Hearst Networks EMEA
Hearst Networks EMEA is a London-based joint venture between Hearst and Sky that operates premium factual entertainment TV channels (HISTORY, Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, COSMO) and streaming services across 100+ countries, reaching 76 million households in EMEA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Hearst Networks EMEA does
Hearst Networks EMEA is a London-headquartered factual entertainment broadcaster operating as a joint venture between Hearst Corporation and Sky. Founded in 1995, the company operates a portfolio of linear TV channels (The HISTORY Channel, Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, COSMO) across EMEA, reaching 76 million households in over 100 countries. Its content spans historical documentaries, true crime series, mystery programming, and entertainment, distributed via carriage agreements with major pay-TV operators including Sky, Virgin, Allente, Telia, Ziggo, KPN, and Movistar+.
The company's product portfolio has expanded beyond linear TV to include direct-to-consumer streaming applications (Crime+Investigation Play launched 2022, COSMO ON, BLAZE App), subscription video services on Prime Video (MysteryX launched June 2026 at £4.99/month), and digital-first content ventures (Hearst Canvas launched October 2025 for YouTube and emerging platforms). Content is also distributed through FAST channels and social media partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: advertising across linear and digital platforms, subscription/VOD services including the MysteryX streaming offering, and content licensing to regional pay-TV operators. The company maintains offices in London, Rome, Madrid, Warsaw, Munich, and Johannesburg, with approximately 236 employees. Strategic positioning emphasizes premium factual entertainment with strong commercial break retention rates (89-90%) and high-income audience demographics.
Hearst Networks EMEA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hearst Networks EMEA
- Legal name
- Hearst Networks UK
- Website
- https://hearstnetworks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Hearst Networks EMEA is a London-based joint venture between Hearst and Sky that operates premium factual entertainment TV channels (HISTORY, Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, COSMO) and streaming services across 100+ countries, reaching 76 million households in EMEA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hearst Networks EMEA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Broadcasting & Media Distribution
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)
Keywords
Where Hearst Networks EMEA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Hearst Networks EMEA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: Traditional broadcast advertising across linear TV channels, FAST channels, and digital platforms. Social media partnerships with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat extend advertising reach.
- Subscription/VOD Services: Direct-to-consumer streaming subscriptions including MysteryX at £4.99/month on Prime Video, Crime+Investigation app, and COSMO ON service in Spain. COSMO ON offers on-demand content at no additional cost for subscribers.
- Content Licensing and Distribution: Distribution partnerships with regional pay-TV operators, FAST channels, and streaming platforms. Content licensed across UK, Nordics, Benelux, CEE, Spain, Italy, Germany, Africa, and Middle East.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | MysteryX subscription on Prime Video |
| Subscription | Monthly | COSMO ON on-demand service |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hearst Networks EMEA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hearst Networks EMEA is a global factual entertainment broadcaster that produces and distributes premium documentary and true-crime television content across linear pay-TV, subscription streaming, FAST channels, and digital/social platforms. Its portfolio spans The HISTORY Channel, Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, and COSMO channels, complemented by direct-to-consumer streaming services (MysteryX on Prime Video, Crime+Investigation Play, COSMO ON) and the Hearst Canvas digital content venture. Content is delivered to 76 million households across 100+ countries in EMEA through pay-TV operators, streaming platforms, and owned digital channels.
Product overview
Hearst Networks EMEA operates a diversified media portfolio spanning linear TV channels, streaming services, and digital platforms. The core product portfolio includes The HISTORY Channel (Sky HISTORY), Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, and COSMO across EMEA. These linear channels are complemented by direct-to-consumer streaming offerings including Crime+Investigation Play, COSMO ON, and the recently launched MysteryX (June 2026) on Prime Video. Hearst Canvas (launched October 2025) extends the company into digital-native content for YouTube and social platforms. The company reaches audiences across UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central & Eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, Germany, Africa and Middle East, delivering to over 76 million households in 100 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The HISTORY Channel: Premium factual entertainment channel covering historical documentaries and series from ancient times to modern events.
- Crime+Investigation
- BLAZE
- COSMO
- MysteryX
- Hearst Canvas
Products and services
- The HISTORY Channel Premium factual entertainment channel covering historical documentaries and series spanning events from the Romans and Ancient Egypt through WW2 to 9/11, distributed via pay-TV operators across EMEA.
- Crime+Investigation Global true crime brand investigating criminal cases with informative and compelling storytelling, distributed via pay-TV operators and complemented by the Crime+Investigation Play direct-to-consumer app.
- BLAZE Entertainment channel celebrating people who achieve the extraordinary through determination, courage and maverick spirit, featuring reality shows, paranormal programming, and UFO content including the annual UFO WEEK event.
