Hearst Networks EMEA

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.

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

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

• Pay-TV broadcasting
• Factual entertainment channels
• Multi-platform content distribution
• Subscription streaming services
• Documentary television production

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BLAZEchannelUK
• Facebookfacebook.com/AENetworksEMEA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hearstnetworksemea

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Hearst Networks EMEA