SB.TV

History

SB.TV YouTube channel was created in 2006, when a teenage Jamal Edwards MBE (son of singer and TV presenter Brenda Edwards) began filming rap freestyles with a handycam, which he would then upload to his YouTube account. For the first three years Edwards acted alone to provide amateur footage of many British grime artists, such as Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Chipmunk and Tinchy Stryder, with the first SB.TV video being uploaded in February 2007. A Channel 4 documentary series, Bedroom to Boardroom that follows SB.TV was filmed in Edwards' first office, Camden Collective. As the channel began to attract more attention, it also began offering lifestyle interviews and event coverage, and a production team of ten people was established as a result.

The company has stated its aim to become a more "diverse youth lifestyle broadcaster", incorporating more genres of music. This has been seen in the inclusion of acoustic artists such as Ed Sheeran and other popular artists such as Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, The Wanted and Pixie Lott. In February 2011, SB.TV launched their own music label Just Jam (an imprint of Sony RCA) and announced their first signing as east London MC, Maxsta. In March 2011 it had been suggested that the company were expected to go into business with restaurant chain Nando's.

In August 2011, Edwards was featured in a Google Chrome advertisement by London advertising agency BBH, which tracked the emergence of SB.TV as one among many of the UK's rising youth broadcasters. The SB.TV website subsequently crashed as close to a million people searched "Jamal Edwards." The advert was revealed to be the second most watched video advertisement on YouTube in the UK in 2011.

On 10 April 2012, SB.TV released a video with grime collective Boy Better Know, to celebrate reaching 100 million views across all videos.

In September 2013, Susana Giner, director of the Youth Media Agency told The Independent newspaper there was a marketing term that has been adopted in Edwards' namesake; 'The Jamal Edwards effect', a newly adopted ideology that anything’s possible in the digital age.

In 2013 Edwards became the first YouTuber to release an e-book and interactive game, ‘Self Belief: The Vision', which subsequently became a no.1 best seller with demand leading to an unintended print version via Virgin Books. Edwards worked with Burberry as part of Creative Lives, fronted a Puma campaign, presented at the BAFTA Children’s Awards, and delivered talks for Cannes Lions, TedXHollywood and TedXHousesOfParliament. In a nod to his grandparents, he received a St Vincent Business Award in 2013.

Edwards was honoured when he became one of the Queen’s Young Leaders, after being called upon to run the first ever social media hub at Buckingham Palace. Achievements like this saw Jamal placed at no. 2 in The Guardian’s top 30 young people in digital media 2014.

In 2014, Edwards was invited to collaborate with American Freshman on a headwear range for Topman. The snapbacks and bucket hats went on sale in the summer.

Edwards co-founded UGOT, a yogurt, juice and health bar chain with entrepreneur Jo Carnell.

In December 2014, Edwards was appointed a MBE for his services to music.

In January 2016, SBTV announced the launch of SBTV News, an online news service, in partnership with the Press Association, chaired by former EMAP, Hearst, Axel Springer and Future CEO Colin Morrison.

Services

SBTV is built on three core services: broadcasting, production and editorial services.

Broadcasting

SBTV continue to broadcast video whether for music, freestyle, acoustic, interviews or any other categories within youth culture. All of the company's content is displayed on their YouTube channel. This content is mainly produced by SBTV but they do allow submissions as well. The company also uses social networking extensively to interact with viewers through which new blog and news articles are published.

Production

Just like broadcasting, SBTV has always produced its own content and have developed new techniques over time. Most of the content is shot in "fast and agile situations" to deliver an enticing perspective for the viewer. Among the videos that are shot, produced and directed by SBTV are music videos, documentaries and SBTV event material.

Editorial

The majority of employees at SBTV have experience in various printed urban publications and therefore know how to present material to a younger audience. This includes providing the latest news on music releases, films, music videos and artists.

References

References

1. (10 November 2011). "SBTV Global Ltd". Company Check.
2. "SB.TV to Host Stage at Yahoo! Wireless".
3. SBTV. "SB.TV - Jamal Edwards interviews David Cameron at Downing St - Spirit of London Awards 2011 - SBTV". SBTV.
4. Burrell, Ian. (27 September 2013). "The Jamal Edwards effect: Generation success - the media savvy stars taking over the world (wide web)". The Independent.
5. Spicer, Kate, ''Sunday Times Style'': "He is typical of many entrepreneurial satellite characters who are turning grime into not just a sound, but a movement.. Ed Balls’s Department for Children, Schools and Families wants precisely Edwards’ (ME) breed of ingenuity to infect some of the hardest to reach kids in the country".
6. Ajilore, Joseph, [http://yourhiddenpotential.co.uk/2011/05/27/jamal-edwards-sbtv/ "The rise and rise of a new media mogul – Jamal Edwards of SBTV"] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-09-17 , ''Your Hidden Potential'' (YHP), 27 May 2011: "SB.TV has since reached over 70 million viewers on YouTube becoming one of the most subscribed channels on YouTube attracting people from all over the world.")
7. "Jamal Edwards, music entrepreneur and YouTube star, dies aged 31".
8. "Home-made TV from London to change everything".
9. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-30635123 "Music boss gets New Year Honours"] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-02-26 . BBC News, (2014). Accessed 31 December 2014.)
10. Fiddy, Chantelle (June 2010), [http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/396/434/7085/3/30 "SB.TV’s Jamal is Grime’s Simon Cowell"], ''Dazed & Confused'', p. 28.
11. (12 September 2014). "Jamal Edwards got his first video camera when was 15".
12. "What's next for London? The High Life Future of London forum".
13. "Inside SBTV: From Bedroom to Boardroom".
14. "It is the drive to succeed at the very highest level that motivates SB.TV", ''[[RWD magazine. RWD]]''.
15. (1 November 2011). "Having expanded his repertoire – Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, The Wanted and Pixie Lott among the many celebrities who've now exclusively spoken to or performed for Jamal – SB.TV has become a set fixture on the major label-marketing plan and beyond.". Outside Organisation.
16. [http://www.urbandevelopment.co.uk/blog-categories/features-reviews/features/profiles/brand-profile-sbtv_1844 SB.TV brand profile] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-05-18 — Urban Development.)
17. [http://madnews.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/uk-news-sb-tv-and-nandos-doing-business-together/ "UK News: SB.TV and Nandos Chicken Set To Do Business Together?"] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-08-17 Mad News, 31 March 2011.)
18. [http://wearesme.co.uk/2011/08/21/news-video-sbtv-founder-jamal-edwards-stars-in-new-google-chrome-advert/ "SBTV Founder Jamal Edwards Stars In New Google Chrome Advert"] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-07-18 — We Are S.M.E.)
19. Rai, Rajvir. (22 September 2011). "Jamal Edwards ... the Acton kid and his media empire". [[London Evening Standard]].
20. (6 December 2011). "The UK's top ten most popular YouTube video ads in 2011". [[Google]] UK.
21. "Boy Better Know 100M YouTube views - [CYPHER]: SBTV".
22. "Jamal Edwards presents Self Belief: The Vision - Virgin.com".
23. "In2 Innovation Summit".
24. (2 March 2012). "Puma signs Jamal Edwards as brand ambassador". Marketing Week.
25. (23 November 2014). "British Academy Children's Awards Ceremony in 2014".
26. (17 June 2014). "Jamal Edwards (SB.TV) at Cannes Lions 2014".
27. (27 June 2013). "The Future of Democracy: Jamal Edwards at TEDxHousesofParliament".
28. "Jamal Edwards ‹ Speakers ‹ 2013 ‹ TEDxHousesOfParliament". TEDx Houses of Parliament.
29. (5 December 2013). "Vincentian entrepreneurs awarded in the UK". iWitness News.
30. The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust. "The Queen's Young Leaders - The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust". The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
31. Matt Andrews. (16 March 2014). "The top 30 young people in digital media: Nos 30-11". The Guardian.
32. "Clothing". topman.com.
33. What Sophie Did. "Sophie's Choice: 15 MINUTES WITH UGOT COFOUNDER: JOE CARNELL".
34. Rykesha Hudson, [http://www.voice-online.co.uk/article/young-entrepreneur-jamal-edwards-honoured-queen "Young Entrepreneur Jamal Edwards Honoured By Queen"] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-01-01 , ''The Voice'', 30 December 2014. Accessed 1 January 2015.)
35. Sweney, Mark. (2016-01-20). "YouTube video channel SBTV links with PA for youth news service". The Guardian.