For decades, television has been funded through a fairly predictable model: broadcasters commission shows, distributors provide advances, and producers piece together the financing through a combination of licence fees, deficit funding and international sales.
But that model is evolving.
As advertising becomes less effective in traditional formats, brands are increasingly looking for ways to fund entertainment directly. Instead of simply interrupting programming, they want to be part of it.
For production companies, this opens up a new and increasingly important funding route: brand-funded entertainment.
Brand-funded entertainment is exactly what it sounds like: a brand provides funding to help develop and produce a show, typically in return for integration within the format and access to the audience the show reaches.
This can take many forms:
a brand funding an entire series
a brand co-financing a production alongside a broadcaster
a brand sponsoring a format with deeper editorial integration
a brand partnering on digital or creator-led extensions
Done well, these partnerships create a genuine win-win. Producers unlock additional funding and reach new audiences. Brands gain meaningful cultural engagement rather than simply buying advertising around a programme.
Some well-known examples include brands helping to fund entertainment formats such as Changing Rooms and Cooking With The Stars, where brand partnerships helped bring shows to market while remaining authentic to the format.
Brands are increasingly interested in funding entertainment for a simple reason: audiences are harder to reach than ever before.
Traditional advertising is fragmented across platforms, ad-skipping is commonplace, and audiences increasingly spend time with content creators and digital platforms rather than scheduled television.
Entertainment offers something advertising often cannot: attention.
By funding content that audiences actively choose to watch, brands can build cultural relevance and emotional connection with viewers. This is particularly powerful when the brand is integrated naturally within the format.
For producers, this means that a strong idea with clear audience appeal can often attract interest from brands looking for exactly this kind of opportunity.
Not every idea is suited to brand-funded entertainment. But certain characteristics tend to make formats particularly appealing to brand partners.
Typically these include:
a clear and identifiable audience
a repeatable format with series potential
natural opportunities for brand integration
a tone or subject matter aligned with brand values
talent, creators or communities that brands want to reach
Lifestyle formats, competition shows, factual entertainment and creator-led formats often lend themselves particularly well to these kinds of partnerships.
The key is that the brand’s role feels authentic to the show, rather than bolted on.
Brand-funded television rarely follows a single template, but most partnerships involve a combination of the following elements:
a production company developing the format
a brand providing funding or sponsorship
a broadcaster or platform commissioning or distributing the show
a distributor managing international sales and rights
In some cases the brand funds the show directly alongside a broadcaster. In others, brand funding helps unlock the budget needed to bring a project to market.
Structuring these deals requires careful consideration of rights, editorial independence and long-term format value. When handled correctly, brand funding can complement traditional commissioning rather than replace it.
Showrunners works with production companies to help unlock these opportunities.
We specialise in identifying formats with strong brand partnership potential and connecting producers with the right brand partners to help bring those ideas to life.
Our role typically includes:
identifying brand-friendly formats within a production slate
introducing relevant brand partners
helping structure commercially viable partnerships
protecting the editorial integrity of the show
The goal is simple: to help great ideas reach audiences by unlocking new funding routes.
For production companies, brand-funded entertainment can be a powerful way to develop new formats and bring ambitious ideas to market.
As the media landscape continues to evolve, the ability to work creatively with brand partners is becoming an increasingly valuable skill.
If you’re a production company exploring brand-funded entertainment or looking to unlock new funding opportunities for your formats, Showrunners would be delighted to talk.
If you're a production company developing formats that could benefit from brand partnerships, or a brand or agency exploring opportunities in entertainment, we'd always be happy to exchange ideas.
You can reach us at hello@showrunners.co.uk or connect with us on LinkedIn.