Magellan TV
MagellanTV is a direct-to-consumer streaming platform offering 4,000+ ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space, distributed via SVOD, AVOD, and FAST channels across 20+ platforms in 13 countries. Founded in 2018 and acquired by Blue Ant Media in October 2025 for $12 million.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Magellan TV does
MagellanTV is a direct-to-consumer streaming service specializing in premium documentary content. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Washington, United States, the platform offers more than 4,000 ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space genres, available in HD and 4K across all subscription tiers. The service is distributed through a web browser experience, native iOS and Android applications, smart TV apps (Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony, Apple TV), and streaming devices (Roku, Fire TV), with global reach spanning more than 20 platforms in 13 countries. MagellanTV also operates AVOD and FAST channels to capture ad-supported audiences alongside its core SVOD offering.
The company operates three subscription tiers — monthly at $5.99/month (with a $0.99 first-month promotion), annual at $59.88/year ($4.99/month equivalent), and a one-time lifetime plan at $199 — with free trials of 7 and 14 days respectively for the monthly and annual options. MagellanTV targets two primary consumer personas: active seekers of information and lifelong learners, and quality-focused streaming users dissatisfied with reality TV and sensationalized programming on mainstream services. Distribution, content discovery, and device partnerships are the primary go-to-market levers, with limited paid advertising dependency.
In October 2025, MagellanTV was acquired by publicly listed Blue Ant Media Corporation for $12 million USD ($6 million upfront and $6 million deferred over two years), becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary. Co-founder Greg Diefenbach transitioned to Blue Ant as Executive Vice President of Streaming. The acquisition is expected to add 1,500+ hours of Blue Ant-owned library content to MagellanTV's platform, supporting Blue Ant's stated ambition to become a leading global provider of factual content.
Magellan TV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Magellan TV
- Legal name
- MagellanTV, LLC
- Website
- https://magellantv.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MagellanTV is a direct-to-consumer streaming platform offering 4,000+ ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space, distributed via SVOD, AVOD, and FAST channels across 20+ platforms in 13 countries. Founded in 2018 and acquired by Blue Ant Media in October 2025 for $12 million.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Magellan TV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Streaming Service
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Anime & Niche Genre Streaming Platforms (Horror/Faith/Indie/etc.) (MPACAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Video Streaming Platforms (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD) (BPAMAJAA)
Keywords
Where Magellan TV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Magellan TV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SVOD Subscriptions: Subscription video on demand service with monthly ($5.99), annual ($59.88/year), and lifetime ($199 one-time) plan options. Revenue generated through recurring subscription fees billed monthly, annually, or as a one-time lifetime purchase.
- AVOD and FAST Channels: Ad-supported video on demand and Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV channels operating alongside the subscription model. MagellanTV operates across SVOD, AVOD, and FAST channels reaching audiences across multiple platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly subscription at $5.99/month with first month for $0.99 |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription at $59.88/year ($4.99/month equivalent) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Lifetime plan as one-time purchase for $199 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
Magellan TV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MagellanTV is a direct-to-consumer documentary streaming platform offering over 4,000 ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space genres, available via SVOD subscriptions, AVOD, and FAST channels. The service operates on a proprietary streaming platform accessible across web browsers, mobile apps, smart TVs, and streaming devices in 13 countries through 20+ distribution platforms.
Product overview
MagellanTV is a documentary streaming platform operated as a unified product portfolio. The core offering consists of the MagellanTV streaming service, a subscription-based VOD platform specializing in factual content (history, science, nature, true crime, and space documentaries) with over 4,000 titles. The service is available through three subscription tiers: a Monthly Plan ($5.99/month with first-month promotional rate of $0.99), an Annual Plan ($4.99/month billed at $59.88/year), and a Lifetime Plan ($199 one-time purchase). The platform operates across multiple business models including SVOD, AVOD, and FAST channels, reaching audiences in 13 countries through 20+ platform distribution channels. The company was acquired by Blue Ant Media in October 2025 for $12 million.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MagellanTV Documentary Streaming Service Subscription-based documentary streaming platform offering over 4,000 ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space genres, available via SVOD, AVOD, and FAST channels across 20+ platforms in 13 countries. Built for individual consumers seeking educational, factual entertainment.
