Rather than develop a business model for Deepview designed around the central aim of maximising profit and returns to shareholders, we would adopt a funding model that aimed at securing financial self-sufficiency and the re-investment of all surpluses.

To do this, we have had to unlearn some of the standard approaches for creating start-ups, especially those relating to most production and television companies. If there is sustained demand and support demonstrated by paid memberships and interested viewership, we can begin to invest and improve the platform. Rather than building an expensive system on investor's speculative financing for an unknown audience demand (a surprisingly common model which enables many digital services to run at a loss for a years), we'redoing things differently. We're building a lean service that is designed to be inexpensive to run and maintain; flexible and versatile enough to respond to members' demands; and light enough, dynamic enough and democratic enough to develop quickly according to the views and needs of its users. 

Rather than requiring a large up-front capital risk investment, we have deliberately opted to design and operate a platform using methods borrowed from 'lean' and 'agile' development methodologies. By doing this, we maintain flexibility and can pursue a self-sustaining operational growth plan based on simple self-financing through organic subscription and other income. Consequently, we are starting with no shares, no investors, no crowdfunding, no loans. This keeps all future financial options open for the community of members - who will own Deepview - to be financially unencumbered or obligated to third parties.

Our preferred revenue model is one that allows us to maximise the potential viewership through open and free access. Unlike the BBC, we do not have the advantage of guaranteed revenue through a licence fee or subsidies, so some of the remaining income options for media companies might include:-

• Advertising 
• Cryptocurrencies/Smart Tokens
• Donations
• Grant funding
• Micropayments
• Paywall
• Sponsorship
• Membership Subscription

As a member-owned organisation, Deepview will rely on its membership subscriptions from those viewers and content creators who want to actively support and participate in owning, managing and developing the platform as a dedicated television platform for social good.

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or queries, please contact us or feel free to contact us.