- COSMO Spanish pay-TV channel and entertainment brand empowering women with internationally acclaimed shows, entertainment programs, blockbuster movies, and original social-impact short films; available on Movistar+, Vodafone TV, Orange TV, Agile TV, MásMóvil, Euskaltel, R, Virgin, and Guuk.
- MysteryX Subscription streaming service focused on mystery and unexplained factual programming including UFO encounters, paranormal investigations, ancient civilisations, cryptids, lost worlds, and scientific mysteries; available across smart TVs, mobile devices, tablets, and desktop via the Prime Video Subscriptions app.
- Hearst Canvas Digital content venture developing original mid-form commissions for YouTube and social platforms, building on the commercial and critical success of Cut to the Crime, History Crush, and Two Sides of History; first productions slated for launch in early 2026.
- BLAZE App Free streaming app providing mobile access to BLAZE content on-demand, complementing the linear BLAZE channel distribution.
Quantifiable outcome
- 89-90% commercial break viewer retention
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hearst Networks EMEA
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hearst Networks EMEA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Hearst Networks EMEA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hearst Networks EMEA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- A+E Networks: US parent/operating counterpart operating the same HISTORY and Crime+Investigation brands in the Americas; directly comparable portfolio of factual entertainment channels and streaming products.
- National Geographic (Disney): Premium factual/documentary brand distributed globally including EMEA; competes for the same documentary-loving advertiser and subscriber audiences and is part of Disney+/Hulu distribution.
- Sky Documentaries: Linear and on-demand factual channel operated by Sky, which is also a Hearst Networks JV parent; competing documentary content carried within the same Sky platform alongside HISTORY and Crime+Investigation.
Broad incumbents
- Warner Bros. Discovery: Operates Discovery Channel and a global factual/unscripted content portfolio across linear and streaming (Max); overlaps with Hearst Networks on history, true crime, and lifestyle factual genres at much larger scale.
- BBC Studios: UK-based public broadcaster and global content distributor producing premium factual, documentary, and natural history programming; directly comparable output and EMEA distribution footprint.
- ITV Studios: UK major broadcaster producing and distributing factual entertainment and unscripted content across EMEA; competes for advertising spend and factual content commissions.
Emerging players
- CuriosityStream: US-based SVOD focused exclusively on factual/documentary content; comparable genre focus to MysteryX and HISTORY, but smaller scale and global-only digital distribution.
- Vice Media: Producer of factual and documentary-style content across digital and linear channels; comparable factual/social-issue programming (similar to COSMO short films and Hearst Canvas content).
- Magellan TV: Niche SVOD focused on history, science, and nature documentaries; directly comparable genre focus to MysteryX and HISTORY Channel digital offerings at a smaller scale.
Others
- Amazon MGM Studios: Distribution partner via Prime Video for MysteryX and other Hearst Networks streaming products; also a competitor in factual content production and increasingly a destination for premium documentaries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hearst Networks EMEA social profiles
Digital presenceHearst Networks EMEA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Hearst Networks EMEA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hearst Networks EMEA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hearst Networks EMEA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Hearst Networks EMEA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hearst Networks EMEA 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 Hearst Networks EMEA
What does Hearst Networks EMEA do?
Hearst Networks EMEA is a global factual entertainment broadcaster that produces and distributes premium documentary and true-crime television content across linear pay-TV, subscription streaming, FAST channels, and digital/social platforms. Its portfolio spans The HISTORY Channel, Crime+Investigation, BLAZE, and COSMO channels, complemented by direct-to-consumer streaming services (MysteryX on Prime Video, Crime+Investigation Play, COSMO ON) and the Hearst Canvas digital content venture. Content is delivered to 76 million households across 100+ countries in EMEA through pay-TV operators, streaming platforms, and owned digital channels.
Is Hearst Networks EMEA a public or private company?
Hearst Networks EMEA is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hearst Networks EMEA founded?
Hearst Networks EMEA was founded in 1995. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Hearst Networks EMEA based?
Hearst Networks EMEA is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Hearst Networks EMEA make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising Revenue is the primary driver. The others are subscription/VOD Services and content Licensing and Distribution.
Who are Hearst Networks EMEA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are A+E Networks, National Geographic (Disney) and Sky Documentaries. Broad incumbents are Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios and ITV Studios. Emerging players are CuriosityStream, Vice Media and Magellan TV. Amazon MGM Studios is listed as an others.
Does Hearst Networks EMEA have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hearst Networks EMEA.
What industry is Hearst Networks EMEA in?
Hearst Networks EMEA's product category is Television Broadcasting & Media Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAB, Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming), with a secondary code of MPADADAG, Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 4833.