What WildBear Entertainment does

WildBear Entertainment is an Australian independent documentary studio operating from five locations across three countries and two continents (Canberra headquarters, plus Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Dunedin, New Zealand). Founded in 1989 and self-described as Australia's largest independent documentary studio, the company produces, finances, and distributes factual content for a global client base spanning major broadcasters (BBC, ABC, National Geographic, Discovery, Disney), streaming platforms (Netflix, Stan), Australian federal government departments, and cultural institutions including the Australian War Memorial and National Museum of Australia. Its production volume runs at 150+ hours annually across a catalog of 160+ original titles.

The studio is organized as a multi-vertical operation: a Film & TV studio producing feature documentaries and series, a Short Form studio for brands and institutions, an Experiences studio for immersive museum and exhibition installations, a Post Production studio with editing/grading/sound/finishing suites built on real-time collaborative infrastructure, and a Design & VFX studio for motion graphics and visual effects. An exclusive footage library, Content Mint, supports production reuse. Distribution occurs via direct platform deals (Netflix, BBC, Disney, NatGeo), international sales agents (Dogwoof, Fremantle), theatrical release, and direct institutional partnerships.

Revenue is generated through commissioned production fees, co-production financing arrangements, content licensing and distribution, experiential and museum installation contracts, and external VFX and post-production services. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding; leadership comprises CEO/Principal Michael Tear, Managing Director Alan Erson, COO Harriet Pike, and CFO Caroline Nichols. Sub-brands include WildBear International (distribution) and WildBear Digital (digital/soundscape production). Notable accolades include a Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Documentary Competition selection for 'Playing With Sharks'.

Name

WildBear Entertainment

Legal name

WildBear Entertainment

Website

https://wildbear.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WildBear Entertainment is Australia's largest independent documentary studio, producing 150+ hours of factual content annually across film, TV, short-form, immersive experiences, post-production, and VFX for global broadcasters, streaming platforms, government agencies, and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ), Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD), Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International) (MPABANAB)

Keywords

• Documentary production
• Factual content production
• Post-production services
• Visual effects studio
• Immersive experiences design

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Production: WildBear develops, finances, and produces documentary and factual content commissioned by broadcasters, streaming platforms, government agencies, and cultural institutions. Revenue is generated through production fees, financing arrangements, and co-production deals.
2. Content Licensing & Distribution: Distribution of produced content to global broadcasters and streaming platforms including international sales and licensing of documentary films and series.
3. Experiential & Museum Installations: Production of immersive museum experiences, exhibitions, and live-format engagements for cultural institutions including museums and galleries.
4. VFX & Post-Production Services: Providing VFX, motion graphics, and post-production services to external clients including broadcast television, feature films, and corporate productions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WildBear Entertainment is Australia's largest independent documentary studio. It develops, finances, produces, and distributes documentary and factual content — including feature films, television series, short-form content, immersive museum installations, and post-production/VFX services — for global broadcasters, streaming platforms, government agencies, and cultural institutions. The company also licenses an exclusive footage library (Content Mint) and operates cutting-edge in-house post-production and design studios.

Product overview

WildBear Entertainment operates as Australia’s largest independent documentary studio with a multi-studio architecture. The company is organized into five distinct production studios: Film & TV (feature documentaries and television series), Short Form (bite-sized content for brands and institutions), Experiences (immersive museum and exhibition installations), Post Production (editing, grading, sound, and finishing services), and Design & VFX (motion graphics and visual effects). Supporting these production capabilities is Content Mint, an exclusive footage library. Together, these studios enable WildBear to create, produce, and distribute innovative factual stories for global audiences across every screen, with projects distributed through major platforms including Netflix, BBC, Disney, ABC, and National Geographic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Content Mint: WildBear's exclusive footage library, curated to power the world's best storytelling
• WildBear International
• WildBear Digital

