Royal Television Society

What Royal Television Society does

The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a UK-registered educational charity and the world's oldest television society, founded in 1927. It serves the British television industry as a membership-based professional body, operating under royal patronage from King Charles III and governed by a board of trustees chaired by Jane Turton (former CEO of All3Media). The society runs a portfolio of five national awards programmes — Programme Awards, Television Journalism Awards, Craft & Design Awards, Student Television Awards, and Nations and Regions Awards — alongside two flagship conventions: the annual RTS London Convention and the biennial RTS Cambridge Convention.

Its product and service surface includes the RTS Mini MBA in TV & Streaming Media (a 25-module on-demand course delivered via a dedicated learning platform), RTS Futures (early-career programming), TV Production & Journalism and Digital Innovation Bursary Schemes, a monthly Television magazine, an RTS TV video platform for event replays, and a tiered membership programme providing access to private members' clubs, free events, and partner discounts. Distribution is anchored by 14 regional and national centres across the UK and Republic of Ireland. The society does not develop proprietary technology and is not described as a technology company; its digital footprint is limited to its website, the Mini MBA platform, a bursary portal, a mobile event app, and standard social media channels.

RTS's business model is that of a non-profit professional society: recurring membership subscriptions, event ticket and convention revenue, and corporate sponsorship — with Principal Patrons BBC, ITV Studios, and Sky, and recent headline sponsors including Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios (London Convention 2026), Cast & Crew (Programme Awards 2026), and 4Skills (Student Television Awards 2026). No financial statements, revenue figures, or membership counts are publicly disclosed in the available sources.

Name

Royal Television Society

Legal name

Royal Television Society

Website

https://rts.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Royal Television Society is a UK educational charity and the world's oldest television society (founded 1927), serving television industry professionals through five national awards programmes, flagship London and Cambridge conventions, a 25-module Mini MBA, bursary schemes, a monthly magazine, and 14 regional centres across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Industry Association Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Television industry awards
• Professional membership society
• Broadcast journalism awards
• Television education training
• Media industry networking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to events, private members clubs, discounts, and the monthly Television magazine.
2. Event Tickets and Sponsorships: Revenue from convention tickets, event attendance, and corporate sponsorships for flagship events like the RTS London Convention and Cambridge Convention.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Royal Television Society is a British educational charity that runs the leading UK television industry awards programmes, flagship conventions, regional networking events, professional development courses, and bursary schemes for emerging talent. It operates a paid individual membership programme that grants access to events, private members' clubs, discounts, and the monthly Television magazine. The society also publishes a monthly magazine and a video archive of its event programming under the RTS TV platform.

Product overview

Royal Television Society is a professional society and charity for the UK television industry that offers a portfolio of awards programmes, educational offerings, and networking events. The core awards portfolio includes the RTS Programme Awards, Television Journalism Awards, Craft & Design Awards, Student Television Awards, and Nations and Regions Awards across 14 regional centres. Educational offerings comprise the RTS Mini MBA in TV & Streaming Media (a 25-module on-demand course) and Bursary Schemes for emerging talent. RTS Futures provides career development for early-career professionals. The society organises flagship conventions including the biennial London Convention and Cambridge Convention, publishes Television Magazine monthly, and offers an RTS TV video platform for event recordings. Membership provides free event access, private club access, and discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RTS Mini MBA: A pioneering industry-led course providing comprehensive business understanding of the TV and streaming media industry
• RTS Futures
• RTS Bursary Schemes
• RTS Programme Awards
• RTS Television Journalism Awards
• RTS Craft & Design Awards
• RTS Student Television Awards
• RTS Nations and Regions Awards
• Television Magazine

Products and services

• RTS Programme Awards
• RTS Television Journalism Awards
• RTS Craft & Design Awards
• RTS Student Television Awards
• RTS Nations and Regions Awards
• RTS Mini MBA in TV & Streaming Media
• RTS Bursary Schemes
• RTS Futures
• RTS London Convention
• RTS Cambridge Convention
• Television Magazine
• RTS TV (Watch Events)
• RTS Membership

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered principal sponsor, headline sponsor, drink sponsor, app sponsor, exhibitor, partnership, support and principal patron.

• Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studiosprincipal sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrincipal sponsor of the RTS London Convention 2026. The convention theme is 'United in Change: If not now, when?' scheduled for 29 September 2026.
• Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN)headline sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadline sponsor of RTS London Conference 2018. VIMN is comprised of Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Channel, and other brands.
• Spencer Stuartdrink sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerDrinks reception sponsor for RTS London Conference 2018. Spencer Stuart is an executive search and leadership advisory firm.
• Accentureapp sponsorTechnology or IntegrationApp sponsor for RTS London Conference 2018, providing the conference mobile application.
• NetgemexhibitorGTM or Marketing PartnerExhibitor at RTS London Conference 2018. Netgem publishes cloud-based software for entertainment and connected home services.
• Cast & CrewpartnershipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for RTS Programme Awards 2026.
• 4SkillssupportGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the RTS Student Television Awards 2026.
• BBCprincipal patronStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal patron of the Royal Television Society. Leading UK broadcaster.
• ITV Studiosprincipal patronStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal patron of the Royal Television Society.
• Skyprincipal patronStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal patron of the Royal Television Society.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA): UK-based charity running film, TV and games awards alongside membership, learning programmes and events. Closest functional peer to RTS in mission (industry recognition, education, member services) and structure (charity, Royal patronage, London HQ).
• British Film Institute (BFI): UK lead body for film and screen culture, distributing Lottery funding, running awards (BFI Fellowships), festivals and education programmes. Comparable as a publicly-supported UK screen-industry membership-and-grantmaking body overlapping RTS's education and bursary remit.
• Royal Photographic Society: Royal-chartered learned society for a creative/visual discipline (photography), running awards, distinctions, regional chapters and member events. Directly comparable governance and member-based charity structure to RTS.
• International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: Global membership body behind the International Emmy Awards, with a peer-based judging structure and member programmes. Comparable as a TV-specific professional society that runs award ceremonies and industry events.
• International Broadcasting Convention (IBC): Annual Amsterdam-based convention and exhibition for the global broadcast, media and technology industry. Comparable as a flagship TV-industry conference and awards/advertising platform, though IBC is event-only and commercial.
• Edinburgh TV Festival: Annual UK TV industry convention combining conference sessions, awards (Ones to Watch) and networking. Overlaps RTS's convention product (London/Cambridge Conventions) and Awards programming for the same UK TV professional audience.

Emerging players

• Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE): Global professional society for media engineering and standards, with individual membership, regional sections and conferences. Overlaps RTS in serving technical/professional TV practitioners but is engineering-focused rather than content-focused.
• Writers' Guild of Great Britain: UK trade union and professional body for scriptwriters in TV, film, theatre and radio, with membership fees and awards/recognition activity. Comparable UK creative-industry membership organisation with overlapping professional base.

Regional players

• Producers Guild of America (PGA): US-based trade body for producers with membership tiers, awards (Producers Guild Awards) and industry events. Mirrors RTS's producer-targeted professional community and awards franchise, but US-focused.

Others

• Royal Television Society - Jersey / Commonwealth Broadcasting Association equivalents: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association is a global membership body for public and commercial broadcasters, providing training and events. Indirect adjacency to RTS's professional development and broadcast-industry convening role across multiple jurisdictions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rts_media
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RoyalTelevisionSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/royal-television-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/royaltelevisionsociety
• TikToktiktok.com/@royaltelevisionsociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/royaltelevisionsocietybristol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Royal Television Society