Shaftesbury Films

What Shaftesbury Films does

Shaftesbury Films (legal entity Shaftesbury Inc.) is a Toronto-based, privately held Canadian production company founded in 1987 by Christina Jennings, who remains Chairman and President. The company creates original scripted and unscripted content — including long-running drama series (Murdoch Mysteries in its 19th season, Hudson & Rex), horror anthology (the Slasher franchise including Hell Motel), crime dramas (Irish Blood, The Borderline, Departure, Underbelly, Frankie Drake Mysteries), comedy (Slo Pitch, SisterS), and a substantial kids and family slate (Ruby & The Well, Macy Murdoch, Life with Luca, The Solutioneers, Mary & Flo on the Go!, MIIKSHI, What the Stink?, ClearWater Kids Challenge, The Infinite Worlds of Ella Jane) — and licenses it to broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide, reaching audiences in over 150 countries and territories.

Shaftesbury operates a multi-format, B2B content licensing model. Revenue is generated primarily through content licensing fees from Canadian broadcasters (CBC, Citytv), U.S. and global streamers (Netflix, Shudder, Acorn TV, Crave, AMC+, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, IFC), and international partners (ITV Studios, UKTV, Sky NZ, RTÉ), augmented by branded entertainment projects for corporate sponsors (Carmilla for U by Kotex/Kimberly-Clark, Turning the Tables for got2b/Henkel, Futurithmic for Nokia). A strategic investment and partnership with AMC Networks in February 2021 — including two AMC-appointed directors on the board — provides both capital and embedded distribution across AMC's owned streaming portfolio. The company also operates wholly owned subsidiaries KindaTV (digital content platform) and Babe Nation Films, and previously operated an XR Technology Division (Positive Distraction Games, Bubble Bloom) that was divested to UNLTD Inc. in December 2021, in which Shaftesbury retained a significant equity stake.

Distribution and demand signals are strong: Murdoch Mysteries has contributed over $1 billion in Ontario economic output and $766 million to Canadian GDP across 18 seasons; Departure reached #1 on Netflix in 40 countries; Irish Blood was the #1 series in Acorn TV history for subscriber acquisition; and Shaftesbury received 15 Canadian Screen Award nominations in 2026 across five series. The company is also systematically building IP ecosystems around its franchises (e.g., Macy Murdoch tween spinoff and Roblox extension, The Murdoch Mysteries Podcast featured on Amazon Music, live symphony performances) — a strategy now formalized by the 2026 appointment of Jay Bennett as a dedicated IP expansion lead. The company maintains 11–50 employees and is privately held with AMC Networks as a strategic shareholder; no public revenue figures or external funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

Shaftesbury Films

Legal name

Shaftesbury Inc.

Website

https://shaftesbury.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shaftesbury Films is a Toronto-based, privately held Canadian production company founded in 1987 that creates and licenses original scripted, kids/family, and branded entertainment content to broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide, anchored by the long-running Murdoch Mysteries franchise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Digital Content Production

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Subscription & Book Club Publishing (MPAJAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s Nonfiction Publishing (MPAJAFAE)

Keywords

• Scripted television production
• Original content development
• Branded entertainment series
• International content licensing
• Kids and family programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television and Streaming Content Licensing: Shaftesbury produces original television content including drama series, comedies, and horror anthologies that are licensed to broadcasters and streaming platforms worldwide. Revenue is generated through licensing fees from networks such as CBC, ITV Studios, UKTV, Citytv, Netflix, Shudder, Acorn TV, Crave, and AMC Networks.
2. Branded Entertainment: Shaftesbury creates original entertainment content for corporate brands. Projects include Carmilla for U by Kotex/Kimberly-Clark, Turning the Tables for got2b/Henkel, and Futurithmic for Nokia. The company won MIPTV's Brand Content of the Year award for Carmilla.
3. Strategic Investment and Partnerships: AMC Networks made a strategic investment in Shaftesbury, providing capital while gaining access to the company's content slate and development capabilities. Christina Jennings continues as CEO and Chairman, leading day-to-day operations alongside Executive Vice President Scott Garvie.
4. Technology Licensing and Digital Health: Shaftesbury Technology developed VR/AR applications for pediatric healthcare including Positive Distraction Games. The XR Technology Division was acquired by UNLTD Inc. in December 2021, making Shaftesbury a significant shareholder in UNLTD.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shaftesbury is an award-winning Canadian production company that creates and produces original scripted content for television, film, and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes long-running drama franchises (Murdoch Mysteries, Hudson & Rex), horror anthologies (Slasher, Hell Motel), international thrillers (Departure, Irish Blood, The Borderline), comedies (Slo Pitch, SisterS), and a kids & family slate distributed through broadcast, streaming, and digital channels including a Roblox extension and branded entertainment partnerships.

