The Great Courses Plus
The Great Courses Plus operates a subscription streaming service offering unlimited access to over 20,000 college-level lectures across 14 subject categories, delivered via web, mobile, and TV apps to adult lifelong learners in the United States and globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersChantilly, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Great Courses Plus does
The Great Courses Plus is a subscription streaming service operated by The Teaching Company Sales, LLC, a private US LLC founded in 1990 and headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia. The platform provides unlimited access to over 20,000 video lectures spanning college-level courses in 14 subject categories — including science, history, philosophy, religion, mathematics, professional growth, travel, and the arts — targeting adult lifelong learners seeking intellectually rigorous, ad-free educational content outside formal academic settings.
The service is delivered as a multi-platform product available via web browsers, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and dedicated apps on major streaming TV devices including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. Content is sourced from The Great Courses' established brand library and is continuously expanded, with new courses and digitally remastered classics added monthly. Distribution is global through app stores and direct web streaming, though some programs carry geographic viewing restrictions imposed by individual content creators.
Revenue is generated primarily through a monthly subscription offering unlimited catalog access, supplemented by individual course purchases via the Shop e-commerce site, gift subscriptions, enterprise and group licensing through Group Solutions, and curated sub-brand tiers (Signature Collection, Living, Classics Collection). The company is also extending into adjacent offerings such as TGC Journeys, a branded travel service. Current promotional pricing of $4.99 per month for the first two months (valid through June 28, 2026) indicates active investment in subscriber acquisition. Total revenue, subscriber counts, and ownership structure are not publicly disclosed, and the company has no known external venture capital or private equity backing based on the available data.
The Great Courses Plus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Great Courses Plus
- Legal name
- The Teaching Company Sales, LLC
- Website
- https://wondrium.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Great Courses Plus operates a subscription streaming service offering unlimited access to over 20,000 college-level lectures across 14 subject categories, delivered via web, mobile, and TV apps to adult lifelong learners in the United States and globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Great Courses Plus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Educational Video Streaming
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries) (MPACALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs) (MPACALAA), Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)
Keywords
Where The Great Courses Plus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chantilly
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Great Courses Plus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Streaming Service: Monthly subscription model providing unlimited access to over 20,000 lectures from The Great Courses library. Users pay a recurring monthly fee for ad-free access to the complete course catalog.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Plus Membership - Unlimited access to all courses |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Great Courses Plus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Great Courses Plus is a subscription streaming service providing unlimited, ad-free access to a library of more than 20,000 college-level video lectures covering subjects such as science, history, philosophy, religion, professional growth, and travel. Subscribers pay a recurring monthly fee, with content accessible across web browsers, iOS and Android mobile apps, and major streaming TV platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV), and the company also sells individual courses a la carte through The Great Courses brand storefront.
Product overview
The Great Courses Plus operates as a multi-platform educational content ecosystem with a primary subscription streaming service at its core. The main product, The Great Courses Plus, provides unlimited streaming access to over 20,000 video lectures across diverse subjects. Surrounding this core offering are several sub-brands including the Signature Collection, Living, and Classics Collection, each offering curated content packages. Users can also purchase individual courses à la carte through The Great Courses (individual purchases) or the Shop. Additional offerings include Group Solutions for enterprise licensing and gift/redeem options for subscription gifting. The platform delivers content across mobile apps (iOS, Android), smart TV platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV), and web browsers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Signature: Signature Collection - one of the subscription plan tiers under The Great Courses brand
- Living
- Classics
Products and services
- The Great Courses Plus Subscription Monthly subscription streaming service giving individual learners unlimited, ad-free access to more than 20,000 college-level video lectures across 14 subject categories, accessible via web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV.
- The Great Courses Individual Course Purchases A la carte storefront where customers can purchase and permanently own individual Great Courses titles without an ongoing subscription.
- Group Solutions Group and enterprise licensing program that provides organizations, teams, and educational institutions with access to Great Courses content for their members.
Companies that use The Great Courses Plus
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Great Courses Plus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
The Great Courses Plus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Great Courses Plus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skillshare: Subscription learning marketplace with multi-instructor courses focused on creative and professional skills — overlaps with The Great Courses Plus on subscription mechanics and multi-instructor catalog.
- Coursera: Public online learning platform with Coursera Plus subscription giving access to a broad multi-instructor catalog of college-level courses — directly comparable all-access subscription model and subject breadth.
- MasterClass: Subscription streaming service offering premium, video-based courses taught by celebrity and expert instructors across a multi-subject catalog — the closest direct competitor to The Great Courses Plus in the consumer paid-learning subscription category.
- edX: University-affiliated online course platform offering credit-bearing and audit-level courses across a wide subject catalog — overlaps with the college-level positioning of The Great Courses Plus.
- Udemy: Large multi-instructor course marketplace with extensive subject coverage and à la carte individual course purchasing — matches the à la carte + subscription-plus model of The Great Courses ecosystem.
- Curiosity Stream: Subscription streaming service built around documentary and factual learning content — directly comparable subscription and multi-platform distribution model (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV).
- Brilliant: Subscription STEM and critical-thinking learning service with interactive, professor- and expert-led content — competes for the intellectually curious lifelong-learner segment.
- LinkedIn Learning: Subscription video course library covering business, creative, and technology skills, distributed through LinkedIn Premium — competes with The Great Courses Plus for the same professional-growth and lifelong-learning subscriber.
Emerging players
- Duolingo: Subscription language-learning app with an experimental, gamified format that attracts the same adult self-improver audience — adjacent rather than directly competing on catalog breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Audible: Amazon-owned subscription audio learning service with significant scale in the 'learning for adults' category — a broader incumbent that competes for the same leisure-learning time and wallet share.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Great Courses Plus social profiles
Digital presenceThe Great Courses Plus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Great Courses Plus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The Great Courses Plus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Great Courses Plus 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 The Great Courses Plus
What does The Great Courses Plus do?
The Great Courses Plus is a subscription streaming service providing unlimited, ad-free access to a library of more than 20,000 college-level video lectures covering subjects such as science, history, philosophy, religion, professional growth, and travel. Subscribers pay a recurring monthly fee, with content accessible across web browsers, iOS and Android mobile apps, and major streaming TV platforms (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV), and the company also sells individual courses a la carte through The Great Courses brand storefront.
Is The Great Courses Plus a public or private company?
The Great Courses Plus is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Great Courses Plus founded?
The Great Courses Plus was founded in 1990. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is The Great Courses Plus based?
The Great Courses Plus is headquartered in Chantilly, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Great Courses Plus make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription Streaming Service.
Who are The Great Courses Plus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skillshare, Coursera, MasterClass, edX, Udemy, Curiosity Stream, Brilliant and LinkedIn Learning. Duolingo is listed as an emerging player. Audible is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Great Courses Plus have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Great Courses Plus.
What industry is The Great Courses Plus in?
The Great Courses Plus's product category is Online Educational Video Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACALAL, Learning Content Bundling & Subscription Passes (All-Access Libraries), with a secondary code of MPACALAA, Creator Course Marketplaces (Multi-Instructor Catalogs). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.