Stream Three
Business Functions

Business functions within television and the role they play

Ready to get started?
RTS members receive a 10% discount
Stream Three: Business Functions - five modules

Explore the topics in each module:


Module 1

Financial Accounting

Examine the key components of financial accounting for the sector and the importance of various financial statements, accounting standards and revenue recognition.

Key topics include:

  • The fundamentals of financial accounting and essential terminology 
  • How financial statements are constructed, the standards that underpin them, and how to interpret key information 
  • The practical application of financial accounting using ITV’s financial statements 
  • Revenue recognition, KPIs and financial reporting 
  • How to account for royalties 
  • The role of the auditor
  • Case study: How to read an annual report (ITV)
Watch the intro video
Write your awesome label here.
"What will be most helpful for me going forward is recognising that this side of the business requires real rigour, resourcing, and sustained attention"

Director, Development, Acquisitions & Partnerships Consultant | Electric Sky TV
"I’m an accountant so this module was a great refresher"

Senior Finance Business Partner, TV & Entertainment | Virgin Media O2
"It’s interesting to understand how the net revenue is calculated and the terminology involved

Production Executive | Objective Media Group

Module 2

Intellectual Property & Rights

Get to grips with the nuances of intellectual property, why it is so important to the TV industry, and how it is applied in commissioning and licensing agreements.

Key topics include:

  • The foundations of intellectual property and rights – what they are, how they’re protected and why they matter 
  • The four main types of IP and the laws and legislation that underpin them 
  • Copyright and trademarks 
  • How rights are handled in commissioning and licensing deals 
  • Protecting formats and the importance of documenting the chain of title 
  • The opportunities and challenges presented by AI 
Watch the Intro video
Write your awesome label here.
"The idea of a chain of title was new to me, and is a useful framework to think about for productions"

Series Editor & Creative, House of the Year | BBC Ireland
"What stands out to me about IP protection in UK TV is how grey it becomes once you’re dealing with different territories, platforms and new tech"

Head of Press | Little Dot Studios
"A good module and as always, very well cast experts"

Head of Press | Little Dot Studios

Module 3

Business Affairs & Legal

Review the function of Business Affairs and Legal teams within the sector and how they play a key role in keeping the industry running on rails.

Key topics include:

  • How Business Affairs, Legal and Compliance teams operate from both broadcaster and producer perspectives 
  • Shaping TV from contracts and rights to duty of care, compliance and risk management 
  • The key skills and responsibilities of each function, and the ethical challenges facing the industry 
  • How teams collaborate to enable creatively ambitious, safe, compliant and commercially viable programmes 
Watch the intro video
Write your awesome label here.
"This module confirmed for me how key business affairs and legal teams are to keep productions and the industry running smoothly"

Series Editor & Creative, House of the Year | BBC Ireland
"Very thought-provoking module and interesting to learn how the BA and legal & compliance roles vary between in-house production and broadcaster"

MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
“It’s useful because a lot of the decisions that shape a show, such as what gets commissioned, how it’s positioned and what can be said publicly, are driven by business affairs and legal”

Executive Producer | North One

Module 4

Marketing & Communications

Understand how the principles of the marketing mix are applied to the TV sector: the importance of building and developing a brand, how marketing campaigns and execution are undertaken to promote the sector, and the role that marketing and communications have in reputation management.

Key topics include:

  • The core principles of marketing, from audience analysis and positioning to the marketing mix – including the 5Cs and 4Ps 
  • How marketing principles are applied in a TV & streaming context 
  • The campaigns and strategies used to build audiences, strengthen brands and drive engagement 
  • Communications strategy and integration – how organisations engage stakeholders, shape reputation and respond when things don’t go to plan
  • Case study: Insights into world-class marketing
 Watch the Intro video
Write your awesome label here.
 "Netflix’s approach to marketing was particularly interesting. It feels modern, organic and quite instinctive, which aligns well with the brand and how it presents itself"

Director, Development, Acquisitions & Partnerships | Electric Sky TV
"So many ideas to takeaway and put into action when releasing my next programme/series"

MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
"What I found most interesting was gaining a deeper understanding of the 5 Cs framework: Context, Company, Customers, Collaborators, Competitors"

Creative Manager Nonfiction Series | Netflix Brazil

Module 5

Talent & HR

Take a wide-ranging review of how talent is managed and supported in the sector, the importance of culture, and how to nurture successful and high performing teams.