Product overview

Shaftesbury Films is an award-winning creator and producer of original content for television, film, and digital platforms. The company operates a multi-platform content portfolio spanning core drama series (Murdoch Mysteries, Hudson & Rex, Hell Motel, Departure, Slasher), comedy (Slo Pitch, SisterS), crime dramas (Irish Blood, The Borderline, Underbelly), and kids & family programming (Ruby & The Well, Macy Murdoch, Life with Luca, What the Stink?, The Solutioneers, Mary & Flo on the Go!, MIIKSHI, The Infinite Worlds of Ella Jane). The company also produces branded entertainment content (Carmilla, Turning The Tables, Futurithmic) and previously operated a technology division focused on XR/VR applications (Bubble Bloom) which was acquired by UNLTD. Content is distributed across major platforms including CBC, Netflix, Acorn TV, Crave, IFC, Citytv, UKTV, Shudder, and WildBrain, reaching audiences in over 120 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Murdoch Mysteries Long-running period detective drama series set in early 1900s Toronto, based on novels by Maureen Jennings. Distributed in over 120-150 countries.
• Hudson & Rex

Quantifiable outcome

• Murdoch Mysteries generated $1 billion+ in economic output in Ontario and $766 million in Canadian GDP over 18 seasons
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and strategic.

• UNLTD Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2021UNLTD acquired Shaftesbury's XR Technology Division, which was an innovation leader in immersive therapeutics for VR and AR applications. Shaftesbury became a significant shareholder in UNLTD, and Christina Jennings joined UNLTD's board. Ted Biggs joined UNLTD as Chief Product Officer and Brianna Lowe as Director of Product Development.
• Pope ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing production partnership spanning 15 years and seven shows. Pope Productions, based in St. John's Newfoundland, served as co-producer of Hudson & Rex and Departure. Paul Pope was President of Pope Productions until his passing in April 2022.
• Company PicturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BAFTA-winning UK producer (Wolf Hall, Inspector George Gently, Shameless) to option Canadian author Steve Burrows' Birder Murder Mysteries book series. First joint venture for both companies, bringing together Canadian and UK screenwriters.
• Acorn Media EnterprisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with AMC Networks' development division for Acorn TV to co-produce and distribute content including The Sounds (with South Pacific Pictures), Dead Still, and Irish Blood. Acorn TV holds Canadian broadcast rights and home entertainment rights.
• South Pacific PicturesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand's largest screen production company co-producing The Sounds thriller series with Shaftesbury. All3media international serves as international distributor. Series stars Rachelle Lefevre, Matt Whelan, and Matt Nable.
• Sky NZstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNew Zealand broadcaster partnering to commission The Sounds thriller series alongside Acorn Media Enterprises. Series filmed in New Zealand and premiered on Sky NZ and Acorn TV.
• CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary Canadian broadcast partner for Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, and other series. CBC Gem streaming platform hosts digital content including Macy Murdoch spinoff. CBC holds Canadian broadcast rights for The Sounds.
• ITV Studios and UKTVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcast partners distributing Murdoch Mysteries in the UK market.
• Citytv/Rogers Sports & MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian broadcast partner for Hudson & Rex series. Rogers Sports & Media provides production support including diversity initiatives through Access Reelworld partnership.
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal streaming platform distributing Slasher series and Departure (which reached #1 in 40 countries). Departure also on Peacock and NBC Universal.
• ShuddercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAMC Networks-owned horror streaming platform distributing Slasher series. Slasher: Ripper and subsequent seasons produced for Shudder platform.
• Crave (AMC Networks)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian streaming platform distributing SisterS, The Borderline, and other Shaftesbury content.
• U by Kotex/Kimberly-ClarkcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBrand partnership creating the global digital phenomenon Carmilla, which won MIPTV's Brand Content of the Year award. The series was a transmedia brand that put branded entertainment on the map.
• got2b/HenkelstrategicOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPartnership with Henkel's hair colour and styling brand to produce EDM-inspired original series Turning The Tables.
• NokiastrategicOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPartnership to produce original documentary series Futurithmic on the life-changing impact of 5G and AI technology.
• Access ReelworldstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rogers Sports & Media and Shaftesbury to launch technical training boot camp for BIPOC residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to increase diversity in Hudson & Rex crew hiring.
• Peer Pressure ProductionsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish production company co-producing SisterS dark comedy-drama series with Shaftesbury. Partnership with Mermade and Gaze Pictures for international co-production.
• RTÉstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIrish national broadcaster partnering on SisterS co-production alongside Crave and AMC Networks' IFC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPPkbNczG3gdWTEXsI_YBnQ
• Instagraminstagram.com/shaftesburytv
• Xx.com/shaftesburytv
• Facebookfacebook.com/shaftesburytv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaftesbury-films-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Shaftesbury Films