SWNS Media Group Acquires Creatorville and Appoints Sam Barcroft as Group CEO
New leadership and strategic acquisition to drive expansion into the creator economy
(6th August 2025 — London, UK) SWNS Media Group, one of the UK’s leading providers of news, factual content, and creative communications, has today announced the acquisition of Creatorville, the digital content consultancy founded by media entrepreneur Sam Barcroft.
The acquisition sees Barcroft assume the role of Group Chief Executive Officer and become a shareholder in SWNS Media Group. Current CEO Paul Walters will become non-executive Chair and co-founder Andrew Young will become a non-executive director. Martin Winter will remain as SWNS managing director and Chris Pharo will remain as CEO of 72Point.
The move sees SWNS Media Group expand its capabilities into the creator economy, combining its long-standing expertise in journalism, earned media and brand communications with Creatorville’s expertise in social video, digital publishing, and audience-first content production.
Together, they will support growth across the group’s businesses currently comprising:
72Point - creates newsworthy and impactful campaigns in a page-ready format that achieve high volume coverage across print, digital, social, and broadcast. Its blend of news and PR thinking produces high-quality creative work that is editorially-robust and attractive to publishers.
SWNS - creates and distributes trusted news and lifestyle content to the world’s leading media outlets via a proprietary newswire platform. As a result of its scale, quality and reputation it enjoys unparalleled relationships with publishers and plays a vital role in the global media ecosystem.
OnePoll - powers online market research and PR surveys with global human experiences; a dedicated in-house market research team carrying out insightful studies providing a framework for engaging, interesting and relevant content.
Creatorville becomes a new division within the group and will support the growth of standout content brands, create new video formats, and nurture next-generation talent.
Sam Barcroft, Group CEO SWNS MG, said:
“SWNS Media Group has always been an innovative and entrepreneurial business. By bringing Creatorville into the group, we’re combining SWNS’s journalistic depth and 72Point’s first class creativity and broad spectrum of brand and agency clients with additional social-first firepower. Together, we’ll help clients connect with fast-changing audiences through impactful storytelling.”
Paul Walters, Chair of SWNS Media Group, added:
“I’m delighted to welcome Sam to SWNS Media Group as our new Group CEO. Our shared long-term vision is to transform our business into the UK’s most exciting and effective media group. By combining our proven expertise in news generation and creative communications with Sam’s leadership in building communities around outstanding content, we will build our business on our shared journalistic foundations, amplified by the creativity, agility, and reach of a digital-native production studio.”
Barcroft, best known for founding Barcroft Studios and growing it into a globally respected digital content business - ultimately selling to Future Publishing in 2019 - brings deep experience in leading creative teams and developing original formats for new audiences. Through Creatorville, he has advised major media organisations including Channel 4, Hearst Networks and News UK on digital video strategy and IP development.
SWNS 50th Anniversary
A host of industry leaders turned out to toast the 50th anniversary of news agency SWNS.
The company was founded in Bristol in the mid-1970s and has since gone on to become a nationwide operation with offices in several UK cities and the US.
It has also diversified into several other market sectors with a PR company, a market research business, a design agency, and a commercial photography and video assignment agency.
Six serving and former national newspaper editors were among the 100 guests who gathered at a bar in the shadow St Brides Church in Fleet Street.
Among the attendees were Tony Gallagher, editor of The Times, and Chris Evans, editor of The Telegraph, who both trained at the agency.
They gave speeches describing their fond memories of the business and its continuing importance to the UK news ecosystem.
Mr Gallagher described his time at SWNS (then known as South West News Service) between 1988 and 1989 as a “very happy period of my life”.
“The public don't really know that they (SWNS) are now a mainstay for national newspapers with the vast variety of stories that they produce from all over Britain,” he said.
“And if it wasn't for South West News, I think every newspaper would have large gaps in its pages every day. Which is a great tribute to you guys.
“I think it is the most brilliant crucible for young journalists. It was in the past, it is today.
“At The Times, we still send trainees down to Bristol to knock them into shape. And it is South West News that does all of that.
“The people that work with them, and adore them, know that really only the best people can survive and thrive at South West News.
“It's a huge tribute to them that after so many years, it's still prospering. And I hope will prosper into the future as well.”
Telegraph editor Chris Evans was given his first job in journalism at the agency in the summer of 1992 and recalled working on major stories such as Charles and Camilla’s romance and the Fred and Rose West murders.
“They were great days”, he said. “On behalf of all of us, thank you very much from myself and the many other reporters.”
Dave Wooding from the Sunday Express was the other serving newspaper editor in attendance, along with former Sunday Telegraph editor Ian MacGregor, ex-Sun editor Stuart Higgins, and Tina Weaver of the Sunday Mirror.
Among the digital leaders at the event were Nick Petche, Editor in Chief at Yahoo, Paul Ashton, Global Head of Pictures at DMG Media, Alex Wellman, US editor at Reach, and Jon Livesey, Content Hub Editor at Reach.
Ian MacGregor, now Editor Emeritus at Telegraph Media Group, said: “I learnt so much at SWNS at the beginning of my career and it is great to see the organisation thriving all these years later.