Key topics include:

  • The importance of off-screen talent and the role it plays in the TV industry 
  • The strategic role of HR across the employee lifecycle – from workforce planning and organisational culture to leadership and performance 
  • Freelancers, industrial relations and the role of organisations e.g. PACT, Bectu Duty of care and equality, diversity & inclusion 
  • Case study: Practical implementations of Duty of Care 
Watch the intro video
Write your awesome label here.
“It's a reminder even as a small business manager how important good HR practices are" 

Director of Production | Studio Crook
“I found it interesting to revise the people care pathway from onboarding through to exit and beyond and think more about how this can be applied to shorter term contracts and freelancers”

MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
 “What interested me most was the concept of Talent Density and how leaders must create an environment where exceptional professionals can innovate”

Creative Manager Nonfiction Series | Netflix Brazil

Explore Stream Three case studies

Real-world relevance with high-profile business cases within the industry.

ITV Accounts: How to read an annual report

Write your awesome label here.

Insights into world-class marketing

Write your awesome label here.

Panel discussion: Practical implementations of duty of care

Write your awesome label here.

End of Stream Three learner feedback

“Stream Three has been extremely useful as a freelancer. Every module has helped me understand where I am in the ecosystem and how I can grow and understand my place”

Marketing Assistant, Freelance

“I honestly think the Mini MBA has been so valuable - it's really helped me think about our industry differently”

 Series Editor & Creative, BBC

“From a production executive perspective getting into the nitty gritty of finance, legal, HR is SO useful in my current role”

 Production Executive, Tinopolis

“I think the lessons about culture hit home most of all to me. It's reassuring that the industry recognises that the job can be hard, but that by looking after good people, better results always follow”

Executive Producer, North One

“Loved the Marketing & Comms module, and Talent & HR.  I’ve learned a lot which I am excited to apply in my next role.”

MD & Co-Founder, Pica Pica Films

“Business Affairs and Legal have been the most useful. In my current work across production and distribution, I’m dealing with rights, deal structures, and negotiations, so it was helpful to build a more structured understanding of these areas.” 

TV Strategy, Development & Acquisitions Consultant

Thanks to all the organisations who contributed to Stream Three, including:

Stream Three
Business Functions

Business functions within television and the role they play.

Ready to get started?

RTS members receive a 10% discount
Stream Three: Business Functions - five modules

Explore the topics in each module:


Module 1

Financial Accounting

Examine the key components of financial accounting for the sector and the importance of various financial statements, accounting standards and revenue recognition.

Key topics include:

  • The fundamentals of financial accounting and essential terminology 
  • How financial statements are constructed, the standards that underpin them, and how to interpret key information 
  • The practical application of financial accounting using ITV’s financial statements 
  • Revenue recognition, KPIs and financial reporting 
  • How to account for royalties 
  • The role of the auditor
  • Case study: How to read an annual report (ITV)
Write your awesome label here.
"What will be most helpful for me going forward is recognising that this side of the business requires real rigour, resourcing, and sustained attention"

Director, Development, Acquisitions & Partnerships Consultant | Electric Sky TV
"I’m an accountant so this module was a great refresher"

Senior Finance Business Partner, TV & Entertainment | Virgin Media O2
"It’s interesting to understand how the net revenue is calculated and the terminology involved"


Production Executive | Objective Media Group

Module 2

Intellectual Property & Rights

Get to grips with the nuances of intellectual property, why it is so important to the TV industry, and how it is applied in commissioning and licensing agreements.

Key topics include:

  • The foundations of intellectual property and rights – what they are, how they’re protected and why they matter 
  • The four main types of IP and the laws and legislation that underpin them 
  • Copyright and trademarks 
  • How rights are handled in commissioning and licensing deals 
  • Protecting formats and the importance of documenting the chain of title 
  • The opportunities and challenges presented by AI 
Write your awesome label here.
"The idea of a chain of title was new to me, and is a useful framework to think about for productions"

Series Editor & Creative, House of the Year | BBC Ireland
"What stands out to me about IP protection in UK TV is how grey it becomes once you’re dealing with different territories, platforms and new tech"

Head of Press | Little Dot Studios
"A good module and as always, very well cast experts"

Head of Press | Little Dot Studios

Module 3

Business Affairs & Legal

Review the function of Business Affairs and Legal teams within the sector and how they play a key role in keeping the industry running on rails.

