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A digital leader with 15+ years driving innovation at the intersection of Tech & Media…
Articles by Chris
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The forgotten players in the great Facebook NewsFeed purge.
The forgotten players in the great Facebook NewsFeed purge.
It’s been all doom and gloom the past several days for Facebook. On Friday afternoon Mark Zuckerberg sent this Facebook…
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What happened when I changed my relationship with my smartphone?
What happened when I changed my relationship with my smartphone?
For anyone who knows me, knows I love Digital. It’s honestly one of the most exciting and innovative spaces to be in…
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Chris Ledlin shared thisEvery year after Made on YouTube, Australian creators, newsrooms, sports leagues, and podcasters ask me a pretty similar question - How does this actually impact us on the ground, and how are you building for our market? The thread running through our most recent product line up is friction reduction, making life easier for every creator investing heavily in video. A few practical takeaways on my radar: Smarter iteration: Video A/B testing will take a lot of guesswork out of your YT strategy. Plus, Dynamic Thumbnails will let YT match your thumbnails to different audience segments (anyone who knows me knows how much I love thumbnail strategy), these will both be game changers for creators who love to obsess over the data. We’re also launching Likeness Protection (facial + voice detection) so creators can distribute with peace of mind. On live, expanding ‘Watch With’ and testing Live Showdowns giving leagues and creators a structured way to run co streams and live watch parties together with creators. Sports like AFL - Australian Football League & Australian Open have been investing in innovative live experiences on YouTube for some time and I expect many more to come with these updates. Episodic storytelling & live: Aussies love episodic content and live engagement. Shorts Series lets creators package Shorts into shows with custom thumbnails and ‘watch series’ prompts, huge for local comedy, drama, and sports. Broader news distribution: Real-time Auto Dubbing gives Australian news stories instant global reach without massive export costs. Formats from Nine’s 60 Minutes, News Corp Australia’s News 24, and Seven Network’s Spotlight are already scaling fast overseas, and auto-dubbing will accelerate that further even further. Cross-border commerce & sponsorships: YouTube Shopping tags will auto resolve to local currencies and store links globally. For podcasters, Dynamic Brand Segments will let brands swap or update regional sponsorships across back-catalog videos seamlessly. (More coming on Dynamic Brand Segments & Shopping in Australia here soon!). A great wrap vid with many more updates to get across, add this to your watch list this weekend: https://lnkd.in/eDapbV2j
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Chris Ledlin shared thisA fantastic milestone for the Australian sports landscape: Foxtel Media, FOX SPORTS Australia, and DAZN are taking their sports advertising offer beyond the paywall in a new co-sales partnership on YouTube 🏉🏏 I think this is pretty cool because: It connects game day to mid-week culture: Sponsors on Fox Footy, Fox League, Fox Cricket, and Kayo Sports can now follow fans seamlessly into mid-week highlights, mini matches, podcasts, and exclusive analysis on YouTube 🎧 It meets fans on the big screen 📺: Advertisers will gain access to YouTube’s skippable and non-skippable formats across all core surfaces, including CTV, our fastest-growing screen in Australia. It unifies linear and digital: It brings the best of broadcast style integration & sponsorships together with digital scale, simplifying media buying for agencies and brands 🤝 Thanks to the great partners at Foxtel/DAZN Australia for this partnership. Natalie Koster, Caitlin O'Meara, Cate Hefele, Milan Stephens John Matthews, Hilary Perchard, Nev Hasan https://lnkd.in/d5rCTFkGFoxtel Media takes sports ad sales beyond the paywallFoxtel Media takes sports ad sales beyond the paywall
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Chris Ledlin shared thisTropfest has always been about more than just film; it’s about the backbone of our creative economy. Last week, we took that mission a step further at YouTube’s first Open Forum dinner. We brought together a heavy hitting room of creators, politicians, educators and marketing leaders for one reason: to explore ways we as an industry can support the next generation of creators, filmmakers, and storytellers. Brilliantly hosted by Melanie Silva, with so much invaluable input from our incredible partners & creators Austin Macfarlane, Lachlan Macfarlane, John Polson. Seeing the room buzz with that much positivity and a genuine commitment to action, was such a highlight. Huge thanks to our incredible team for making this happen: Charlie Jordan, Jasmine Phung, Laura Pope, Ed Miles , Rachel Lord, and Kathryn Traynor. 📸 Studio Ahwa
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Chris Ledlin shared thisPodcasting continuing to really thrive on YouTube, great to have The Karl Stefanovic Show launch on YouTube this past weekend. Some impressive metrics coming through, strong user engagement and a great overall format. Congrats, August One, Keshnee Kemp & Karl! 🎙️ Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ge2Giwh8 https://lnkd.in/g5u5bWFWKarl Stefanovic racks up big audience figures for debut podcastKarl Stefanovic racks up big audience figures for debut podcast
