ITN has unveiled a major expansion and repositioning of its YouTube presence, launching three new genre-led channels built around its 70-year-old archive, alongside the introduction of its first YouTube Membership offering.
As part of the move, the existing ITN Archive channel will be rebranded as Frontline by ITN, alongside two newly created channels: Flashback by ITN and Re-Told by ITN. Together, said the news provider, “the channels mark a step change in how ITN’s archive is accessed, experienced and sustained for digital audiences”.
Frontline by ITN will focus on conflict and global affairs, offering audiences curated, contextualised archive footage from some of the most significant moments in modern history. It will also be the first channel produced by ITN to introduce YouTube Memberships, giving users the opportunity to directly support the digitisation and preservation of ITN’s archive, while helping shape future releases of content.
Flashback by ITN will celebrate defining moments from popular culture, while Re‑Told by ITN will present a snapshot of time of our collective social history. Using these new genre buckets, the digital team will experiment with formats that utilise the best of the archive for a digital-first audience.
The launch reflects ITN’s broader digital strategy to transform its archive from a static resource into a living, participatory product, building engaged communities around historically significant content while creating new commercial opportunities.
The initiative is the first direct‑to‑consumer channel launch from ITN Productions’ new digital team, led by George Cudmore. Alongside the archive channels, the team has also refreshed existing YouTube channels – The Royal Family Channel, Onlooker (formerly ODN) and Pop Drop (formerly ODE).
George Cudmore, director of digital at ITN, said the channels “will help to unlock the full potential of the archive in a way that reflects how audiences discover and engage with content today. By creating distinct channel identities and introducing Memberships, we’re building a sustainable model that supports ongoing digitisation and growth.”
Rubina Pabani, head of digital content at ITN, added: “We’re moving beyond simply hosting archive footage – we’re producing editorially curated destinations for audiences to explore, connect with, and contribute to. This is an important step in building participatory communities around some of the most important historical footage ever captured.”
Mairi Brewis, head of media partnerships, YouTube UK said: “This exciting development brings together ITN’s fantastic heritage of high quality news coverage with an innovative, creative approach to reaching audiences in new ways, and driving new forms of monetisation.”
ITN’s archive is one of the most significant moving image collections in the UK, spanning from the organisation’s first broadcasts in 1955 to the present day. Comprising more than a million video clips, it captures defining moments across news, politics, culture, sport and global events, including footage of the Beatles, Nelson Mandela and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The new YouTube channels are aimed at existing ITN Archive audiences, new digital viewers with an interest in history and culture, and partners across the media, cultural and heritage sectors. ITN said they also open up “opportunities for collaboration with advertisers and brand partners aligned with archive preservation and storytelling”.
Tim Forrest, head of content distribution and commercial innovation at ITN, said: “With these new channels, we are re‑imagining how that archive is brought to life for digital audiences – making it more accessible, more engaging, and more relevant than ever. The introduction of YouTube Memberships creates a direct relationship with audiences, allowing them to play an active role in preserving and shaping the future of this content.”
