 30 speakers across 12 sessions. The Forum has solidified its reputation as Europe’s leading event for the social video industry, drawing a diverse mix of creators, producers, distributors, brands, media agencies, and social platforms all navigating the rapidly evolving digital content landscape.
This year’s agenda will tackle some of the most pressing and dynamic topics reshaping the new content economy, including microdramas, vodcasting, digital formats, artificial intelligence, and the rise of the creator collective. Organisers expect a record turnout as the traditional and digital-first media sectors increasingly intersect and innovate together.
Among the speakers are well-known industry figures such as Victor Bengtsson, managing director of Sidemen Entertainment; Sam Barcroft from SWNS Media Group; Georgie Holt, CEO of Flight Story; Matt Campion of Spirit Studios; Lucy Smith from Fawkes Digital; and Taf Makopa of Mako Studios. Established media entities will also be represented, including Mike Beale from ITV Studios, Jon Lloyd of The Sun, Victor Potrel from TheSoul Group, and Matt Ford of Sony. The event thus offers a unique blend of pioneering creators and heavyweight industry executives sharing expertise and insights.
Several highlights stand out on the programme. A key session, "The Future of Digital Formats," will explore how social video platforms are revolutionising the development, financing, and distribution of formats, featuring panelists like Matt Ford, Mike Beale, Molly Webb from Studio B, and Bart Frank from Objekt. Another notable session, "The Future of News in a Video-First World," brings together senior figures such as Barcroft, Lloyd, Sky News acting head of digital Kate Sullivan, and ITN managing director of content Ian Rumsey to examine how traditional news media are adapting for digital-first audiences.
An innovative feature is The Bridge Digital Formats Lounge, created in partnership with ITV Studios and Zoo55, providing a collaborative space where ITVS labels such as Potato, Southshore, Lifted, Boom, MSM, So TV, The Garden, TwoFour, and Plimsoll can engage directly with digital-first studios and creators to discuss future collaborations.
Vodcasting, an increasingly significant format within video content, will be the focus of a dedicated session titled "How Vodcasting Is Rewriting the Rules of TV." This will include insights from Georgie Holt of Flight Story, Athena Witter from Engine Pop, Darby Dorras of Platform Media, and Ben Kerr, CEO of Cold Glass Productions. The session promises a deep dive into how video podcasts are evolving from niche offerings to powerful content drivers, reshaping financial and creative models, audience engagement, commissioning patterns, and distribution strategies, potentially heralding a new era for television.
Additional contributors include Katharina Gellein Viken of Metrotone Studios, creator Harry Pinero, Stuart Jones from Upload Agency, Rob Wilson of vidIQ, Eli Mengem of COPA90, Athena Witter from Engine Pop, and Dr Alex Connock from Oxford University, underscoring the event’s broad industry reach across creative, academic, and technological domains.
Supporting emerging creators, the Forum also features a YouTube Clinic run by vidIQ, offering delegates free audits of their YouTube channels, reinforcing the event’s practical value alongside strategic discussions.
Justin Crosby, founder of TellyCast Media and Events, emphasises that the Forum is now a vital hub for actionable insights amid the seismic shifts affecting content creation and distribution. He highlights the event’s role in bringing together the digital-first studios and creators driving industry transformation, reflecting the forum’s growing influence within the media ecosystem.
The 2025 Digital Content Forum thus stands as a critical convergence point for understanding the future of social video and digital content, bridging innovative new voices with established players to navigate opportunities and challenges in a fast-evolving media world.
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Source: Noah Wire Services