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Chris Ledlin shared thisIt’s been a massive few months at YouTube. This week, it was an absolute pleasure to open our YouTube Creator Collective x TROPFEST alongside Tropfest Chair, Sarah Murdoch and Australian actor and Tropfest Director Bryan Brown. We brought together over 150 creators, filmmakers, directors, producers and creatives at Google HQ in Sydney to celebrate our partnership, share insights, and connect film makers & storytellers with our creator community. We heard brilliant insights from: 🎬 Sabine Zonderland, YouTube AUNZs Head of Creators, on the future of creative storytelling on YouTube 🎙️ Mike’s Mic, who shared his journey from engineer to full-time YouTube creator 🎥 Rita Artmann, who spoke about the business she’s building on YouTube 🌟John Polson, Tropfest Founder, on the evolution of Tropfest and how filmmakers should be thinking about their submissions 🎞️ Justin Kurzel, Australian film director, on the art of storytelling 💡 Farhad Meher-Homji, on the power and potential of the creator economy on YouTube Our TROPFEST x YouTube partnership continues to go from strength to strength, with so much more to come. A huge thank you to John Polson for your vision and partnership, and to my incredible colleagues Charlie Jordan & Jasmine Phung and the whole YouTube team for helping making our partnership thrive.
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Chris Ledlin shared thisThrilled to be speaking at SXSW Sydney alongside our Global Head of Product for YouTube Podcasting, Steve McLendon 🎙️ We’ll be both diving into why podcasting is exploding on YouTube in Australia and around the world and sharing a look at new products, tools, and monetisation opportunities coming for all podcasters, creators, and media co’s. 📅 Friday, 17 October 📍 International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) 🕒 3:00pm Come say hello afterwards, we’d love to connect.
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Chris Ledlin shared this🚀 Big product announcements from YouTube today that will impact the creator economy, podcasters, and media companies publishing on the platform. A few of my standouts: 1️⃣ Dynamic Brand Segments: More flex for creators & podcasters to work with brands in new, scalable ways. 2️⃣ A/B Testing for Titles: building on our thumbnail test and compare product, we’re now extending A/B testing to video titles - launching over the coming months. 3️⃣ Auto Clips & Shorts: For podcasters, Gemini in YouTube can now scan long-form content and automatically generate Shorts and clips, a game changer for discoverability. 4️⃣ Auto Dubbing with Lip Sync: Expanding global reach by delivering a richer and a more natural viewing experience in multiple languages. Great wrap-up here from Colin & Samir with even more products > https://lnkd.in/gkerJhEX
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Chris Ledlin shared thisA big night for YouTube in Australia last night 🎉 we announced at Brandcast that YouTube reached 20.1 million Australian adults in May 2025 - 96% of the adult population, cementing the position as the #1 streaming platform in the country (IPSOS Iris & Kantar). At the heart of this momentum is our creator ecosystem, podcasters, sporting organisations, music and media companies who choose to invest deeply in the platform to build and grow their businesses. Creators are the true secret sauce driving YouTube’s impact here in Australia, and around the world. 🇦🇺📹📺👏 Ed Miles Melanie Silva Sabine Zonderland Caroline Oates Danny Baker Daniel Stephenson Rachel Lord Charlie Jordan
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Chris Ledlin shared thisYouTube is so thrilled to play a part in helping bring back TROPFEST - the worlds largest short film festival 🎬. Partnering with the incredible Tropfest team is such a natural fit with YouTube’s mission to support the next generation of creators and filmmakers - we couldn’t be prouder. Tropfest has always been close to my heart for so many years, I’ll never forget those summer nights under the stars in Sydney, where tens of thousands come together to celebrate the best of creativity in these powerful short films that have launched so many incredible careers. Tropfest’s YouTube channel will become the global home of TROPFEST, live streaming the event to users around the world. In the coming days, Tropfest will roll out a 24/7 film marathon on YouTube of some of the best films ever submitted. From October, we’re launching the YouTube Creator Collective x Tropfest, free workshops to support emerging filmmakers & creators to help them sharpen their craft and prepare to submit their work. Then in February 2026, we’ll support Tropfest through masterclasses on writing, directing, production design & AI. John Polson, thank you for believing in our vision, we couldn’t think of a better fit. What you’ve created is nothing short of a masterpiece, I can’t wait for the Tropfest brand to thrive once again. To our incredible team at YouTube & Google who helped bring this all together - Aaron Spark, Ed Miles, Melanie Silva, Jasmine Phung, Ant G., Kathryn Traynor Sahil Gujral 👏 and our partners Cassandra Kevin, Kate Jones, Sav Yeldham for helping bring our vision to life with Tropfest. 📺🎬📽️ https://lnkd.in/giwspWJ9
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You’ve smashed it Steph!!!
