The BBC and North East Screen are today celebrating a major milestone for the North East’s screen industry with the shortlist of 12 companies for the groundbreaking Digital Accelerator initiative.
The shortlist marks an exciting moment in the Digital Accelerator, a pioneering initiative designed to unlock the digital potential of North East production companies to create bold, digital-first content for 16–24-year-old audiences on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Twitch.
Backed by £600,000 of investment from the BBC and the North East Screen Industries Partnership (NESIP), the programme has attracted an exceptional response from across the region. The shortlisted companies showcase ambition, creativity and innovative potential of the North East’s fast-growing screen economy, which has delivered over £65million in GVA and 1,000 jobs in the past three years.
The Digital Accelerator was officially launched at the 2025 Edinburgh TV Festival and explained further at an industry event held in November at Stockton Arc. This event brought together production companies, digital creators, freelancers and industry leaders from across the North East and highlighted the scale of opportunity in digital production.
The 12 companies will now move into the next stage of the initiative, taking part in development activity and pitch direct to the BBC commissioning team. From this group, up to four companies will then be selected to produce their digital idea.
Those companies are: Adventure Alliance Films (County Durham), Candle & Bell (Gateshead), Film Nova (Gateshead), MOTIF (Gateshead), MediaBorne (Gateshead), North Wrestling (Newcastle), Northern Child (Newcastle), Nrthrn Baby (Newcastle), Second Draft (Sunderland), Sea & Sky Pictures (Hartlepool), Twenty Six 03 (Gateshead) and Wander Films (Middlesbrough).
You can find out more about the companies shortlisted on our Digital Accelerator page.
Fiona Campbell, BBC Controller of Youth Audiences and Interim Director of Unscripted:
The Digital Accelerator is about backing brilliant ideas and ambitious companies to reach young audiences in fresh, authentic ways. The North East is full of creative energy, and this shortlist shows the strength and diversity of talent coming through the region. We’re excited to work closely with these companies as they develop bold, digital-first ideas and take the next step in their growth.
The BBC Group and YouTube have recently announced a new strategic partnership which will deliver more for audiences and support Creators across the UK, more information is available on this website: https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2026/bbc-group-youtube-strategic-partnership
Lisa Laws, Development Director at North East Screen:
We’ve got a great mix of companies on the Digital Accelerator shortlist: well established linear production companies, and those already building IP in the digital sphere. This announcement is a powerful acknowledgement of the talent and creativity driving these companies to grow in an increasingly competitive digital landscape.
With linear commissions in the North East having already quadrupled since 2022, thanks to the close collaboration we have with broadcasters such as the BBC, we’re now unlocking opportunities for new potential suppliers.
We’re backing ambitious home grown businesses to think boldly, take calculated risks and build sustainable digital futures, ensuring the region can deliver the next big digital hit.
