It’s not every day a cultural phenomenon gets to have a second life. When the BBC announced the return of Gladiators, the entire industry was watching. How do you reboot a Saturday night icon for a new generation while respecting the nostalgia that made it such a legend (pun intended!)? After an exceptional Series 2 social media campaign, we have our answer: you lean into the show’s undeniable personality and deliver it directly to the audience, right where they live: online. The results speak for themselves.

Gladiators is not just back, it’s now a bona fide BBC and BBC iPlayer sensation for UK audiences, drawing in a massive audience of 5.3 million viewers on average per episode, and becoming one of the most-watched entertainment show for under-35s.

The Return of a Legend

Gladiators is a glorious throwback to old-school family entertainment, a spectacle of pure physical power and spirited competition. Hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh, the series pits contenders against a new generation of super-athletes with names like Legend, Fury, and Apollo. What makes it so compelling is the blend of jaw-dropping athletic feats and genuine, unscripted moments of drama and humour. It’s a show that successfully brought back the classic format while making room for new gladiators and new games, which was key to its revitalisation and a big part of why it resonated so strongly with audiences.

From a social media perspective, the show is a goldmine for conversation. We knew we had a winner because of its inherent talkability. Our strategy was to stop trying to force-feed a long-form experience into a short-form world and instead focus on what truly works on social vertical feeds: the drama, the laughs, and the outlandish moments. By adopting a short-form publishing strategy, we generated an exceptional 86 million global video views, a 19% increase over the results of our campaign in Series 1. This success was driven by leaning into TikTok’s editing styles and meme formats. In fact, content under 60 seconds accounted for 78% of our total views , with our top performers often featuring the “back-chat” and banter of the Gladiators, particularly Legend (I told above that the pun was intended!). We weren’t just clipping the show; we were creating native content with “grabby openings and hooky stickers” that felt authentic to each platform. My team also worked directly with talent, collaborating with the Gladiators’ individual accounts, as well as accounts like BBC Sport and CBBC, to amplify our content and tap into their existing fanbases.

This campaign proves an important point about the state of TV and entertainment today. A return to a classic format doesn’t have to be a step backward. Instead, it can serve as a foundation for innovation. The success of Gladiators shows that a familiar brand, when paired with a thoughtful, data-led social media strategy, can not only find its audience but also grow it exponentially. The focus on short-form content that captures the heart of the show’s most engaging moments is a model for the entire industry. It’s an approach that feels less like marketing and more like co-creation with the audience.

The ultimate goal for any social campaign is to build a bridge between our digital spaces and the platform where our content lives. With the Gladiators Series 2 campaign, we didn’t just generate millions of views; we proved that a strategic, audience-first approach to social media can have a direct and measurable impact on BBC iPlayer consumption. This campaign sets a new standard for how we build excitement and drive tune-in for a major entertainment brand. I’m already looking forward to Series 3 and to what new opportunities the next season will bring.