Key topics include:

  • How Business Affairs, Legal and Compliance teams operate from both broadcaster and producer perspectives 
  • Shaping TV from contracts and rights to duty of care, compliance and risk management 
  • The key skills and responsibilities of each function, and the ethical challenges facing the industry 
  • How teams collaborate to enable creatively ambitious, safe, compliant and commercially viable programmes 
Write your awesome label here.
"This module confirmed for me how key business affairs and legal teams are to keep productions and the industry running smoothly"
Series Editor & Creative, House of the Year | BBC Ireland
"Very thought-provoking module and interesting to learn how the BA and legal & compliance roles vary between in-house production and broadcaster"
MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
“It’s useful because a lot of the decisions that shape a show, such as what gets commissioned, how it’s positioned and what can be said publicly, are driven by business affairs and legal”
Executive Producer | North One

Module 4

Marketing & Communications

Understand how the principles of the marketing mix are applied to the TV sector: the importance of building and developing a brand, how marketing campaigns and execution are undertaken to promote the sector, and the role that marketing and communications have in reputation management.

Key topics include:

  • The core principles of marketing, from audience analysis and positioning to the marketing mix – including the 5Cs and 4Ps 
  • How marketing principles are applied in a TV & streaming context 
  • The campaigns and strategies used to build audiences, strengthen brands and drive engagement 
  • Communications strategy and integration – how organisations engage stakeholders, shape reputation and respond when things don’t go to plan
  • Case study: Insights into world-class marketing
Write your awesome label here.
 "Netflix’s approach to marketing was particularly interesting. It feels modern, organic and quite instinctive, which aligns well with the brand and how it presents itself"

Director, Development, Acquisitions & Partnerships | Electric Sky TV
"So many ideas to takeaway and put into action when releasing my next programme / series"

MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
"What I found most interesting was gaining a deeper understanding of the 5 Cs framework: Context, Company, Customers, Collaborators, Competitors"

Creative Manager Nonfiction Series | Netflix Brazil

Module 5

Talent & HR

Take a wide-ranging review of how talent is managed and supported in the sector, the importance of culture, and how to nurture successful and high performing teams.

Key topics include:

  • The importance of off-screen talent and the role it plays in the TV industry 
  • The strategic role of HR across the employee lifecycle – from workforce planning and organisational culture to leadership and performance 
  • Freelancers, industrial relations and the role of organisations e.g. PACT, Bectu Duty of care and equality, diversity & inclusion 
  • Case study: Practical implementations of Duty of Care 
Write your awesome label here.
“It's a reminder even as a small business manager how important good HR practices are" 

Director of Production | Studio Crook
“I found it interesting to revise the people care pathway from onboarding through to exit and beyond and think more about how this can be applied to shorter term contracts and freelancers”

MD & Co Founder | Pica Pica Films
 “What interested me most was the concept of Talent Density and how leaders must create an environment where exceptional professionals can innovate”

Creative Manager Nonfiction Series | Netflix Brazil

Explore Stream Three case studies

Real-world relevance with high-profile business cases within the industry.

ITV Accounts: How to read an annual report

Write your awesome label here.

Insights into world-class marketing

Write your awesome label here.

Panel discussion: Practical implementations of duty of care

Write your awesome label here.

End of Stream Three learner feedback

“Stream Three has been extremely useful as a freelancer. Every module has helped me understand where I am in the ecosystem and how I can grow and understand my place”

Marketing Assistant, Freelance

“I honestly think the Mini MBA has been so valuable - it's really helped me think about our industry differently”

 Series Editor & Creative, BBC

“From a production executive perspective getting into the nitty gritty of finance, legal, HR is SO useful in my current role”

 Production Executive, Tinopolis

“I think the lessons about culture hit home most of all to me. It's reassuring that the industry recognises that the job can be hard, but that by looking after good people, better results always follow”

Executive Producer, North One

“Loved the Marketing & Comms module, and Talent & HR.  I’ve learned a lot which I am excited to apply in my next role.”

MD & Co-Founder, Pica Pica Films

“Business Affairs and Legal have been the most useful. In my current work across production and distribution, I’m dealing with rights, deal structures, and negotiations, so it was helpful to build a more structured understanding of these areas.” 

TV Strategy, Development & Acquisitions Consultant

Thanks to all the organisations who contributed to Stream Three, including: