Zinc Media

What Zinc Media does

Zinc Media Group plc is a publicly traded (LSE: ZIN) international content creation company headquartered in London with offices in Belfast, Bristol, Glasgow, Doha and Riyadh. It operates a collective of 12–13 wholly owned specialist labels — including Brook Lapping, Rex, Atomic Television, Red Sauce, Tern TV, Supercollider, Raw Cut, Tomos TV, The Edge Picture Company, Bumblebee, Electric Violet, Zinc Distribution and the recently launched Cicada AI label — that produce commissioned television, branded content, corporate films, audio/podcasts and live events for UK and international broadcasters, governments and corporate brands. Customers include BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Sky, National Geographic and CNN on the broadcast side, and HSBC, Standard Chartered, FIFA, ASDA, CUPRA, Qatar National Bank and G42 on the brand and government side.

The group's production operations are unified by the Zinc Platform, a shared technology and remote-first workflow layer that supports cross-label resource use, while Bumblebee (post-production) operates on the Freispace scheduling and resource management platform across London and Glasgow. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based commissions from broadcasters (one-time licence fees for television production) and professional-services engagements with corporate brands and government entities. AI-related work, scaled through the new Cicada label in July 2026, generated several million pounds in 2025 revenue, up from zero in 2024.

In FY2025, Zinc reported £41M in revenue (27% year-on-year growth) and £1.9M adjusted EBITDA (27% growth), marking a fifth consecutive year of growth. 88% of FY25 turnover came from repeat clients, 13 television series were recommissioned, and 45% of revenue was generated outside the UK. The group is on track toward stated medium-term targets of £50M revenue and £5M EBITDA, supported by a 2026 pipeline of £3M secured plus £21M in pipeline plus £10M in advanced commission discussions. Market capitalisation as of August 2026 was approximately £16.77M, with institutional shareholders comprising over 70% of the register.

Name

Zinc Media

Legal name

Zinc Media Group Plc

Website

https://zincmedia.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zinc Media Group is a London-headquartered, publicly traded (LSE: ZIN) international content creation company operating 13 specialist labels that produce commissioned television, branded content, corporate films and live events for broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, Sky, National Geographic) and corporate brands (HSBC, FIFA, ASDA), unified by a shared Zinc Platform and a new Cicada AI label.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Production: Commissioned television production for UK and international broadcasters including documentaries, factual programming, entertainment formats, and specialist factual content. Revenue generated through production commissions and licensing fees.
2. Branded Content: Premium entertainment content for brands including digital series, standalone films, and social assets developed and produced for brand clients.
3. Live Events and Corporate Production: Event production services including live events, corporate films, and branded experiences. The Edge Picture Company produces content for business and brands globally.
4. AI-Enhanced Production Services: AI-related work generated several million pounds in revenue in 2025, rising from zero in 2024. The company expects AI integration to support margin growth.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zinc Media Group is a diversified international content creation company operating through 12+ specialist labels that produce factual television, unscripted entertainment and formats, branded content, corporate films, audio and podcasts, and live events. Its wholly-owned labels include Brook Lapping, Rex, Atomic, Red Sauce, Tern TV, Supercollider, Raw Cut, Tomos TV, The Edge Picture Company, Bumblebee, Electric Violet, and Zinc Distribution, supported by the shared Zinc Platform that provides technology, specialist expertise, and remote-first workflows. The group also launched Cicada in 2026 as a dedicated AI-focused content production label.

Product overview

Zinc Media Group is a diversified international content creation company built on a portfolio of 12 specialist labels producing premium TV, branded content, corporate films, audio/podcasts, and live events. The portfolio includes Brook Lapping (documentary), Rex (popular factual), Atomic (premium factual), Red Sauce (entertainment), Tern TV (documentaries/lifestyle), Supercollider (documentaries/live events), Raw Cut, Tomos TV, The Edge Picture Company (brand content), Bumblebee (post-production), Electric Violet (entertainment), and Zinc Distribution (catalogue). New AI-focused label Cicada scales artificial intelligence across operations. The group operates through the Zinc Platform—a shared technology infrastructure enabling remote workflows and AI-enabled production. The portfolio spans television, branded content, corporate film, audio, post-production, and live events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brook Lapping: Award-winning current affairs and investigative documentary-making for television and radio
• Rex
• Atomic Television
• Red Sauce
• Tern TV
• Supercollider
• Raw Cut
• Tomos TV
• The Edge Picture Company
• Bumblebee
• Electric Violet
• Zinc Distribution
• Cicada

Products and services

• Television & Content Production
• Branded Content
• Corporate Film
• Audio & Podcasts
• Live Events
• Post-Production Services
• Content Distribution (Zinc Distribution)
• Cicada (AI Content Production Label)

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% revenue growth to £41 million in FY2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WMP Qatar (William Martin Qatar LLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Zinc Media Group acquired WMP Qatar, a Qatar-based event production business, for initial consideration of £0.4m through new ordinary shares, with maximum consideration up to £1.12m linked to EBIT targets. Founded in 2010, WMP Qatar generated revenue of £3.3m and profit before tax of £0.3m in 2025. The acquisition combines WMP Qatar with Zinc's existing Qatar business, The Edge, forming a unified operation under Zinc's international platform.
• FreispacecoreTechnology or Integration · 9 April 2026Bumblebee, the post-production arm of Zinc Media Group, adopted freispace's scheduling and resource management platform as its central system across London and Glasgow operations. The implementation unifies workflows across multiple post-production facilities and disciplines, addressing complexity that arose as Bumblebee scaled since its 2022 launch. The platform's intuitive interface and multi-site visibility were key factors in the selection.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• BBC Studios: Commercial arm of the BBC producing and distributing content globally. Significant incumbent that both commissions content from Zinc (as a client) and competes as a producer in its own right, particularly in factual and documentary.
• ITV Studios: UK broadcaster-owned production arm producing scripted and unscripted content globally. Significantly larger incumbent competitor that produces content for ITV and international broadcasters, with deeper resources and ownership of distribution channels.
• Vice Media: Global digital media and content production company producing branded content, documentaries, and editorial. Comparable in branded content production and digital-first documentary work, though significantly larger and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Fremantle: International content production and distribution company with operations across drama, entertainment, and documentary. Operates multiple production labels and serves the same major global broadcasters as Zinc Media, including BBC, Channel 4, and international networks.
• Tinopolis Group: Wales-based independent television production group with multiple specialist labels. Direct competitor in UK factual and entertainment production, with comparable label structure and BBC/Channel 4 relationships.
• Banijay: Largest European content production and distribution group with a global portfolio of production labels. Competes in the same factual, entertainment, and documentary production space with comparable broadcaster relationships and label-based structure.
• Pulse Films: UK-based production company producing feature documentaries, branded content, and music videos for global brands and broadcasters. Comparable in branded content production and premium documentary work, with similar marquee client relationships.
• Endemol Shine Group: Global content creator producing entertainment, drama, and documentary content for broadcasters and streamers. Directly comparable in producing premium unscripted content for major UK and international broadcasters under a portfolio of specialist labels.
• All3Media: Leading UK-based independent television production and distribution company with multiple specialist labels producing content for major broadcasters. Direct competitor in UK factual, documentary, and entertainment production, with similarly diversified label structure.

Emerging players

• Expectation Entertainment: UK independent production company producing drama, comedy, and factual content for broadcasters and streamers. Comparable in producing premium documentary and unscripted content for UK broadcasters, though smaller scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zinc_media
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zinc-media-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A15 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Zinc Media