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Chris Ledlin reacted on thisChris Ledlin reacted on thisWorking for YouTube definitely has its "pinch me" moments, and last night was absolutely up there. To everyone who joined us for YouTube Festival 2026, thank you for making it one hell of a night. The energy in the room was next level, and above all else, one thing was abundantly clear: Creators are redefining entertainment, and it’s all happening on YouTube. Three big takeaways from the night: 🎨 Creators are the new stars and powerhouses: They aren't waiting for a green light; they’re building global studios, leading media companies, and redefining entire genres. 🌏 YouTube is at the epicentre of culture: From hyper-specific obsessions to moments preserved in national history, this is where audiences actively choose to spend their time. ⚡ Deep human trust meets AI innovation: When unmatched creator connection is supercharged by Google AI, inspiration turns into action faster than anywhere else. Thank you to the creators and industry powerhouses who took the stage: Comedy & Shorts Genius: Our brilliant host, Lyanna Kea🎤 Production Powerhouse: Media CEO Kevin Lerdwichagul & the Glitch Productions crew 🎬 Podcast Legends: Redefining sports entertainment, Daniel Gorringe & The Gifted Group team 🏉 Independent Journalists: The ultimate storytellers, Sam Koslowski ☕️ and The Daily Aus crew 📰 Managing Director, Analytic Partners: Paul Sinkinson Nestlé Director of Marketing and Communications: Anneliese Douglass Rising Artists: Alt-Pop duo, Pamela 🎶 And our very own Melanie Silva who brought the night home. What you saw on stage is only a fraction of how insanely talented these folks all are. Off-stage, they are some of the most genuine, inspiring, and awesome people you'll ever meet. I have loved getting to know every single one of these legends, and I'm so grateful you are a part of our YouTube family. To the team behind the scenes - you are out of this world. I count myself incredibly lucky to work alongside you every day. Mark Wheeler, Crispen Wilkins, Duncan McGrath, Zara Lenehan Marc Dardouillet, Emma Turner, Laura Jeffries, Riin Rodenberg, Charlie Jordan, Laura Pope, Ed Miles, Caroline Oates, Marion Briand, Derryn Webster, Cally Scivetti, Clare Maranhao, Tamara McCann, Renee Gamble, Carly Hollis, Victoria Berthinussen, Jonathan Hiley, Tys Autagavaia, Rob Brittain, Amelia Wakeman, Benson Anthony, Aly Standen, Edward Deal ❤️ And a massive shoutout to our brilliant agency partners who brought the vision to life: Language Design®, Sense Group, Evolved Group, Sightline 🙌 Google for Business AUNZ #YouTubeFestival #Creators #YouTubeAUNZ Photo cred: 📸 Studio Aħwa
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Chris Ledlin reacted on thisChris Ledlin reacted on thisIt’s been a huge three weeks. Time is flying by. I knew I was stepping into an exciting time for the business, but this weekend was a pretty incredible demonstration of what’s possible. The AFL Grand Final was the biggest ever – reaching 6.5 million Australians across Seven and 7plus, with a Total TV audience of 4.52 million. Streaming smashed records, with 1.42 million Australians watching on 7plus – up 44% year-on-year and delivering the platform its biggest day ever. But what I loved was seeing the whole business come to life around one massive moment. Television. Streaming. Audio. Publishing. Millions watching, listening, reading, sharing and engaging across our platforms. And teams across the business working together to make the most of the moment. That’s what makes this such an exciting time to have joined. Two great businesses have come together, and we have an enormous opportunity to think differently about how we create audiences, deepen engagement and connect brands with fans wherever they are. In a couple of weeks, we’ll share much more about where we’re heading at our 2027 Upfront. Can’t wait to share more with everyone. There is magic in the air. Bring it on.
