Volant Media

What Volant Media does

Volant Media is a private UK-based media company founded in 2017 that operates two satellite and digital news brands — Iran International and Afghanistan International — serving audiences in Iran and Afghanistan where independent journalism is restricted. The flagship product, Iran International, is a Persian-language news channel delivering breaking news, investigative reporting, finance, sports, and documentaries, with content heavily reliant on citizen journalism and user-generated material sourced from inside Iran. The second product, Afghanistan International, was launched in 2021 and provides 24/7 news in Dari and Pashto to Afghan audiences and the global diaspora, addressing a gap left by the curtailment of media freedom under Taliban rule.

Name

Volant Media

Legal name

Volant Media UK Ltd

Website

https://volantmedia.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Volant Media is a UK-based private broadcaster operating Iran International and Afghanistan International, Persian and Dari/Pashto-language news networks serving audiences in Iran and Afghanistan, reaching over 100 million viewers via TV and digital platforms and monetized through advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International News Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multilingual/Diaspora News Channels (MPABAIAJ), Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH), International Broadcast Networks (Operating Domestic Feeds) (MPABAAAN)

Keywords

• International news broadcasting
• Independent journalism services
• Persian-language media
• Dari pashto broadcasting
• Frontier market news

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. TV Broadcasting and Digital Media: Volant Media generates revenue through its television channels (Iran International, Afghanistan International) and digital platforms. The company produces breaking news, finance, sports, and documentary content reaching over 100 million viewers across multiple formats including 24/7 TV broadcasts and digital platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Volant Media operates two flagship 24/7 international news networks—Iran International (Persian-language) and Afghanistan International (Dari and Pashto)—delivered via satellite TV and digital platforms to audiences in Iran, Afghanistan, and their global diasporas. The networks produce breaking news, finance, sports, and documentary content with editorial independence, supported by studios in London and Washington D.C. and a global correspondent network, reaching over 100 million viewers.

Product overview

Volant Media is a media company founded in 2017 that operates two core news brands—Iran International (a Persian-language news channel featuring citizen journalism and user-generated content) and Afghanistan International (a 24/7 Dari and Pashto news platform). Both products deliver independent journalism to frontier markets through studios in London and Washington, reaching over 100 million viewers via TV and digital platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Iran International: Persian-language news channel providing editorially independent news and analysis on Iran, featuring breaking news, finance, sports, and documentaries. Reaches over 100 million viewers.
• Afghanistan International

Products and services

• Iran International 24/7 Persian-language news channel delivering editorially independent breaking news, finance, sports, and documentaries about Iran, featuring firsthand accounts from citizen journalists and user-generated content from across the region for audiences in Iran and the global Iranian diaspora.
• Afghanistan International 24/7 news platform providing independent journalism in both Dari and Pashto across TV and digital channels, designed as the most trusted independent news outlet amplifying voices inside Afghanistan amid severely restricted media freedom.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100M+ viewers across TV and digital platforms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation): BBC operates BBC World Service and previously BBC Persian TV, providing editorially independent international news in multiple languages from the UK. It is the closest analogue to Volant Media's London-based, multi-language international broadcasting model.
• Al Jazeera Media Network: Al Jazeera operates 24/7 multi-language news channels (Arabic, English, and several other language services) targeting international audiences, including politically sensitive regions. Its hybrid linear TV plus digital distribution and editorial independence positioning closely parallels Volant Media's model.
• Voice of America (VOA) / U.S. Agency for Global Media: VOA is a U.S.-government-funded international broadcaster with Persian-language services and a Washington D.C. operational base, directly comparable to Volant Media's editorial mandate of delivering independent news into media-suppressed markets from a Western capital.
• France 24: France 24 is a state-funded 24/7 international news channel broadcasting in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish across TV and digital. Its multilingual, multi-platform international news model mirrors Volant Media's cross-language distribution strategy.
• Deutsche Welle (DW): Deutsche Welle is Germany's international broadcaster, delivering news in 30+ languages via TV and digital channels targeting audiences in restricted-media markets. Its mandate to provide independent journalism to audiences lacking free domestic media is highly analogous to Volant's.
• Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL): RFE/RL operates in 27 languages including Persian and other regional services, broadcasting into countries with restricted press freedom. Its combination of radio, TV, and digital distribution and its focus on Iran/Afghanistan-adjacent regions make it a strong direct peer to Volant Media.
• TOLOnews / MOBY Group: TOLOnews is Afghanistan's largest private broadcaster, providing 24/7 news in Dari and Pashto. It directly competes with Afghanistan International for the same Afghan-speaking audience inside Afghanistan and the diaspora.
• Manoto TV: Manoto is a London-based Persian-language entertainment and general-interest TV channel reaching the Iranian diaspora. It overlaps with Iran International for Persian-speaking audiences outside Iran, making it a direct competitor in the diaspora segment.

Regional players

• Sky News Arabia: Sky News Arabia is a 24/7 Arabic-language news channel serving the Middle East, including audiences with adjacent linguistic and cultural proximity to Iran and Afghanistan. It competes for regional advertising budgets and diaspora eyeballs.
• Al Arabiya: Al Arabiya is a major 24/7 Arabic-language news network headquartered in the Middle East with a regional audience focus. It overlaps with Volant Media in targeting MENA-adjacent diaspora and advertising pools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Volant Media