Weekend Waves 24/25
🤝 TV Meets YouTube: A Broadcaster’s Guide to Smart Windowing
Happy Friday! I revamped my newsletter a bit this week - adding new sections like Pop Culture Pick and Format Watch. I believe staying ahead in this industry isn’t just about knowing platform strategies and audience behaviour, it’s about understanding culture, too.
🌊 News that Made Waves
Lowe’s Launches Creator Network to Build Bonds with Millennials and Gen Z.
Lowe’s has launched what it bills as the first home improvement creator network in an effort to deepen the brand's connection with millennial and Gen Z audiences, per a press release. MrBeast is the first major name to join the effort, and the creator has curated a dedicated storefront on Lowe's website. The brand will serve as the exclusive building partner of the second season of the creator's “Beast Games” competition series. The Lowe’s Creator Network, which enrolled more than 17,000 creators during its beta launch, uses a multi-tiered system to connect with talent of all sizes. Lowe's plans to connect the new network to its retail media network in the future. (Marketing Dive)
💡Lowe’s Creator Network shows how brands are starting to build their own content ecosystems, creating new opportunities for producers to partner directly on creator-led formats that merge retail, entertainment, and Gen Z reach, without going through traditional media channels.
Gen Alpha Kids Are the Most Active Console Gamers, ESA Report Finds.
Children under 18 make up 23% of the US gaming audience for a total of 46.4 million young gamers, according to the latest report from The Entertainment Software Association. For its annual Essential Facts About the US Video Game Industry report, the ESA conducted interviews across the US in February with 4,000 gamers (757 kids and teens plus 3,243 adults), as well as 1,000 adults who spend less than an hour a week playing games, to determine new gaming behaviour trends and preferences. While it’s commonly believed that kids only enjoy playing on mobile devices, Generation Alpha emerged as the most active console gamers at 69%, surpassing Gen Z (65%), Millennials (60%), Gen X (29%) and Boomers (7%). Gen Alpha is also the top cohort when it comes to gaming on VR-capable devices (14%) and the second-highest on mobile devices (85%) after Gen X (87%), the study found. (Kidscreen)
💡The rise of Gen Alpha as the most active console gamers highlights a growing opportunity to develop interactive, gamified, or game-inspired entertainment formats that resonate with this digitally native and highly engaged audience.
BBC Plans Animated Preschool Doctor Who Series, Hunts for Producer.
Doctor Who has aired on the UK pubcaster on and off since 1963 and the corporation says it is now looking to expand the “Whoniverse” with a preschool animation series for its CBeebies kids’ network. The BBC has issued a call for a “passionate production company to create and produce the series, which will run independently from the main show”. “The show will see the Doctor travelling through time and space for the preschool audience, solving mysteries and problems alongside their companions and other friends. And, of course, they may come up against one or two challenges on their way…” the BBC said today. (C21 Media)
💡The BBC’s preschool Doctor Who series reflects a broader strategy to refresh iconic IP for new age groups, turning the youngest viewers into future fans and extending the franchise's lifecycle across generations. Very smart move!
According to YouTube’s Latest Economic Impact Report, its Creators added $55 Billion to U.S. GDP in 2024.
YouTube is still a vital piece of the business sector in the U.S. That’s the main takeaway from the platform’s latest Impact Report, which details its contributions to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and workforce. The Impact Report is an annual collab between YouTube and Oxford Economics. Based on estimates about the value of YouTube-adjacent work, Oxford provides research on the platform’s total contributions to the U.S. economy. YouTube then publishes the findings via its official blog. This year, the topline numbers are as impressive as always. YouTube’s creator community added $55 billion to the U.S. GDP during the 2024 calendar year, and that industry supported the equivalent of 490,000 full-time equivalent jobs. (Tubefilter)
💡YouTube’s $55 billion contribution to the U.S. GDP in 2024 underscores the platform’s power not just as a distribution channel, but as a thriving creator economy where independent content rivals traditional media in both scale and impact.
For the First Time, Brands are Spending the Biggest Chunk of their Budgets on YouTube’s Connected TV Ads.
According to data from marketing firm Tinuiti, which manages ~$4 billion in annual digital ad spend, brands are–for the very first time–now spending more on YouTube’s connected TV ads than ads on mobile. The margin is very slim: Tinuiti found that during Q1 2025, brands spent 43% of their YouTube ad campaign dollars on TV screens. Mobile? 42%. One percent difference might not be a lot, but it’s the overall trend this figure indicates that’s the real interesting part. Tinuiti’s data shows that TV viewers and marketers are aligned on both sides of the screen; as people’s watch habits shift more toward TV, advertisers are spending accordingly to reach them. (Tubefilter)
💡Brands prioritising YouTube connected TV ads over mobile for the first time marks a pivotal shift in viewing and monetisation habits - bringing digital and TV worlds closer and creating new demand for premium, TV-style content on streaming platforms.
🔎 Strategy Spotlight
🤝 TV Meets YouTube: A Broadcaster’s Guide to Smart Windowing
For many broadcasters, YouTube still feels like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it offers global reach, discoverability, and a built-in audience hungry for content. On the other, there’s a persistent fear: “If we put our shows on YouTube, won’t we just lose viewers from our own platforms?”
