Content 2024–25

As a public service broadcaster we have a duty to create the platform and ecosystem to drive the creative industries in Wales to create ambitious and unique content that appeals to all ages, backgrounds and language abilities.

S4C aims to be a destination for creative, engaging and attractive Welsh content available to enjoy on various platforms in Wales and beyond.

Programme Policy Statement 2024-25

Having laid solid foundations for our content strategy on the pillars of sports, drama and children’s content, we will build on those successes with noisy and popular content that will target younger 25-44 year old viewers and C2DE audiences. S4C will be the home of all Wales men’s football matches, gripping dramas such as Bariau and popular formats such as Y Llais, which will have a new Welsh home on the channel.

We will attract an audience of all levels of fluency and non-Welsh speakers with the exclusive sports rights that have been secured and we will invest in drama and film series that will break new ground and bring prestige to S4C. We will also be creating multi-platform content for Welsh language learners to play a part in the goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers. Our focus will be on developing the visibility and availability of S4C on digital platforms and we will refine our YouTube strategy to ensure Welsh-language content has a wider reach.

In a general election year our news and current affairs content will have journalistic sharpness, and we will continue to commission powerful documentaries that reflect some of the challenges facing our communities.

S4C is not just one channel. S4C content will reach different audiences on S4C Clic, iPlayer, YouTube and all social media platforms.

Drama

Having introduced more variety to our drama content over the past year with 30 minute series and films, we will build on that success.

An excellent response was had from a wide ranging audience to the raw and powerful series Bariau by Rondo, which had been published as a boxset (6×30). It will return for a second series and will once again be filmed at Aria Film Studios in Anglesey.

Dal y Mellt by VOX Pictures will be returning. The first series was bought by Netflix, the first Welsh-language drama ever to appear on the platform, and the second series has already been sold to international streamers Topic and SBS in Australia.

We will see three new series from three different companies. Creisis by BOOM Cymru in collaboration with author Anwen Huws is a chorus of emotion and dark humour. A drama (6×60) that questions the nature of care for the most broken and vulnerable in our society today.

Cleddau is a new drama series by successful author Cath Tregenna, which combines a gripping murder mystery with an electrifying love story. The crime series is based in Pembroke, and produced by BlackLight Television in association with Banijay Rights. It will be shot in English and Welsh, and both versions will be distributed worldwide by Banijay Rights.

Severn Screen, the team behind the hit series Craith, will be back with a brand new series based in Newport. Ar y Ffin follows a young magistrate who is under pressure in her work in court because of a shadow from her past that threatens her life and family. It is hoped that this harrowing drama will attract mixed viewers and C2DE due to its nature, style and setting.

October will be a time to celebrate in Cwmderi as Pobol y Cwm celebrates its 50th birthday with a special episode. This milestone is an opportunity to promote the channel’s oldest series, which remains popular. And Rownd and Rownd will continue to go from strength from strength. The series continues to attract higher than normal viewership among children, young people aged 16-24, and those less fluent in the Welsh language from mixed households.

We will begin developing our slate of dramas for young people aged 13-15 in 2024. The aim is to attract this demographic back to the channel with dramas and high production values, allowing young people in Wales to ‘see’ themselves on screen in terms of typeface, language, diversity and culture.

We will develop our plans for our first ever Interactive Film in partnership with Wales Interactive. Having received over 30 applications, we will be developing scripts for 4 new films under the innovative SINEMA CYMRU scheme, and will announce at the end of the year which film will go into production in 2025. This will be the beginning of building a cinematic catalogue of Welsh stories for the current audience and for future generations created by Wales’ unique and creative voices. Powerful stories that have a local feel but global appeal.

Sports

Having secured the exclusive free TV rights to Wales’ men’s football matches from 2024-28, the new contract will start in September with the next round of matches in the Nations League. But before that Wales will have two big games at Cardiff City Stadium with the aim of reaching Euro 2024 in Germany. Both of those games will be live on S4C, and of course the games from the Euros if Wales are there.

We will continue to increase coverage of women’s football. We’ll be showing highlights from every international game, and showing more domestic games than ever from the Genero Adran league live on S4C. Sgorio will also continue to focus on the men’s premiership, the Cymru Premier and the major clubs in the European cup matches.

Having twice broken the record for the most viewers to S4C content on BBC iPlayer in 2024 with FA Cup matches, we will once again aim to obtain the rights to show Welsh teams’ matches in this popular competition, as well as the rights for a few English league matches.

In terms of the international rugby, we will broadcast Wales men’s and Wales under 20 6 Nations matches, and follow the Welsh regions in the United Rugby Championship and European cups. We will continue to pay attention to grassroots rugby with the Indigo Prem games, as well as the Road to Principality games and the Varsity games for women and men. We will also follow the Welsh women’s team to the international WXV competition.

