Young People Need More 'Ringers' to help them get ahead...
The Wrong-Headed Obsession With Youth Makes No Commercial Sense
Last Thursday, The Times reported that a King’s Counsel found Oxford and Cambridge likely broke age discrimination laws by blocking older students from competing in the Boat Race. They did this to stop each other using 'ringers' - more experienced rowers - to give them an advantage.
In TV, however, we're doing the exact opposite - weirdly getting rid of our 'ringers' in pursuit of commercial success.
In most TV boardrooms, there’s an unofficial altar that all the older bosses worship at, chanting repetitively and mindlessly: “We need to skew younger.” Whether it’s the development team or the target audience, youth is where it’s at - or so we’re told. Why? Because apparently advertisers say so. And many production companies feel a younger workforce is all they can afford.
These senior execs look enviously at digital platforms. But look beyond the headlines, and the data tells a more commercial story.
According to Statista (2024):
TikTok skews youngest (60% under 24)
Instagram appeals to 18-34-year-olds
YouTube and Facebook attract older audiences—67% of YouTube users are 36-45, while Facebook is home to the 35-54 demographic.
Which platform earns the most revenue? Facebook, with the oldest audience - bringing in $131 billion. The smallest? TikTok, with $20 billion.
Of course, it’s important to acknowledge Facebook is the oldest of these platforms, and TikTok was founded less than ten years ago. So while the comparison isn’t perfect, the link between broader audiences and commercial success is hard to ignore.
The platforms with the widest age ranges earn the most. Why? Because they offer scale, longevity, and a diverse creator base that appeals to everyone.
TikTok creators are largely under 24. But YouTube and Facebook both host hugely successful creators in their 30s, 40s, and 50s - especially in education, finance, and lifestyle.
So while TV chases youth, it’s worth remembering: the most cross-generational platforms are the most commercially successful. They value a broad range of creators, not just the youngest ones.
And while advertisers often claim they want youth, the highest ad spend still comes from sectors targeting older consumers: financial services, healthcare, travel, and luxury goods. These industries thrive on audiences aged 35 and up - those with more disposable income.
A 2024 Nielsen report shows over-50s control 70% of the UK's wealth, yet only a fraction of advertising directly targets them. By skewing younger, TV is leaving money on the table and alienating its biggest, wealthiest audience.
TV’s obsession with youth is partly about cost. Younger people are cheaper, easier to manage, and in a squeezed market, keeping overheads low is essential. But focusing on that leads to programming that doesn’t resonate with anyone beyond the generation that made it.
Content Doesn’t Skew Old - Channels Do
When commissioners say a subject "skews old," what they often mean is their channel does. It’s not the content - it’s the demographic they’ve cultivated.
The idea that certain subjects inherently skew old is nonsense. As a famous comedian said, "It’s not the jokes but the way you tell them.” The same is true for content.
Take Amazing War Stories, my podcast. Hosted by Bruce Crompton (68) and made by a middle-aged team, you might assume it skews old. Yet 65% of our audience is under 45. With over 1 million streams and no publicity, it proves good content finds its audience in any age bracket.
Our YouTube audience data shows a different split: 29.5% aged 18-34, 31.9% aged 35-54, and 40% aged 55+. We’re still growing our presence there, but it reinforces the point: different platforms attract different audiences, and good content resonates regardless of who makes it.
Most importantly, our audience tells us our content is often consumed as a shared experience and our figures reflect that.
Teams That All Look the Same Age
Earlier this month, a House of Commons select committee report highlighted that "ageism is the most widespread and accepted form of discrimination in the UK." In TV, it’s painfully true.
Every week, I get messages from people in their 40s and 50s with sharp ideas and experience, asking if I can help them find a way back in. Too often, I can’t. The roles aren’t there. Or they go to cheaper, younger talent.
In downturns, logically the most expensive people go first. Development and production are underfunded and, as a result, teams often skew young. Even when there are openings, younger HR managers can find it uncomfortable to hire someone who looks like their mum or dad - wrong, but understandable.
The result? Teams that all look the same. Same age. Same experiences. Same references. That’s not just creative lunacy - it’s bad business.
While there are no official unemployment figures for TV professionals aged 50+ that I could find, the industry’s own workforce data shows significant under-representation. Many struggle to re-enter the sector once they’ve left.