- MagellanTV FAST Channels
Quantifiable outcome
- 4K viewing included at no extra charge across all plans
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Magellan TV
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Magellan TV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Magellan TV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Blue Ant MediacoreBlue Ant Media acquired MagellanTV in October 2025 for $12 million USD ($6 million upfront cash and $6 million payable over two years). The acquisition expands Blue Ant's streaming portfolio by adding MagellanTV's SVOD platform, AVOD, and FAST channel operations. MagellanTV co-founder Greg Diefenbach joined Blue Ant as Executive Vice President of Streaming. The deal was expected to unlock synergies by adding over 1,500 hours of Blue Ant-owned library content to MagellanTV's platform.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Magellan TV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CuriosityStream: Direct competitor offering an SVOD service dedicated to factual/documentary programming (history, science, nature, technology). Closest one-to-one peer to MagellanTV in category, model, and target audience.
- MasterClass: Premium SVOD delivering educational video content from experts. Comparable audience overlap (lifetime learners) and similar direct-to-consumer subscription model with annual tiering.
- MUBI: Curated, niche SVOD platform focused on art-house and independent films. Comparable in operating model (curated editorial, niche audience, multi-tier pricing) though content genre differs.
- True Royalty: Niche SVOD platform focused on royal family documentaries and historical content. Comparable as a narrow-vertical subscription documentary service, though with a much narrower topic focus.
- BritBox: Niche SVOD service specializing in British television including factual/documentary programming. Comparable as a curated, vertical SVOD targeting engaged enthusiast audiences.
- Topic (MGM+ streaming): Curated streaming service specializing in documentaries, indie films, and foreign-language programming. Overlaps directly with MagellanTV's factual and curated positioning.
- The Great Courses Plus: Educational video SVOD service with courses and lectures on history, science, and humanities. Targets the same lifelong-learner persona as MagellanTV, with overlapping content types.
- Wondrium: SVOD service offering documentary-style educational video content across history, science, and humanities. Direct overlap in audience persona and content type with MagellanTV's lifelong-learner positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Discovery+ (now Max): Major streaming platform with a deep factual/non-fiction catalog including Discovery, History, and Nature Channel brands. Offers overlapping content type but as part of a much broader entertainment portfolio.
- National Geographic (Disney+): Long-established factual content brand with streaming distribution via Disney+. Comparable in documentary quality and genre specialization but bundled within a much larger mainstream platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Magellan TV social profiles
Digital presenceMagellan TV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Magellan TV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Magellan TV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Magellan TV 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 Magellan TV
What does Magellan TV do?
MagellanTV is a direct-to-consumer documentary streaming platform offering over 4,000 ad-free documentaries across history, science, nature, true crime, and space genres, available via SVOD subscriptions, AVOD, and FAST channels. The service operates on a proprietary streaming platform accessible across web browsers, mobile apps, smart TVs, and streaming devices in 13 countries through 20+ distribution platforms.
Is Magellan TV a public or private company?
Magellan TV is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Magellan TV founded?
Magellan TV was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Magellan TV based?
Magellan TV is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Magellan TV make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SVOD Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are AVOD and FAST Channels.
Who are Magellan TV's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CuriosityStream, MasterClass, MUBI, True Royalty, BritBox, Topic (MGM+ streaming), The Great Courses Plus and Wondrium. Broad incumbents are Discovery+ (now Max) and National Geographic (Disney+).
Does Magellan TV have an API?
No public API is recorded for Magellan TV.
What industry is Magellan TV in?
Magellan TV's product category is Documentary Streaming Service. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAAAH, Anime & Niche Genre Streaming Platforms (Horror/Faith/Indie/etc.), with a secondary code of BPAMAJAA, Video Streaming Platforms (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD). Its NAICS code is 5162 and its SIC code is 7822.