Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)

What Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) does

Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) is a privately held copyright licensing intermediary that sells a single annual blanket license to commercial establishments for the public performance of films and television programs. Founded in the mid-1980s (footer copyright dated 1996–2026; "nearly 40 years" of operating history) and headquartered in Los Angeles, MPLC represents more than 5,500 rightsholders including all major Hollywood studios (Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Sony Pictures, MGM, Lionsgate, DreamWorks, Pixar, Marvel) and a long tail of independent producers.

The company's product is the MPLC Blanket License — one license that covers all screens and all locations within an organization, addressing past, present, and future viewing gaps and protecting against statutory damages of $750 to $30,000 per infringed work. There is no disclosed proprietary technology stack; the product is a regulatory/commercial licensing instrument rather than a software platform, and no AI/ML components are described. The firmographic profile claims operations spanning five continents and more than 30 countries, while the public-facing website is geo-segmented for the U.S. market.

MPLC operates a sales-led GTM combining a self-serve website application (completed in under five minutes) with a toll-free enterprise phone motion (+1 (866) 552-MPLC). Annual quote-based pricing is tailored to organization size and use case. The company targets at least 12 verticals — corporate, government, healthcare, dental, multi-dwelling units, senior living, country clubs, campgrounds, car dealerships, restaurants and bars, gyms, and hotels — with named enterprise customers including Marriott, Amazon, Google, JPMorgan, Boeing, HCA Healthcare, Brookdale, Dave & Buster's, Gold's Gym, and Aspen. A 2019 funding event with Tenzing (recorded as a Series 4 round with no disclosed dollar amount) is the only external capital event on file, and ownership commentary suggests founder-controlled or closely-held status with no public-market listing, parent entity, or other institutional investors identified.

Name

Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)

Legal name

Motion Picture Licensing Corporation Ltd.

Website

https://mplc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MPLC is a privately held Los Angeles-based copyright licensing intermediary that sells an annual blanket license to commercial establishments for the public performance of films and TV, representing 5,500+ rightsholders including all major Hollywood studios and serving customers across 12+ verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Copyright Licensing Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Licensing (Film/TV, Clips, Stills) (MPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rights Clearance & Chain-of-Title Services (MPADALAI), Rights Clearance & Chain-of-Title (Talent/Music/Clip Clearances) (MPAHALAC)

Keywords

• Copyright licensing services
• Blanket licensing
• Public performance rights
• Motion picture licensing
• Media copyright compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Blanket License: Annual blanket licensing fees for commercial establishments covering public performance rights for films and TV programs. Single license covers all screens and locations within an organization. Provides copyright compliance and protection from statutory damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per work infringed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MPLC sells a single annual Blanket License that gives commercial establishments legal permission to publicly perform films and TV programs across every screen and location within their organization. The license covers content from 5,500+ rightsholders — including all major Hollywood studios (Disney, Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Sony, MGM, Lionsgate, DreamWorks, Pixar, Marvel) plus independent producers and broadcast networks — and shields licensees from statutory damages of $750 to $30,000 per infringed work. Customers apply online in under five minutes or by phone and receive ongoing annual protection covering past, current, and future viewing.

Product overview

MPLC offers a single unified product: the MPLC Blanket License, which is a copyright licensing solution that provides comprehensive coverage for businesses displaying films or TV programs. The blanket license addresses past viewing gaps, provides current compliance, and protects against future financial liabilities. It serves as a one-time setup that delivers legal safety across various industries including corporate, government, health, dental, senior living, hotels, restaurants, gyms, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Financial protection from statutory damages ranging from $750 to $30,000 per work infringed

Named customers10 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Walt DisneycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor studio partner representing extensive content library including Disney, Pixar, and Marvel properties. MPLC provides licensing services on behalf of Walt Disney for commercial public performances.
• Warner Bros.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor studio partner providing content licensing through MPLC's blanket license program for commercial establishments.
• Universal PicturescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerStudio partner contributing to MPLC's comprehensive content coverage for licensed entertainment.
• Paramount PicturescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerViacomCBS-owned studio partner providing content licensing through MPLC's blanket license program.
• Sony PicturescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor studio partner including Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, and related properties.
• MGMcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerStudio partner providing content for commercial licensing through MPLC.
• LionsgatecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerStudio partner contributing to MPLC's licensing catalog.
• DreamWorks AnimationcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerStudio partner providing animation content for licensed commercial entertainment.
• PixarcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDisney-owned studio partner whose content is included through the Disney partnership arrangement.
• Marvel StudioscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDisney-owned studio partner whose content is included through the Disney partnership arrangement.
• 20th Century StudioscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDisney-owned studio partner whose content is included through the Disney partnership arrangement.
• CBS News and StationscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerBroadcast partner providing news content for licensed commercial performances.
• TelevisacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMexican media company partner providing Spanish-language content for commercial licensing.
• HGTVcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerDiscovery-owned network partner providing lifestyle and home entertainment content.
• A&E NetworkcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEntertainment network partner providing documentary and reality content for commercial licensing.
• DiscoverycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMedia network partner providing documentary, science, and lifestyle content through MPLC licensing.
• A24coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerIndependent studio partner providing award-winning indie film content for commercial licensing.
• STX EntertainmentcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerIndependent studio partner contributing to MPLC's licensing catalog.
• MiramaxcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerIndependent studio partner providing classic and contemporary film content.
• DC ComicscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWarner Bros.-owned comic book and film properties partner for commercial licensing.
• Searchlight PicturescoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerFox-owned specialty studio partner providing prestige and award-caliber film content.
• New Line CinemacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWarner Bros.-owned studio partner for commercial content licensing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Swank Motion Pictures: Licenses feature films to non-theatrical markets (schools, libraries, hospitals, prisons, hospitality) — same fundamental B2B rights-licensing business as MPLC, targeting overlapping venue types.
• ASCAP: US performing rights organization (PRO) that issues blanket licenses to commercial establishments for public performance of copyrighted music — the closest functional analog to MPLC's blanket licensing model, just applied to music rather than film/TV.
• BMI: Competing PRO issuing blanket licenses for music public performance in commercial settings. Operates the same B2B compliance-and-recurring-revenue model that MPLC runs for audiovisual content.
• SESAC: Smaller US PRO offering blanket commercial licensing for music performance rights; a structural peer demonstrating the niche of B2B rights-licensing aggregators that MPLC occupies for film/TV.
• Criterion Pictures: Canadian/US non-theatrical motion picture licensing distributor serving schools, libraries, and similar institutions — directly comparable public-performance rights distribution business model.

Emerging players

• Global Music Rights (GMR): Newer entrant PRO licensing public performance rights from a curated catalog of major songwriters — analogous to MPLC's role as a competing rights aggregator with a selective mandate.

Regional players

• Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA): UK-based collective licensing organization providing blanket licenses for copyright content reproduction and performance in commercial and educational settings — same licensing-aggregator model, different geography.
• FilmBank: UK film licensing distributor focused on hotels and hospitality — same B2B in-room and public-area content licensing motion as MPLC, though concentrated in the British market.
• Motown Films / JF Licens: Scandinavian-based collective rights organization licensing film/TV public performance to commercial users across Nordic and European markets — geographically adjacent MPLC-style compliance aggregator.

Broad incumbents

• Entertainment One (eOne): Global studio and distribution business with a licensing arm that sells film/TV rights to commercial and broadcast buyers — broader content owner/incumbent that competes with MPLC at the studio level for commercial rights distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/motion-picture-licensing-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)