Sister Group has signed a production and distribution deal with broadcaster Amol Rajan for his new digital venture, The Amol Rajan Connection.
The partnership will see Sister provide infrastructure spanning production, cross-platform distribution, audience data and community building as Rajan moves from the BBC into the creator economy.
Rather than operating solely as a conventional production partner, Sister has assembled a team designed to help establish the venture as a direct-to-audience media brand. Former TikTok and YouTube executive Rich Waterworth will oversee strategy as a consultant, while Bryony Hopkins, whose previous roles include LadBible and Flight Story, will lead production.
Content will be recorded at the studios within London music venue Koko, in which Sister Group is a stakeholder.
Rajan announced the agreement during his Alternative MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival, shortly before his departure from the BBC. The former BBC media editor and Today presenter is launching The Amol Rajan Connection across YouTube and podcast platforms.
“I’m thrilled to announce I am signing a production and distribution deal with Sister Group, which is thriving under the inspirational leadership of Lucinda Hicks, Jane Featherstone and Liz Murdoch,” said Rajan. “I could not be more grateful to Sister’s Rich Waterworth and Bryony Hopkins, for their magnificent work in getting this machine running.”
The agreement builds on Sister’s wider push into digital-first entertainment. Earlier this year, the group took a majority stake in After Party Studios, the creator-led production company behind Channel 4.0 formats including Don’t Get Catfished, Find The… and Hear Me Out, as well as the Sidemen Charity Match and Sky Sports docuseries SCENES. At the time, Sister said the investment would support After Party’s expansion across original IP, branded entertainment and digital-first production.
Sister Group chief executive Lucinda Hicks said: “Sister Group exists to back true creative entrepreneurs across all platforms. Amol shares our belief in the opportunities and potency of directly connecting with audiences, his plans are characteristically future-facing, smart and bold and we are excited to support him in realising these.”
Sister was founded by Elisabeth Murdoch and Jane Featherstone in 2019. They said: “Amol’s curiosity, intellect and drive are infectious, he is a generational talent with a natural instinct for where the industry is going and what audiences truly want. We are followers already and thrilled to play a part in bringing The Amol Rajan Connection to the world.”
Image – Amol Rajan, courtesy Amol Rajan Instagram
