ITV announced that it has bought a minority stake in the YouTube network Channel Mum, as part of an effort to invest beyond TV production.

The channel was launched by Siobhan Freeguard, founder of parenting website Netmum, which provides a forum for mothers to share advice and experience. It aims to display the “honest face of parenting” in a series of videos by the most successful ‘mum vloggers’.

The channel has only 2,140 subscribers to date, but has already negotiated deals with Pampers and Panasonic. Simon Pitts, managing director of online, pay, interactive and technology at ITV told the Guardian:

“Siobhan Freegard is a hugely successful entrepreneur with a proven track record in digital business. 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.”

 

Miranda Wadham on 11/08/2015