Criterion Collection
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Criterion Collection firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Criterion Collection
- Legal name
- The Criterion Collection
- Website
- https://criterion.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Criterion Collection industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Home Video Distribution
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Access & Distribution for Archives (Restored Masters, DCP Creation, Screening Deliverables) (MPADAMAJ), Film Scanning & Digitization (Telecine, Frame-by-Frame, Metadata Capture) (MPADAMAE)
Keywords
Where Criterion Collection is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Criterion Collection business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Physical Media Sales: One-time purchases of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K UHD discs. Individual films and collector's box sets are sold at various price points. Sales are direct-to-consumer through criterion.com and shipped within the US and Canada.
- Criterion Channel Streaming Subscription: Subscription-based streaming service offering access to the Criterion library. Users can subscribe at criterionchannel.com to stream films on demand.
- Gift Shop and Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, tote bags, hats, mugs, postcards, and gift cards featuring Criterion and Janus Films branding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 4K+Blu-ray Collector's Set |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Blu-ray Collector's Set |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | 4K UHD + Blu-ray Special Edition |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Single Format (Blu-ray or Digital) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Criterion Collection product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Criterion Collection publishes and distributes classic and contemporary films on physical media (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD) and via its Criterion Channel subscription streaming service. Releases feature director-approved 4K restorations, high-fidelity audio, scholarly supplementary materials, and curated boxsets. The company also sells branded merchandise through its Gift Shop.
Product overview
The Criterion Collection is a home entertainment company that publishes classic and contemporary films on physical media (DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD) and through its streaming platform, The Criterion Channel. The collection includes over 1,800 films from around the world, with releases featuring high-quality restorations, new cover artwork, commentaries, documentaries, and supplementary materials. The Criterion Channel provides streaming access to the collection along with curated programming and premieres. Additional offerings include Criterion Closet Picks (curated selections by notable filmmakers and personalities), Eclipse Series budget releases, boxsets, and a Gift Shop selling branded merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Criterion Channel: Streaming service offering access to the Criterion Collection library and exclusive content
Products and services
- Criterion Collection Films (Physical Media) Classic and contemporary films released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD discs with high-quality 4K restorations, director-approved mastering, special features, commentaries, and supplementary materials. Sold direct-to-consumer through criterion.com.
- The Criterion Channel A subscription streaming service offering access to the Criterion Collection library plus curated collections, premieres, and themed programming.
- Criterion Boxsets and Collector's Sets Multi-film collections and boxsets featuring the works of individual directors, themed collections, and Eclipse Series releases.
- Criterion Premieres Recently released and newly restored films making their Criterion Collection debut.
- Director-Approved Editions Standard and special edition releases featuring director-approved transfers, commentaries, and exclusive supplementary content.
- Gift Shop (Merchandise) Merchandise including t-shirts, tote bags, hats, mugs, postcards, and gift cards featuring Criterion and Janus Films branding.
Companies that use Criterion Collection
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Criterion Collection technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Criterion Collection partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Apple TVminorCriterion films are available for digital purchase/rental through Apple TV platform, expanding digital distribution reach.
- Fandango at HomeminorCriterion films are available for digital purchase/rental through Fandango at Home platform.
- Prime Video (Amazon)minorCriterion films are available for digital purchase/rental through Amazon Prime Video platform.
- Janus FilmscoreJanus Films is the parent company of The Criterion Collection. The Janus Films logo is displayed on the Criterion website, indicating a close operational and strategic relationship. Janus Films has a long history of distributing important foreign and independent films.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Criterion Collection competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mubi: Mubi operates a subscription streaming service focused on curated arthouse, classic, and independent cinema — directly competing with The Criterion Channel for the same cinephile subscriber base with overlapping content positioning.
- Kino Lorber: Kino Lorber distributes classic and arthouse films on physical media (Blu-ray/DVD) and through the Kino Now streaming service — a near-direct competitor to Criterion in the curated physical-media-plus-streaming niche.
- Arrow Video: Arrow Video (Arrow Films) is a UK-based distributor of curated genre, cult, and arthouse films on Blu-ray/4K UHD with special editions, supplementary features, and streaming — directly comparable to Criterion's premium physical-media model.
- Vinegar Syndrome: Vinegar Syndrome restores and releases cult, exploitation, and archival films on premium Blu-ray/4K UHD with extensive supplementary materials — a niche restoration-focused peer operating in a similar collector market to Criterion.
- Shout! Studios (Shout Factory): Shout Factory and its Shout Select/Scream Factory labels distribute curated film and TV libraries on physical media (Blu-ray/4K UHD collector editions) with extensive supplements, mirroring Criterion's collector-focused release model.
Broad incumbents
- Janus Films: Janus Films is Criterion's parent company and a major art-house film distributor with decades of theatrical distribution history — broader than Criterion because it handles theatrical exhibition, while Criterion focuses on home entertainment.
- TCM (Turner Classic Movies): TCM curates and exhibits classic films via cable programming and streaming, with a deep brand association with film preservation and cinephile culture — comparable curatorial authority to Criterion but in a linear/streaming television context.
- BFI (British Film Institute): The BFI distributes and curates classic and arthouse films via the BFI Player streaming service and BFI Blu-ray/DVD releases — a comparable curator-and-distributor model for cinema heritage, though primarily serving UK audiences.
- Warner Archive Collection: Warner Archive Collection is Warner Bros.' catalog label producing physical media (Blu-ray/DVD) of classic and catalog titles with curated special editions — comparable model but broader catalog scope and studio backing.
Regional players
- Eureka Video (Masters of Cinema): Eureka's Masters of Cinema label releases premium Blu-ray/4K UHD editions of classic and arthouse films with scholarly supplements in the UK/Europe — directly comparable to Criterion's physical-media curation model but primarily serving the European market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Criterion Collection social profiles
Digital presenceCriterion Collection financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Criterion Collection leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Criterion Collection funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Criterion Collection M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Criterion Collection
What does Criterion Collection do?
Criterion Collection publishes and distributes classic and contemporary films on physical media (DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD) and via its Criterion Channel subscription streaming service. Releases feature director-approved 4K restorations, high-fidelity audio, scholarly supplementary materials, and curated boxsets. The company also sells branded merchandise through its Gift Shop.
Is Criterion Collection a public or private company?
Criterion Collection is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Criterion Collection founded?
Criterion Collection was founded in 1984. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Criterion Collection based?
Criterion Collection is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Criterion Collection make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Physical Media Sales are the primary driver. The others are criterion Channel Streaming Subscription and gift Shop and Merchandise.
Who are Criterion Collection's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mubi, Kino Lorber, Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome and Shout! Studios (Shout Factory). Broad incumbents are Janus Films, TCM (Turner Classic Movies), BFI (British Film Institute) and Warner Archive Collection. Eureka Video (Masters of Cinema) is listed as a regional player.
Does Criterion Collection have an API?
No public API is recorded for Criterion Collection.
What industry is Criterion Collection in?
Criterion Collection's product category is Home Video Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAK, Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release, with a secondary code of MPADAMAJ, Access & Distribution for Archives (Restored Masters, DCP Creation, Screening Deliverables). Its NAICS code is 51213 and its SIC code is 7822.