Products and services

• Film & TV Studio WildBear's primary documentary production studio that creates, produces, and distributes innovative factual entertainment for global broadcasters and streaming platforms including Netflix, BBC, Disney, and Amazon Prime.
• Short Form Studio Authentic, innovative, bite-sized entertainment for brands, government agencies, and cultural institutions, working across multiple screens and mediums for short-form storytelling.
• Experiences Studio Immersive installations and live-format engagements that fuse cinematic scale, human emotion, and spatial design for museum and exhibition experiences.
• Post Production Cutting-edge editing, grading, sound, and finishing suites powered by ultra-fast servers and real-time collaborative workflows for media production.
• Design & VFX Studio Award-winning motion graphics and visual effects team producing captivating content for broadcast television, feature films, and corporate clients, bringing information to life through visualization.
• Content Mint Footage Library WildBear's exclusive footage library, curated to power the world's best storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sundance Film Festival selection (World Cinema Documentary Competition) for Playing With Sharks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor streaming platform partner for original documentary content. WildBear produces feature documentaries and series for Netflix's global platform, including 'Under a Bamboo Sky' and 'Runn'.
• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcasting partner for documentary content, representing one of WildBear's key global distribution channels for factual programming.
• National GeographiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcasting partner for nature and wildlife documentary content, including 'Playing With Sharks' feature documentary.
• DisneycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBroadcasting and streaming partner for documentary content distribution through Disney's global media networks.
• StancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian streaming platform partner for local content distribution, including 'Joh - Last King of Queensland'.
• ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian national broadcaster and key commissioning partner for multiple documentary series including 'Stuff the British Stole', 'And We Danced', and 'The Black Hand'.
• DiscoverycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcaster for nature and factual content including 'Big Shark Energy' and 'Mega Mechanics'.
• Australian War MemorialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment cultural institution and commissioning partner for documentary projects including 'A New Anzac', focusing on Australian military history and commemoration.
• DogwoofcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational documentary sales agent handling global distribution for WildBear feature documentaries including 'Playing With Sharks', 'The Raftsmen', and 'Every Little Thing'.
• FremantlecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational entertainment company handling international sales and distribution for 'Stuff the British Stole' series.
• Madman EntertainmentminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distributor for 'Rachel's Farm' feature documentary.
• Wooden HorsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company partner for co-production of 'Stuff the British Stole' Season 3 alongside WildBear Entertainment and Artemis Media.
• Artemis MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company partner for co-production of 'Stuff the British Stole' Season 3 alongside WildBear Entertainment and Wooden Horse.
• Impeller Museum & EventscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum and events production partner collaborating with WildBear on experiential installations including the LEGO Star Wars Exhibition at Melbourne Museum and Sydney Swans Museum.
• 2DFminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustralian distribution partner for documentary content.
• Love NatureminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNature-focused streaming platform and broadcaster for wildlife content including 'Wildlife ER'.
• Australian Government DepartmentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment clients including Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet, Department of Health, Department of Veterans' Affairs commissioning documentary and strategic communications content.
• BurstyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction company partner for 'Ride' documentary film alongside WildBear Entertainment.
• Blue Ant MediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational media company and broadcaster for content including 'Wild Sky' and 'Big Shark Energy'.
• MediawanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean media company broadcasting documentary content including 'Beyond Our Earth' and 'Mega Mechanics'.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BBC Studios: Global content producer and distributor and one of WildBear's key commissioning partners for documentary content. A broad incumbent in the factual genre with vertically integrated production and global distribution.
• Fremantle: Global production and distribution group that handles international sales for WildBear's 'Stuff the British Stole'. A broad incumbent with massive scale, multi-territory reach, and end-to-end production-distribution capabilities that dwarf WildBear's footprint.
• ITV Studios Australia: Australian arm of the global ITV Studios production group, producing factual, drama, and entertainment content. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same pool of documentary commissions WildBear targets.
• Endemol Shine Australia (Banijay): Major global production group with a substantial Australian factual and entertainment operation. Competes with WildBear for streamer commissions and represents the consolidated, large-footprint competitive alternative.

Direct peers

• Renegade Films: Australian independent factual and entertainment production company with global broadcaster relationships. Comparable to WildBear as a mid-sized Aussie indie serving streamers and public broadcasters.
• Wooden Horse: Australian production company that has co-produced multi-season documentary series with WildBear. Closely comparable in scale, genre focus, and co-production partnership model.
• Screentime: Australian factual and entertainment production company producing premium documentaries, drama, and reality content for global and domestic buyers. Comparable genre mix and B2B commissioning model.
• Artemis Media: Australian documentary and factual production company that has co-produced with WildBear ('Stuff the British Stole' S3). Closely comparable boutique indie with a similar slate-based, broadcaster-commissioned model.
• Blackfella Films: Australian Indigenous-led production company producing factual, documentary, and drama content. Comparable as a mid-sized Australian indie with public-broadcaster and global-streamer relationships.
• Northern Pictures: Australian independent factual and documentary production studio producing premium content for global streamers and broadcasters. Directly comparable to WildBear in size, genre focus, and B2B commissioning model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wildbeartv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildbear-entertainment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 WildBear Entertainment