“We now send Telegraph trainees to work with them for several months - which is always invaluable. SWNS is a great team.”
Tina Weaver, who edited the Sunday Mirror for 11 years between 2001 and 2012, said: “The affection and admiration for SWNS runs deep.
“It isn't just the journalism - it was the hunger to win and the business-savvy approach that led me to being a chief reporter on a national aged 23, just a year after leaving - and serves me well still today.
“It taught me never to work in a pack and to win - perhaps one of the reasons you churn out so many editors. May SWNS continue to thrive.”
The business is still privately owned by Paul Walters, Andrew Young and Managing Director Martin Winter.
Its agency business has grown through the acquisition of several regional agencies, including Newsteam in Birmingham, Ross Parry in Leeds, Masons in Cambridge and National News in London.
The wider SWNS Media Group also includes PR business 72Point, market research panel OnePoll, creative design studio Oath, and commercial imagery business PinPep, which was acquired last year.
Paul Walters, who was a photographer at SWNS before becoming co-owner, said: “Andrew and I have been custodians of the business for around 35 years, and are proud to have home-grown some of the UK’s finest journalists.
“We thought it was time to celebrate and gather as many of the SWNS family as the next generation begins to pick up the reins.
“Throughout our history, we have invested in talent, recruited the best people in journalism, and constantly improved the ‘SWNS way’ with service, innovation and quality.
“SWNS intends to continue developing and delivering editorial services, building on the years of trusted journalism for another 50 years.”
Andrew Young, SWNS Editor-in-Chief, said: "I was totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of talented journalists, and close friends, who came out to share our celebrations. I can’t thank you enough.
“I was a failed brewer, who joined South West News as a teaboy on £50 a week in the early 80s.
“It is where Paul Walters and I reconnected after growing up together in Belfast during the Troubles. What a team. What a lifelong friend.
"I will never be able to thank, the then-owners John Roulston, Dave Thomas and Colin Shepherd, enough for taking me in and, particularly Tommo, for taking me under his wing.
“As Paul said, we have enjoyed every moment of building the business up since becoming partners / directors 35 years ago. I am full of pride for all who went on to ‘bigger and better’ things. I think we all have made a fair fist of it and should be very proud of what we have achieved.
“Managing Director Martin Winter, who has helped us evolve and grow over the last 20 years, and his executive team, are now doing much of the heavy lifting. Here’s to the next 50."
MD Mr Winter described the secret to the company’s longevity and the culture of innovation, which has kept it relevant through decades of disruption in the news industry.
He told the event: “At our core has always been a real passion for original journalism and – above all – a great story. And doing it properly. That still gives us such a buzz and I’d like to think we have instilled that in everyone who has come through our doors.
“So what does the next 50 years hold? I don’t think anyone can predict that. Our current strategy involves investment in the US, broadcast, viral video and social media publishing.
“Very different to the last five decades, but still with those same principles at our core.
“And I sincerely hope that our future involves you guys. British news brands run deep in our DNA and the people in this room are testament to that. I hope that continues for many years to come.”
72Point Acquires Picture and Video Agency PinPep
PinPep Media Limited has been acquired by the SWNS Media Group, bringing it together with consumer agency 72Point and its other brands.
PinPep founders James Pinniger (Managing Director) and Joe Pepler (Creative Director) join the 72Point Board, and will assume the roles of Head of Visual and Creative Director respectively. The Pinpep brand will remain, and not be consumed into 72Point.
Chris Pharo, 72Point’s Managing Director said: ”I have long admired PinPep’s work and as we build out our range of creative services, joining forces with James and Joe, with their vast knowledge of the power of pictures and video in bringing PR campaigns to life, was a no brainer.”
“We have made great strides in video production in the past few years and James and Joe’s experience will add a new dimension to the work so ably conducted by our Broadcast Director Dan Harding.”
“72Point is regularly commissioned to handle words, video and distribution only to find Joe, or another great PinPep photographer on the same assignment. Now we are one team and I’m really excited to see what the future holds.”
James Pinniger said: ”As soon as we started talking to Chris and his team at 72Point it was clear that they shared our vision and understood the importance of working closely with brands to create high-quality visual content for successful PR campaigns. ”
“We’ve always had ambitious plans for PinPep, and it quickly became clear that joining with 72Point would allow us to accelerate the growth of the business and tackle even more exciting projects. We are relishing the opportunity to work as part of this highly creative team, and can’t wait to get cracking.”
Joe Pepler said:” When we were approached by 72Point, it became very clear right from the start that we were a perfect fit for each other. As a combined force we will be able to offer the complete package to clients at the highest of standards. There simply isn’t any other company that can match that. I’m incredibly excited to get going with the new resources at our disposal...let’s see where it can take us!”
72Point ranked number 37 in PR Week’s Top 150 agencies (and no.8 in the Consumer PR rankings) with a fee income in excess of £10m.
PinPep launched in 2017 and has worked on high-profile PR campaigns with brands including Asda, Disney, Lego and Virgin Atlantic.
