David Farnor | On 12, Aug 2015

ITV has invested in a YouTube channel for young mothers.

Channel Mum was launched at the beginning of 2015 by Siobhan Freehard, founder of Netmums. The MCN had 15 vloggers signed up in January 2015 and partnered with Panasonic for a competition to give several mothers a camcorder and some money to start their own vlog – a sign, as we noted at the time, that Freegard was already thinking about growth and sponsorship.

Indeed, the MCN has since struck a deal with Pampers, with the sector offering many more opportunities for targeted branding. Now, that commercial strategy has paid off by winning the attention of the UK broadcaster: this is the first time ITV has invested in a YouTube MCM. ITV now has a minority stake in the business.

Freegard comments: “I am so pleased that ITV has seen the potential of Channel Mum, recognizing millennial mums as an important and growing demographic. Our research shows that brands are keen to connect with these women in a meaningful way.”

“Siobhan Freegard is a hugely successful entrepreneur with a proven track record in digital business,” Adds ITV managing director of online, pay and interactive Simon Pitts. “She and her team at Channel Mum have a brilliant understanding of content, advertisers and mothers, and how they can work together to produce genuinely appealing, authentic content.”

Variety

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