We will follow Elfyn Evans on Ralio as he races in the WRC, and we’ll be back in France for the Tour de France 2024 as Geraint Thomas battles for a place on the podium once again.

Entertainment

This is a broad genre that showcases many of the channel’s treasured brands and faces. Among them is Priodas Pum Mil which is now on its 8th series and continues to attract family audiences, great appreciation and healthy figures both on linear and catch up. The format will present a Christmas special Priodas 15k where a deserving lucky couple will be chosen by the audience through a digital campaign. In addition, Am Dro is returning with a few specials, including Am Dro ‘Steddfod’ which proved popular last year in the eisteddfod area. Also, Jonathan, which celebrates its twenty-first anniversary on the channel, with the series touring Wales in the Autumn.

Similarly, Colleen Ramsey will return following a positive response to her likeable character and appeal to new speakers. Entertaining us with his witty humour, Elis James will perform a stand-up show from the Lyric to be broadcast over Christmas.

It is important to ensure that we find the next noisy and successful formats that realise the strategy and appeal to ages 25 – 44. Kiri, Chris and Alun are an unexpected, mischievous trio in New Zealand, aiming to appeal to younger audiences and attract new viewers as we follow their adventures. A new love show Amour a Mynydd has also been commissioned across the platforms for this age – a rig format based in the middle of the snowy Alps with Elin Fflur presenting along with Gwil, a new face to the channel.

We will bring a very familiar format outside Wales to S4C in the last quarter of the year – Y Llais. Like Gogglebocs Cymru, which returns this year, the intention is that a well-known and popular brand such as this will provide a platform for a wider audience in celebrating the full diversity of our talents but with a uniquely Welsh personality at its heart.

Music and Events

Every year the live Cân i Gymru event unites the nation and creates a buzz across our platforms. Without changing the spirit of the competition, it will acquire fresh energy and branding this year at the exciting Swansea Arena venue. Another returning competition is Côr Cymru – a format celebrating Wales’ choral talents.

S4C continues to be the ‘Home of Wales’ Live Events’ on all platforms. Following last year’s success, the Urdd Eisteddfod is again streaming all competitions across the 3 pavilions daily, as well as the hours of linear content celebrating the excitement of the festival.

The National Eisteddfod’s provisions will continue to evolve, reflecting the wider festival as well as the competitions throughout the day. Pontypridd’s scattered site will present a challenge to production teams, warranting creative methods of working. We will again be filming many of the events and music concerts from the event’s stages and broadcasting them throughout the year.

The brand S4C LWP will grow in prominence as the Home of Wales’ Contemporary Music and take a leading role in our festivals. This includes the National Eisteddfod and Tafwyl and S4C will again sponsor the main stage at the Eisteddfod and the Tafwyl stages. The hope is to stream more live music from Tafwyl and add to last year’s success under the banner of Yn Fyw ac yn Fwy. Curadur, Yn y Lŵp and our extensive investment in Lŵp Music Videos contribute significantly to the Welsh scene and help nurture new musical talent.

News and Current Affairs

As a general election year, special attention will be paid to the political battle in special editions of Y Byd yn ei Le and Pawb a’i Farn. We’ll also hear voices and perspectives from every corner of Wales on Newyddion S4C and a comprehensive results night programme on both linear and digital channels.

We will review our Newyddion Digidol operation in order to support the growth of our presence on the Tik Tok, Instagram and Youtube platforms, continuing to capitalize on the growth and success our service has had by posting more widely on Facebook. The aim is to bring a reliable and popular news service in Welsh to a younger audience.

We will also work with the BBC which provides the linear news service to ensure that our service is unique and belongs to the channel, and that the linear and digital teams pull together to provide an unrivalled service as news breaks.

Maxine Hughes will present BYD Eithafol’s standalone current affairs documentaries. One will look at the influence of evangelicalism on politics in America and here in Wales, and on the eve of the Olympic games Maxine will discuss arguments for and against allowing transgender athletes to compete on a professional level.

Having won a Bafta Cymru last year, Y Byd ar Bedwar will continue to hold people to account, ensuring a wide range of subjects that appeal to a diverse audience in terms of age and social status. Ffermio will continue to scrutinise agricultural matters, and Jess Davies returns to look at current affairs through the eyes of younger people.

Having rebranded our news service for children, Newyddion Ni, we’ll be further developing the format by offering longer special editions throughout the year.

Factual

We’ll have impressive documentaries, new series and ambitious co-producers on our factual slate.

Among the true crime films will be Llofruddiaeth Y Bwa Croes in Anglesey and the story of one of the world’s most successful fraudsters will be brought to life in Con Jones as we follow a criminal path across several decades and several continents.

During black history month Yr Actor a’r Eicon will compare Betty Campbell’s life in Wales last century, with that of actress Kim Abodunrin who grew up as the only black girl in a village in rural Wales in the nineties. While Caethwas Yn Y Teulu follows Nathan Brew’s journey to Ghana to trace the story of one of his ancestors who was one of the greatest slave traders of the eighteenth century.

