BBC is 'a Titanic' and must embrace radical shift, says Sidemen manager

The BBC risks becoming the Titanic of the media world and culturally irrelevant to gen Z unless it embraces a “radical shift” towards reaching young audiences, the manager of one of the most successful YouTube collectives has warned.

- Michael Savage

Jordan Schwarzenberger, the manager of the Sidemen, who have well over 100 million subscribers between them, said he believed the corporation produced “great entertainment” and wanted it to succeed.

However, he said the BBC and other main broadcasters were showing a “defeatist mentality” by demanding new rules forcing digital platforms such as YouTube to give their content prominence.

In an interview with the Guardian, he said the BBC’s cultural connection with older audiences was not shared by younger people, who increasingly spurn traditional channels and streamers.

"It's a Titanic," he said. "That's not to say that it's going to crash today, but it's so big and it's so unfit for purpose in relation to these big changes that are far bigger than them.

"The way that consumption habits have shifted over the last five years is almost more drastic than it was in the previous 50 years. You have a pre-TikTok and post-TikTok split in the way that consumption was felt and experienced by people.