Welsh pubcaster S4C expands YouTube presence as part of digital-first push

News service Newyddion S4C is launching its own YouTube channel

Welsh-language public service broadcaster S4C has expanded its YouTube presence, becoming the latest UK broadcaster to strengthen ties with the Google-owned platform.

S4C said the partnership will see it work with YouTube to inform its digital strategy, focusing on audience growth and improving the discoverability of its content, after 1.1 million hours of its content was watched on the platform last year.

As a first step, Newyddion S4C, the broadcaster’s news service, is launching its own YouTube channel, adding to the news and current affairs offering ahead of May’s Welsh parliamentary election.

Live streams on the channel began last week with the leaders’ election debate Y Ddadl Fawr, while S4C’s live election results programme will also be streamed on YouTube on May 8 until the final result is known.

To target YouTube audiences, special content will be commissioned for the news and current affairs channel, including the documentary series Sara Manchipp: Into the Manosphere, as well as original content from S4C’s digital news service in the form of YouTube Shorts.

Beyond news, YouTube-first content commissioned by S4C includes a series of seven short 10-minute comedies, released on YouTube on May 11, and more from the entertainment series Cabarela and the vodcast Rhwydwaith Menywod Cymru.

YouTube is also home to live sports from S4C, from football and rugby in the national leagues to the British darts championship, which has been very successful recently in attracting viewers across the UK.

The move comes as S4C seeks to become a digital-first broadcaster, a central pillar of its five-year strategy dubbed More Than a TV Channel, launched in September 2025.

It comes after S4C’s fellow UK public service broadcasters have been stepping up their presence on YouTube recently, with the BBC producing bespoke programmes for the platform and Channel 4 using it to grow its reach online and work with new comedians.

Geraint Evans, S4C’s chief executive, said: “The recent discussions I’ve had with the heads of YouTube UK have been positive, and I’m grateful for their willingness to work with S4C as we aim to make Welsh-language content more discoverable on such a popular platform.

“Recent data shows us that young people, in particular, are spending significant time on YouTube, and through this partnership we can commission, tailor and publish content to attract wider audiences. The aim is to meet people where they are, rather than waiting for them to come to S4C.”