Ep 48: Founder of The Development Network, Jon Willers - How to Make Money Beyond TV

Everyone’s telling us to embrace digital. But how do you actually make money from it? Jon Willers, founder of The Development Network, works with production companies, creators and brands to find opportunities beyond traditional broadcasting. In this episode, Jon explains how to identify an audience, build a community around your content and turn that relationship into a business. From memberships and sponsorship to branded entertainment, we explore where the money can come from and why YouTube might be your shop window rather than the shop itself. Drawing on examples including Time Team, Dish and the Sidemen, Jon explores what TV Makers can learn from successful digital businesses, which audience signals deserve your attention and why chasing views alone can send you in the wrong direction. But we also confront the difficult question behind the advice to “just get started”: who can actually afford to take that gamble? Jon discusses how smaller companies and freelancers can collaborate, fill gaps in their knowledge and test ideas before committing money they cannot afford to lose. In this episode: • Finding your niche and understanding who you’re making content for • Why engagement, retention and returning viewers matter • Turning passive viewers into paying fans • Making money through memberships, sponsorship and brand partnerships • What Time Team’s return reveals about the power of community • What television can learn from Dish and the Sidemen • Why owning your audience and your intellectual property matters • The financial risk of moving into digital • Finding collaborators who bring the skills and relationships you need • Testing and adapting ideas before producing an entire series • Building brands with a life beyond a single show • Jon’s practical do’s and don’ts for production companies Watch the full conversation on the TV Makers YouTube channel. If you enjoyed the episode, follow TV Makers and leave a rating or review wherever you’re listening. Follow TV Makers on Instagram: @tvmakerspod Get in touch: podcast@tvmakers.co.uk Recorded by Ashley Golder - https://ashleygolder.tv/ Instagram @tvmakerspod Email: Podcast@tvmakers.co.uk Artwork by Benjamin Leon - Instagram: @benleondraws Website: www.benleondraws.com