Channel 4 is pledging a range of measures to increase commissions from production companies in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including £35 million ($43 million) of ring-fenced content spend.
The move to increase commissions from Nations-based indies is part of Channel 4’s Nations and Regions strategy announced in October last year to deliver a package of measures focused on three core areas—skills, content and people—to better serve and reflect the whole of the U.K.
Channel 4 aims to increase its commitment by one-third, from 9 percent to 12 percent of its main channel content spend and hours, in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales by 2028, as part of its new ten-year license and two years ahead of the channel’s 2030 quota requirement set by Ofcom. Channel 4 will commit to spending £10 million ($12 million) in 2026 and £25 million ($31 million) in 2027 with Nations-based producers.
The ring-fenced content budget forms a part of a Nations and Regions commissioning strategy, which will be delivered by Jo Street, Channel 4’s head of lifestyle and director of commissioning for Nations and Regions.
Street said: “We’re determined to increase our commissions from producers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and this strategy will help deliver on that commitment.
“Great ideas surface when there are trusting and creative relationships between suppliers and commissioners. This plan aims to stimulate and encourage those conditions across the U.K. By strengthening the relationship and understanding between our commissioning leads and production companies in the Nations, we’ll give producers a better insight into the priorities for each genre, a sharper focus on what really cuts through for us and ultimately a better chance to get their ideas commissioned.”
As part of the measures, each genre in Channel 4’s commissioning department has appointed a lead commissioning editor, one for each Nation, who will nurture stronger relationships with key suppliers in their designated Nation.
Genre heads of departments will also draft three-year plans for each Nation and the English regions.
Starting this year, each Nation will be allotted an extra £100,000 ($124,000) of development funding—money which enables indies to fully explore and develop potential program ideas—beyond any existing development budgets already in place.
All new More4 commissions in 2025 and 2026 will be set aside for indies based in the Nations and English regions.
There will also be a key focus on dedicating more time, effort and investment to working collaboratively with Screen Agencies in the Nations and Regions.
