Lindsay Turner appointed to lead BBC Studios Digital Brands commercial push as business retains global YouTube watch time lead

BBC Studios Digital Brands has appointed Lindsay Turner as VP Digital Growth and Strategy to lead its advertising proposition and commercial partnerships, as the business retains its position as the number one YouTube watch time platform in its global competitor set for the second consecutive year.

BBC Studios Digital Brands connects advertisers with highly engaged audiences around IP including Bluey, Doctor Who, BBC Earth and Top Gear, through bespoke advertising and branded content packages. These highly engaged audiences are increasingly watching on the biggest screen in the room: 77% of watch time now comes through TV devices. The US accounts for 33% of watch time and 54% of revenue. Under-34s make up 43% of adult channel audiences and 58% across kids’ channels.

Turner’s remit covers commercial partnerships across the full portfolio, from platform relationships with YouTube and TikTok to client partnerships and rights-holder relationships, alongside ownership of the global advertising proposition and go-to-market delivery.

Turner joins from VCCP Media, where she was Managing Director. Before that she spent four years at LADbible Group and held CEO roles at Spark Foundry and Blue 449.

The commercial momentum behind her appointment is significant. In FY25/26, Digital total revenue grew 23% year-on-year, YouTube revenue up 22%, and branded content up 124%. The business generated 7 billion ad impressions across its YouTube Network and CID offering, and 15.1 billion YouTube views, up 21%. It retains the number one position for YouTube watch time in its global competitor set for the second year running, with watch time more than double that of nearest competitor Netflix in the measured set. The portfolio spans around 150 channels across 17 languages, including two of YouTube’s top 1% channels globally, reaching 350 million people.

Jasmine Dawson, SVP, BBC Studios Digital Brands, said: “The numbers tell a clear story, but the real strength is what’s driving them. Audiences are not just finding our content, they are choosing to come back to it - often on the biggest screen in the room, in markets that matter to advertisers. That kind of relationship is hard to build, and we’ve done it by putting IP, fandom and platform behaviour at the centre of our strategy. Now the focus is on scaling the commercial opportunity around that - particularly in advertising and branded content. Bringing in Lindsay at this point is a deliberate step. Her experience in building high-value partnerships and shaping go-to-market strategy will be key to ensuring our commercial model is as strong and ambitious as the content itself.”

Lindsay Turner, VP Commercial, BBC Studios Digital Brands, said: “BBC Studios Digital Brands brings together global scale, trusted IP and highly engaged audiences across the platforms where people are choosing to watch. My focus is on helping advertisers and partners understand that opportunity, and on building the commercial relationships that will take it into its next phase of growth, and I look forward to getting started.”