But smart windowing strategies are proving that YouTube doesn’t have to compete with your core distribution - it can complement and even extend it.
Ampere Analysis showed during their webinar last week how Channel 4 is using smart windowing:
Instead of viewing YouTube as a threat, they’ve integrated it into a tiered release strategy. A new episode of their long-running soap Hollyoaks first drops on their BVoD platform at 7am, airs on the linear E4 channel at 7pm, and only appears on YouTube a full week later. That delay isn’t accidental, it’s a deliberate move to maintain premium value on owned platforms while still capitalising on YouTube’s reach and algorithmic power.
Meanwhile, their @Channel4Documentaries YouTube channel also reflects a windowed approach. According to Ampere Analysis data, 41% of long-form content uploads to the channel happened within a week of the original air date. But others took longer - 26% appeared between 8–30 days, and 17% only after more than 180 days. This flexibility allows Channel 4 to optimise for both relevance and long-tail viewership.
So how can other broadcasters follow suit?
1. Think in Windows, Not Walls
Start by viewing YouTube as the final stop in a value chain, not a competitor at the starting line. Use YouTube to extend the life of your content, not replace earlier airings. Whether it's a few days or a few months later, stagger your release to give your owned and linear platforms time to maximise engagement first.
2. Adapt Content for the Platform
YouTube is not just a passive player for broadcast reruns. The best-performing videos are often edited, reformatted, or curated to fit the platform's tone. Consider uploading highlight reels, creator commentaries, or trailers before dropping the full episode days or weeks later.
3. Use Data to Refine Timing
As Channel 4’s varied release windows show, there’s no one-size-fits-all. Test different time frames between broadcast and upload to see what works for your genre and audience. High-volume, short-lifecycle content (like soaps or reality shows) benefits from faster turnaround, while evergreen documentaries can afford longer delays.
4. Build a YouTube-First Brand Extension
In some cases, YouTube can be more than just a distribution tool - it can become a brand in its own right. Channel 4’s YouTube channels have carved out distinct identities, allowing them to build a new audience segment that may never tune in live but still feels connected to the broadcaster’s tone and mission.
5. Monetise the Back Catalogue
One of the most overlooked advantages of YouTube is its potential to generate ongoing revenue from older content. Rather than letting your archive gather dust, you can repurpose and upload shows, clips, and specials to YouTube where they can continue to earn ad revenue indefinitely. This is particularly effective for factual and documentary programming with evergreen appeal. As the Ampere Analysis chart shows, 17% of Channel 4’s documentary uploads occurred more than 180 days after the original air date - showing that older content can still find a fresh audience and drive monetisation long after it first aired.
💡YouTube doesn’t have to “steal” your viewers - it can serve them in a new context. With thoughtful scheduling and a platform-conscious mindset, broadcasters can grow their reach, future-proof their strategy, and breathe new life into their content archive.
⏪ Rewind
Last week, I wrote about Love Island in The Sandbox. Now, I read in
that Netflix partnered with The Sandbox to create a Stranger Things immersive experience, called Stranger Things: Catalyst.In Stranger Things: Catalyst, players will explore iconic locations from the series, wield unique powers, and face terrifying creatures from the Upside Down.
Sandbox VR’s third collaboration with Netflix follows the Squid Game Virtuals and Rebel Moon: The Descent VR experiences. (blooloop)
📈 Stat Shot
Also last week, I asked you what would most likely keep Gen Z from cancelling streaming services - and 100% of the readers who responded said flexible pricing. Makes total sense, considering Gen Z has been loud and clear about one thing: when they cancel, it’s usually because of the price tag.
🌟 Pop Culture Pick
This week’s most delightfully absurd pop culture crossover comes courtesy of Fortnite × FOX, as three iconic animated dads - Hank Hill (King of the Hill), Bob Belcher (Bob’s Burgers), and Cleveland Brown (Family Guy) - join the battle royale universe just in time for Father’s Day on June 13. Happy Father’s Day!
The update injects a dose of nostalgic humour into Fortnite’s ever-expanding multiverse, blending suburban dad energy with pixelated chaos. For TV producers, it's a compelling case study in IP reinvention - showing how legacy characters can be reintroduced to younger audiences via gaming platforms, not by rebooting their shows, but by making them playable. It's brand storytelling with a joystick, and a reminder that character-based comedy still travels, even in the metaverse.
👀 Content Watch
Chuckmates is a blind dating show on YouTube tied to the Converse footwear brand, where contestants choose potential matches based solely on the Chuck Taylor sneakers they wear. Hosted by Amelia Dimoldenberg, the series tries to blend her signature awkward, comedic style with a format that’s essentially branded entertainment.
However, the execution has been criticised for feeling overly contrived and shallow. The central concept - judging compatibility based on shoes - is quirky but ultimately too thin to sustain interest, and it doesn’t give Dimoldenberg much room to bring out her usual wit or improvisational charm. The result is a show that feels like it’s trying too hard to be "cool" and brand-friendly, but ends up lacking both depth and real humour.
What do you think about the format? Drop me a message!
☀️ Weekend Vibes
That’s it for today and don’t forget to take a break this weekend! Sandra x
If you're seeking further assistance or exploring additional options, I would be delighted to offer these avenues of support:
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Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss this further or if you have any questions: sandra@tvfuturist.com