The creator economy is becoming an increasingly important source of on-screen talent for UK television, with broadcasters commissioning more series built around social media creators and influencers.
According to new analysis from Ampere Analysis, 13 unscripted series featuring a creator, influencer or livestreamer as the principal on-screen talent were commissioned in the UK during the first half of 2026. The figure is more than double the number recorded in the same period last year and represents the strongest six-month period since Ampere began tracking creator-led commissions in 2021.
The trend reflects the growing reach of social-first personalities. Ampere’s Consumer Survey found that 69% of UK consumers watched influencer videos at least weekly in Q1 2026, compared with 49% in 2021.
The shift to influencers is not limited to a single broadcaster. The BBC has commissioned the highest number of creator-led titles since 2021, followed by Channel 4 and ITV, while platforms including Netflix, Paramount+ and DAZN have also entered the space.
Creators are increasingly moving beyond traditional hosting roles, appearing as the central figures in reality and documentary formats as well as entertainment and competition shows. Recent examples include Paramount+’s upcoming Meet the Fishers, following creator Big John and his family, and UKTV’s Prison Wives of TikTok, which follows women whose relationships with incarcerated partners have been documented on social media.
For broadcasters and streamers, the growing overlap between social media and television points to a broader shift in how audiences discover personalities—and how those personalities are being developed into television talent.
Ampere’s findings come as the creator economy takes an increasingly prominent position at the 2026 Edinburgh TV Festival, where YouTube’s EMEA VP Pedro Pina is set to deliver the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture and Chicken Shop Date creator Amelia Dimoldenberg will headline the opening day.
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