In developing a co-production strategy, Gronynnau Heddwch/Particles of Peace will weave together the influence of the Welsh on CERN’s scientific centre in Switzerland, with exclusive access to the world’s largest scientific experiment.

In the documentary Ken y Sheriff, we get a unique look at former Wales captain Ken Owens’ struggle for fitness as his glittering career draws to a close.

Among our new series, Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell gives a well-known individual the opportunity to find out more about themselves, their area, and their genealogy through the treasures of the National Library. And for the first time ever Ar Brawf gives exclusive access to Gwynedd Probation Service staff and clients in a challenging and bold series.

Kristoffer Hughes will travel the world looking at people’s attitudes towards death. In Marw gyda Kris we will look at end-of-life traditions in India, Mexico, Indonesia and Wales in a researched, thoughtful and humorous series.

Another familiar face is at the heart of Troseddau Cymru gyda Siân Lloyd as the journalist who has also trained in law looks back at six cases that have transformed the law, the police or us as a nation. And Steffan Powell will share some of Wales’ most magnificient scenes that are at risk, in Colli Cymru i’r Môr, and uncovers some of the efforts to defend the coast in a popular factual series.

Ordinary Welsh people step into the stunning Ni Yw’r Cymry house in a format that explores the nation’s hot topics. There is fierce debate and differing views going head to head as seven people try to pull together and understand each other when discussing topics that are important to them.

Young People

Last year there was a clear strategy to focus on developing Hansh’s short form for TikTok and Instagram and we’ve seen tremendous growth in viewing and engagement figures on these platforms. Content will continue to create laughter, understanding, and mischief as we develop new voices and talent. The content has gained attention over the border with Mared Parry interviewing celebrities on the red carpet and Gemma Collins belting out Yma O Hyd, with the clips going viral on TikTok.

We will develop the slate of long-form programmes under the Hansh brand complementing our library of energetic, young and engaging on-demand content; content that is also an integral part of S4C’s linear schedule to attract a younger audience and change public perception of the traditional channel. For 24/25 the popular Pen Petrol and Grid series return. There will be factual documentaries such as Un Gôl: Iwan Morgan which looks at a young footballer trying to launch his career to be the next Gareth Bale, while STRIP follows a young group from the North East as they challenge convention by taking their clothes off.

The digital and linear entertainment series Tanwen ac Ollie will be a fly-on-the-wall programme that sees the weather presenter and footballer become parents for the first time. And the competition format Y Tŷ Gwyrdd is one of the timetable’s highlights as we see Welsh youth struggle through environmental challenges in Monmouthshire.

Children

S4C’s children’s content remains as important as ever to the main strategy to keep our younger viewers entertained, attract new Welsh speakers to our content and support the language. Filling 40 hours of children’s content each week, we will see all kinds of entertaining content on screen this year.

Cyw will present the brand new, all-inclusive series “Harri’n Helpu,” showing a partnership with the Maketon community and a child from Pendalar special school in the lead role. We will also see Bledd and Cef in Dreigiau Cadi causing all sorts of trouble with the steam train once more.

Following the popularity of the first series there will be more Cywion Bach and another supporting book by Y Lolfa. And there will be a new series where we see the adventures of a little girl and her best friend, an animated hamster, in ‘Annibendod’. Not to mention the fun-filled studio series ‘Dal dy Ddannedd’ where children across Wales have the opportunity to take part.

On Stwnsh we have an observational documentary about children and their horses. This is the first time we have experimented with an observational series of this kind. To mark the 40th anniversary of the miners’ strike, there will be a special programme with Alex Jones on the history of the children of the strike. In drama – the new drama series Y Corridor will appear on screen in early summer and Itopia will return at the end of the year. And an exciting scientific series will be coming to the screen in September called ‘Pwy, sut, pam’.

Along with our original productions 2024 will be a year where we will see the fruits of animations that S4C has been involved with reaching the screen. We’ve been working collaboratively with TG4 on a mythological anime series called Li-ban. We’ll be one of the first brodcasters to showcase the two beloved characters Brethyn and Fflwff. And in building on our relationship with Lego there will be a second series of Lego Dreamzz and an entirely new series available to us later in this exciting year.

Digital

In the area of digital content the Cwis Bob Dydd app is going from strength to strength. A new thematic season will go hand in hand with the Six Nations championship before we release the new version of the app with new features which will correspond to the summer season events and then into the autumn.

We will redouble our commitment to content for the audience that are learning Welsh. New Welsh speakers such as Scott Quinnell will be one of the faces of the service, and there will be much more short-form content on our digital platforms to entertain and serve learners on their journey.

We will develop our publishing strategy on YouTube during the year to extend the reach of our content for 16-44 year old audiences. By partnering with Little Dot, we will refine the curation and commissioning for this platform which is likely to continue to grow in popularity and importance.