In a pressing call to action, the UK government is urged to enhance the visibility of public broadcaster content on YouTube. Ofcom’s latest report highlights the urgent need for legislative support to ensure that PSB content is easily accessible to viewers.
UK Government Urged to Enhance Visibility of Public Broadcaster Content on YouTube
The UK government should intervene to make public broadcaster (PSB) content easier to find on YouTube, the regulator has urged, as it gravely posits that “time is running out” to save the sector.
Legislative Recommendations for PSB Content
Delivering its long-awaited Future of Public Service Media report this morning, Ofcom stated that the government should consider bringing forward legislation that would “ensure that PSB content is prominent on its service, and on fair commercial terms.”
“This would require significant work but would give prominence for PSB content on YouTube statutory backing,” added the regulator.
Recent Developments in Media Legislation
Any move would be an addition to the recently-passed Media Act, which facilitates easier access to content from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5 on smart TVs. This change in “prominence” laws has been the subject of broadcaster campaigns for years.
YouTube’s Growing Importance for Broadcasters
Ofcom today focused its attention on YouTube, which has become a growing priority for traditional broadcasters eager to tap into the Google-owned platform, place more content on YouTube, and discover top talent.
“It is important that PSBs and other content commissioners and creators see a fair return when their content is watched on third-party platforms such as Google, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram,” Ofcom’s report stated. We have asked YouTube for comment on Ofcom’s recommendations.
Viewing Statistics and Trends
Ofcom’s research found YouTube to be second only to the BBC in terms of the proportion of UK viewing last year. The BBC accounted for 19% of viewing in 2024, followed by YouTube with 14% and ITV at 12%. Netflix, which has made significant inroads into the UK with shows like Adolescence and Fool Me Once, was down in fourth with 8%, followed by Channel 4 at 6%.
“There has been significant growth in viewing on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, increasingly being watched on TV now that more than seven in ten households have connected TVs,” Ofcom noted. “They have a fast-growing body of user-generated and professionally produced content that covers a wide range of interests and is popular with young viewers and increasingly with older ones as well.”
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Urgent Action Needed to Save PSBs
Ofcom’s report carried six recommendations and some serious warnings. “If no action is taken, the very existence of the PSBs – who are the main providers of Public Service Media – will be threatened,” it stated. “Time is running out to save this pillar of UK culture and way of life.”
Other recommendations to help “save” the 100-year-old broadcasting sector included more funding to support a broad range of content, possibly with upgraded tax credits, urgent clarity on future TV distribution, more ambitious partnerships among the PSBs, and streamlined regulation that removes outdated restrictions.
The final point appeared to respond to a recent government call to make it easier for broadcasters to consolidate and partner, potentially paving the way for interesting mergers in the coming years. Ofcom emphasized that broadcasters need to achieve scale to compete.
The regulator also expressed concerns that broadcasters could cease to be a “development ladder” for talent and production outfits as the UK content mix continues to change rapidly.
“Broadcasters and producers have indicated that there is overcapacity among smaller production companies, who are more likely to work in genres with declining demand, and that the market is now experiencing a ‘correction’ phase,” Ofcom stated. “While many producers are looking to diversify, some well-established, smaller independent production companies have closed, merged with others, or are facing challenging circumstances.”
This topic of the ‘squeezed middle’ was raised at last year’s Edinburgh TV Festival, leading the head of the producer trade body to accuse the broadcasters of being “callous” and “cloth-eared” regarding the issue.
