Fractional Leadership for UK Telecoms & Media

Leadership Services provides fractional CFOs, CTOs, commercial directors and marketing directors for UK telecoms and media scale-ups, including altnets, ISPs, managed service providers, publishers, agencies and broadcasters. Directors from our bench of 500+ start within one week, from £1,795 per month, and work on the metrics that decide value in these sectors: take-up and ARPU, churn, cost per premises passed, recurring revenue, audience reach and yield on advertising inventory.

Directors on our bench with telecoms and media experience have worked in network operators and managed service providers to publishers, creative agencies and streaming businesses. For an altnet or ISP, a fractional CFO builds the network financial model investors expect: build cost per premises passed, connection costs, take-up curves by cohort, ARPU, churn and EBITDA by region, linked to debt covenants and capital drawdown. That model sits at the centre of refinancing, consolidation and exit conversations, and our investor readiness checklist explains what else buyers and lenders look for.

A fractional CTO or fractional CISO oversees network architecture, OSS and BSS platforms, wholesale integration and the security and resilience duties that telecoms providers carry under the Telecommunications (Security) Act framework. For MSPs, the same director can align the service catalogue, tooling and security posture so recurring revenue grows without support costs growing faster. A fractional sales director or commercial director sharpens wholesale, business and channel sales, pricing and contract terms.

In media, a fractional CMO or data and AI director helps publishers and broadcasters build first-party data, subscription and membership models, and audience products that hold their value as advertising budgets move online. For agencies, a fractional CFO brings utilisation reporting, project margin tracking and retainer pricing that turns creative quality into dependable profit.

Fibre has reached most of the country, but customers have not yet followed. Ofcom Connected Nations 2025 reports full fibre available to 78% of UK residential premises (23.7 million) as of July 2025, yet take-up was 42% of premises with access, and only 14% where full fibre had been available for a year or less. The INCA State of the Altnets 2026 report found altnets had passed 19.7 million premises by the end of 2025, with an average take-up rate of 18%, while raising more than £3 billion of new funding. Turning premises passed into paying customers, and evidencing that to lenders, is now the central leadership task.

Media revenue is shifting fast. Ofcom Media Nations 2026 shows commercial broadcaster revenue fell from £4.98 billion in 2024 to £4.83 billion in 2025, with linear TV advertising down 10%, while subscription video on demand revenue rose 18% to £5.17 billion. Linear viewing fell to 1 hour 51 minutes per person per day. Broadcasters and producers need commercial and finance leadership that can price and package content for streaming and digital platforms, not just for schedules.

Advertising is growing overall, but not evenly. The Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report forecasts UK ad investment of £51.3 billion in 2026, up 9.9%, with social media up 20.7% and retail media up 23.0%, while published media is expected to fall 4.2% and regional news brands 7.3%. Publishers and agencies need to move revenue and skills towards the growing channels quickly.

We can match you with directors on our bench with telecoms and media experience who know your metrics and your market. Most start within one week, with no long-term commitment.