YouthTV (YOUTH TELEVISION CIC)

What YouthTV (YOUTH TELEVISION CIC) does

YouthTV, formally YOUTH TELEVISION CIC, is a UK-registered Community Interest Company founded in 2020 by Urban Judge FRSA and headquartered in Bedford, Bedfordshire. It operates as a youth-led digital media platform organized entirely on a volunteer basis, with no paid staff. The organization produces editorial content across six verticals: News, Entertainment, Sport, Lifestyle/Wellbeing, Podcasts, and Digital Series, distributing it through its owned website (hosted on Squarespace) and social channels targeting a youth audience.

The company's commercial model is non-equity and mission-driven, consistent with its CIC legal status. Revenue is generated through two primary mechanisms: donations collected via the Ko-fi platform, and brand sponsorships and partnerships that underwrite content production and the Aspire Awards program. The Aspire Awards is operated as an annual recognition event for youth contributors, functioning both as a community engagement layer and as a sponsorship-attached product line. In 2025 the organization undertook a full rebrand and appointed multiple new directors and board members to formalize governance.

There are no disclosed funding rounds, equity investors, or paid employees. Technology infrastructure appears limited to standard content publishing tooling, with no evidence of proprietary platforms, data assets, or AI/ML capabilities. The organization's structural constraints — volunteer-only operations, small Bedford base, and dependence on donation and sponsorship inflows — set a low revenue ceiling and concentrate risk on the sustainability of its sponsorship and donation base.

Name

YouthTV (YOUTH TELEVISION CIC)

Legal name

Youth Television CIC

Website

https://youthtv.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YouthTV is a UK Community Interest Company running a youth-led digital media platform that produces news, entertainment, sport, lifestyle, podcasts, and digital series content for young audiences, funded by donations and sponsorships and operated entirely by volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Digital Media and Content Production

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teen/Youth-Oriented Channels (Ages 12–17) (MPABAKAC), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth-led media
• Volunteer content production
• Digital content platform
• Youth news and podcasts
• Community media

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: YouthTV is 100% volunteer-run and relies on donations to keep their vision alive. They accept one-off or regular contributions via Ko-fi platform.
2. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Commercial partnerships and sponsorships with brands looking to reach young audiences. YouthTV delivers bold, youth-led content to young audiences across the UK.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YouthTV is a youth-led digital media company that produces and distributes original content across six content strands: News, Entertainment, Sport, Wellbeing, Podcasts, and Digital Series. The organisation is 100% volunteer-run and operates as a Community Interest Company, engaging young people in creating content for peers across the UK via its content hub, podcasts, social media, and awards programs.