Dr Carol Easton, Chief Executive of the Centre on Ageing Better, pointed out in Broadcast that just 25% of the TV workforce - and only 16% in radio - are people aged 50+. Nationally, 33% of the working population is over 50. That gap shapes what we see on screen.
We talk a lot about diversity, but age is often forgotten. You can’t reflect an audience you don’t understand. Commissioning content from one generation narrows your reach. Why do you think audiences keep saying programming isn't for them anymore?
And let’s be clear: this isn’t just a problem for older workers. It’s a problem for younger ones too. By cutting experienced people out of teams, we’re asking young creatives to carry all the weight - without the mentorship they need to succeed. We’re making their job harder, while ruining the very industry we want them to work in.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
TV has always chased younger viewers, hoping to lure advertisers. But while TV searches for youth, youth is deserting TV. Do you make programming for younger audiences and risk losing older viewers? Or craft content for those who still watch and, more importantly, spend?
We need wise heads in every part of the industry - not just at the top. Without them, we’re doing a disservice to younger people coming in. They’re being asked to lead projects without experienced mentors, expected to know everything without having had the chance to learn it.
Without experience, TV risks collapsing in on itself. Young audiences are fickle. One minute they love something; the next, they don’t. Evan Shapīro warns younger audiences won’t pivot back to TV when they’re older. He’s kind of right, but I also think they will if TV Channels make content that appeals to them. I believe audiences will find programming they like wherever it sits, it's just that TV is currently making the right stuff the wrong way.
TV needs to make content that differentiates itself from other platforms, and most importantly provides shared experiences. That’s our USP. Why is it that Netflix has relaunched Temptation Island (a show I used to make 20 years ago incidentally) but not one UK channel thought of doing so? For a generation that is getting married less and is questioning the idea of monogamy this is exactly the kind of cross generational TV thats gets people talking and watching together.
Who do you think remembered this format and recognised its relevance today?
If we want to fix TV and stop YouTube’s onslaught, we need shows that resonate widely. Not too old, not too young - something in the Goldilocks zone. That’s shared viewing. And the way to get it is through broad, inclusive development teams. Young and old. Black, white, brown. Straight, queer. Disabled, non-disabled.
Experienced people reduce risk, bring insight and stability, and are still relevant. And they needn’t be expensive.
TV bosses need to stop fetishising youth. The winners are platforms that appeal to all. Older people can make content that appeals to younger audiences - it’s a fallacy to think otherwise.
But younger people can also make content that appeals to a more mature audience, if they're given guidance from guess who - older people.
The Real Problem With TV Bosses
Bosses need to think about who we’re making TV for. Cut older workers, and you’re left with young teams making programmes on older channels for more mature audiences. The result? Content that often appeals to neither.
Shared viewing has almost disappeared because we’ve stopped creating shared experiences.
That’s why Netflix and YouTube have won. And it’s why TV will continue to fail unless bosses change their mindsets. Much of what they think they know is wrong. The data tells a different story.
Older people create content that resonates with all generations - Spielberg and countless others have proved that. It’s only non-creatives in business roles who believe only young people can make content for young audiences.
Or maybe they do know it. Maybe it’s just the numbers don’t stack up for them.
But here’s the thing - ignore older talent, and the industry dies. And then the numbers really won’t stack up anymore.
So what’s the fix? Offer older people lower salaries and get them back to work. That’s the reality. There’s a great industry-wide financial reset happening. And yes, older people will have to work for less. It’s either that or they don’t work in this industry.
And I practise what I preach. I currently earn one third of what I used to (and OK, I own my own company), but that’s the new world. Better to be in than out.
So bosses, stop ignoring experienced talent. You’re not just losing skills - you’re denying young teams the support they need to succeed - and there’s no good outcome for that.
We need to rebalance: experience and youth, insight and energy. The best ideas - and the best TV - come from all of us.
And one more the thing I'd like to say: we can’t keep repeating this cycle. Young people become middle-aged too. If we don’t build an industry that offers an entire career, we’re just setting up the next generation to be discarded when they’re no longer seen as ‘young enough’.
We need an industry where people can thrive throughout their working lives - not just the first half of them, or they won’t join us at all.
Sources:
Statista (2024): Digital Media Outlook
House of Commons Select Committee Report on Older People (2024)
Office for National Statistics (ONS, 2024): Unemployment Data