Hot Shots 2023: Oliver Diamond

Nine years since he joined Little Dot Studios, Oliver Diamond now oversees a network of history brands with more than 10 million subscribers between them.

With his well-honed knowledge of the UK and US distribution sectors, Diamond is selective in choosing and scheduling the history content that Little Dot acquires for its portfolio. He devises the channel schedules and strategy across YouTube, Facebook and TikTok for the likes of Timeline World History, Absolute History, Odyssey and Chronicle.

Diamond pioneered complex workflows that enable the firm to distribute licensed TV content to vast audiences online while maintaining a lean operation. Meanwhile, his creation of an efficient production and edit pipeline has enabled a smooth flow of educational content that attracts audiences of scale.

Diamond is also a seasoned producer, and was Little Dot’s lead on the world’s first live stream from the frozen Weddell Sea in Antarctica for the multiplatform project Endurance: The Hunt For Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Lost Ship.

Peers commend his impressive capacity to offer insightful perspectives on how to package everything from ancient history to WWII content in a way that is both empathetic and compelling.

Executive editor Rich Payne says Diamond’s strength lies in “his knack of seeing opportunities where others don’t – and in being able to see both the bigger strategic picture and the granular, practical detail”.

Payne adds: “Olly’s understanding of the nuances of each platform, and the internal workflows we use, allows him to formulate plans that are dramatic in their ambition but, crucially, also practical and achievable.”