Product overview

YouthTV is a unified youth-led media platform and production company that creates and distributes content across six interconnected strands: News, Entertainment, Sport, Lifestyle, Podcasts, and Digital Series. The platform operates as a single integrated offering where young people both produce and consume content. Key products include The Conversation Cabinet podcast (youth-led conversations), The High Press Pod (sport-focused podcast), and the annual Aspire Awards program celebrating young achievers. The platform is designed to engage, educate and empower young people through authentic, bold content shaped by their own voices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YouthTV Platform A youth-led digital media platform enabling young people to create, consume and engage with content across news, entertainment, sport, lifestyle, podcasts and digital series. The platform is the unified hub for YouthTV's content offering and is freely accessible to UK audiences.
• News Content Youth-led news coverage covering stories relevant to young audiences across the UK, published via the YouthTV content hub.
• Entertainment Content Entertainment content covering music, events, and cultural topics shaped by young people for young audiences.
• Sport Content Sport coverage and commentary focused on topics of interest to youth audiences, with the Managing Editor, Sport leading the strand.
• Lifestyle Content Lifestyle content covering wellbeing, culture and topics relevant to young people, published through the YouthTV content hub.
• Digital Series Long-form digital video series produced by young creators for youth audiences, distributed via the YouthTV content hub.
• The Conversation Cabinet Honest, youth-led podcast featuring conversations on the topics that matter most to young people, distributed via YouTube.
• The High Press Pod YouthTV's sport podcast featuring football talk, hot takes and stories behind the game, distributed via YouTube.
• Aspire Awards Annual awards program celebrating young creators, changemakers and storytellers across multiple categories, with sponsored categories by partner organisations. The Aspire Awards serve as a brand-building and partnership-generating event for YouthTV.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting schools in fundraising initiatives - Bedford School Movember campaign raised over £24,500
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Harpur Centre, BedfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarpur Centre is listed as a partner on the YouthTV website. The Harpur Trust also sponsors the Youth Charity category at Aspire Awards 2026. YouthTV's Advisory Board includes Ryan Harris, Deputy Centre Manager at Harpur Centre Bedford.
• HEART Academies TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouthTV is a proud partner of HEART Academies Trust, following and living the trust's commitment to sustainability. HEART Academies Trust sponsors the Environmental Champion category at Aspire Awards 2026. YouthTV works to make the planet a healthier, sustainable place together with the trust.
• Bedford SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBedford School is listed as a partner on the YouthTV website. YouthTV has covered Bedford School events including their Movember campaign.
• Link To ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLink To Change is a youth charity that YouthTV collaborates with. Hayley Brown, CEO at Link To Change, serves on YouthTV's Advisory Board as Advisor - Group Functions & Governance. Link To Change won Youth Charity category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Daniel Spargo-Mabbs FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the YouthTV website. Foundation focuses on drug and alcohol awareness for young people.
• Bedford College & University CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBedford College & University Centre is listed as a partner and sponsors the Cultural Ambassador category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Bedford Borough CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBedford Borough Council is listed as a partner and sponsors the Young Volunteer category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Bedford IndependentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBedford Independent (Sport) is listed as a partner and sponsors the Sports Champion category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Bedfordshire Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on the YouthTV website. Sponsors the Young Leader category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• The Harpur TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Harpur Trust sponsors the Youth Charity category at Aspire Awards 2026. Helen Hutchinson, Communications Manager at The Harpur Trust, serves on YouthTV's Advisory Board.
• Groundwork EastminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiana Hedley from Groundwork East serves on YouthTV's Advisory Board as Advisor - Creative, Youth Engagement & Outreach.
• Concept Event SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Young Creative category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Talk UK TelecomminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Rising Entrepreneur category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• PDM Motor SparesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Young Band category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Born to PerformminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the DE&I Champion category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Greenwood DronesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Young Performer category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Twenty Six StudiosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Aspiring Teacher category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Lionsgate ConsultingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Aspiring School category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• Bedford GivingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Youth Empowerment category at Aspire Awards 2026.
• BPHAminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSponsors the Club of the Year category at Aspire Awards 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Empoword Media: UK-based youth journalism social enterprise giving young people a platform to publish news and opinion. Similar CIC-style mission, youth-produced editorial content and emphasis on media career pathways.
• Shout Out UK: UK youth-led media and civic engagement platform producing news, video and podcasts made by young people. Directly comparable in youth-led media production model, safeguarding-conscious positioning and education-sector partnerships.
• The Tab: UK youth-led digital news and culture network written largely by university student journalists. Comparable to YouthTV in mission (young voices creating content for young audiences) and audience, though skewed to university rather than 12–25 cohort.
• Live Magazine: Youth-produced UK magazine and digital platform covering culture, lifestyle and current affairs by under-25s. Comparable audience, content categories and youth-led editorial model.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Young Reporter: BBC initiative training 11–18-year-olds to report local stories across the UK. Overlaps with YouthTV's youth-journalism training mission and content categories but operates as a public-service programme rather than an independent youth-led platform.
• Dazed Media: UK-founded youth-oriented digital media brand covering fashion, culture, news and digital video. Overlaps with YouthTV's lifestyle, entertainment and digital-series strands as an established incumbent.
• BBC: UK public broadcaster with extensive youth content (CBBC, BBC Three, BBC Sounds). Competes for the same youth audience and advertising/CSR budgets, though from a vastly larger and license-funded base.
• VICE Media: Global youth-oriented digital media company spanning news, entertainment, documentaries and culture. Operates in the same youth-content category with substantially larger scale and brand-spending relationships.

Others

• Ko-fi: Donation and membership platform used by YouthTV to collect supporter contributions. Relevant as the enabling infrastructure for YouthTV's donation revenue stream rather than a content competitor.
• Reach plc (Local World / regional titles): UK regional news publisher operating local titles across Bedfordshire (e.g., Bedfordshire on Sunday). Adjacent as a potential content partner or competitive threat in the regional news and events coverage that anchors YouthTV's Bedfordshire footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YOUTHTVUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youthtvuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 YouthTV (YOUTH TELEVISION CIC)