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Chris Ledlin reacted on thisChris Ledlin reacted on this45 million views is impressive. The 3 million hours of watch time Marcus Jones generated is the real story. When brands partner with YouTube creators, they aren’t just buying reach. They’re tapping into the trust built by creators through hours of content and genuine audience attention. Because there’s a big difference between someone who sees your brand and someone who chooses to spend hours with the person recommending it. Want to make creators part of your content strategy? 🔗 Download the Creator Playbook: https://goo.gle/4xPPsHb
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Chris Ledlin reacted on thisChris Ledlin reacted on thisI always said that, if I did my job well at YouTube, it would get too big for me. So happy to say it got too big for me. After juggling our news, sports, tv & film partnerships for almost four years, I’m now going to focus exclusively on our growing sports and entertainment businesses in Canada. And my wonderful and talented colleague Alex Paterson will lead news partnerships. While news remains close to my heart, our thriving entertainment and sports communities do too. Keep an eye on this space.
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Chris Ledlin liked thisChris Ledlin liked thisLast month my newsletter brought in as much revenue as it did from the whole of last year. It's all thanks to the brands who've backed it and to everyone who reads it each week. Best part is we've also been able to do more of the travelling we moved to London for. 🇪🇸 Spain 🇫🇷 France 🇵🇹 Portugal Last week I edited and scheduled the next article on the train to the south coast of England. The whole thing runs on beehiiv and their MCP. → Sponsor reporting runs completely automatically → Articles are informed by what readers engaged with → Recommended links are based on what readers clicked Better content, to more people, in less time. Plus a better experience for our sponsors. P.S. code ISAAC30 gets you 30% off your first 3 months on beehiiv 👉 https://lnkd.in/g6wRqcTP P.P.S. any questions about your own newsletter, ask away!
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Nurlan Urazbaev
ICYMI: Nine Entertainment Co. completes acquisition of Australian DOOH ad operator QMS Media (LBBonline): Nine Entertainment Co. (Nine) has completed its 100 per cent acquisition of QMS Media (QMS), marking a definitive shift in Nine’s portfolio, and positioning the group as Australia and New Zealand’s first fully integrated, digital-first media powerhouse. The addition of QMS transforms Nine’s offering to advertisers, agencies, and partners by delivering a unique cross-platform digital […] #DOOH #retailmedianetworks #digitalsignage
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Scott Thomson
Are Radio Networks Programming For The Upfronts Or The Listener? KIIS has announced its new Sydney breakfast show: Dr Chris Brown, Amy Gerard and Jack Charles. And it raises an interesting question. Are some of the biggest decisions in commercial radio now being made partly on the basis of what will look good at the upfronts? You can understand the attraction. Imagine the presentation to agencies and media buyers. The curtain goes up and out walks Dr Chris Brown — one of the most recognisable faces in Australian television. It looks impressive. Advertisers know him. Agencies know him. It’s immediately marketable. Now imagine the same presentation with an experienced radio broadcaster who has spent 20 years learning the craft but isn’t instantly recognisable outside the industry. Which gets the bigger reaction in the room? Probably the television star. But which one builds the better breakfast show? We’ve seen plenty of television personalities moved into major radio jobs over the years. Sometimes it works. Often it doesn’t. Because being recognisable and understanding radio are two very different things. Radio is an intimate medium. You’re not talking to a theatre full of people. You’re talking to one person in their car, making breakfast or heading to work. That relationship has to be built every morning. That’s why I previously argued that if KIIS wanted Chris & Amy, the Chris should have been Chris Page. Page might not get the same reaction walking onto an upfront stage. But he’s spent years learning how to connect with a radio audience. Chris Brown may turn out to be terrific. But perhaps we’re starting to understand why radio keeps turning to television for its biggest jobs. The television face helps sell the show before it goes to air. The question is what happens once the upfront is over, the lights go down and the microphones are switched on. Advertisers may buy the launch. Listeners decide whether they come back tomorrow morning.
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