From a function room in Swansea to the global bodybuilding scene.
BTS TV didn't start in a boardroom. It started in 2017, in a function room above a pub in Swansea, with 120 people turning up to hear about a bodybuilding show that didn't exist yet.
That show — NFM UK — sold out, broke a few fire regulations, and became one of the most talked-about events the city had seen in years. Over the next seven years, the federation grew into one of the major players in the UK amateur scene.
By 2023, the landscape had shifted. The biggest names had consolidated under fewer banners. Putting on independent shows got harder, the economics got tighter, and the joy that had built it started to fade. Rather than let the quality slip, the decision was made to walk away from running shows entirely. Final event: September 2024.
But the bodybuilding world had been changing in another way too. The biggest stories — Olympia results, athlete announcements, Mr. O qualifications, drama, drama responses — were being covered by Instagram feeds that recycled press releases. No hype. No story arcs. No editorial point of view. Just screenshots and captions.
The vision for BTS TV came out of that gap. Bodybuilding journalism, told the way ESPN tells basketball or WWE builds a Wrestlemania card. Hype the moments that deserve hype. Build the narratives. Cover the sport with the seriousness it earns from the people inside it.
The biggest regret? Not starting sooner.