What Off the Fence does

Off the Fence (OTF) is a Netherlands-based (Amsterdam) non-fiction content production and IP licensing company founded in 1994, operating as part of World Storytelling Media Group alongside Insight TV. The company originates, acquires, and distributes premium factual programming across History, Natural History, Science, Travel, Adventure, People & Culture, Lifestyle, and Crime, with an Academy Award-winning track record and a content catalogue that spans roughly fifty documentary series and feature films. Its go-to-market is sales-led: OTF pitches directly to global TV broadcasters and streaming platforms at industry showcases such as London Screenings and MIP London, securing licensing, co-production, pre-sale, and acquisition deals with buyers including Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, Red Bull Media House, CCTV, and CICC. Distribution is delivered through direct licensing to streaming and broadcast platforms as well as through the WSMG and Insight TV network across FAST, CTV, digital, and traditional broadcast channels.

OTF operates under a multi-stream revenue model comprising IP licensing and royalties, content investment, third-party content acquisition, content investment returns, customised digital strategy services for FAST and legacy buyers, and subscription-recurring co-production and pre-sale structures. Pricing is quote-based and project-specific rather than publicly disclosed. The company employs 101-250 people, is privately held under WSMG, and runs a sales-led commercial motion targeting producers, buyers, and platform partners. Strategic highlights from the 2025-2026 period include the formal launch of World Storytelling Media Group consolidating OTF and Insight TV, a slate of new factual titles debuted at industry events, and a flagship co-production with CCTV and CICC for the Yellow River Adventure documentary series due in 2026.

Name

Off the Fence

Legal name

Off the Fence

Website

https://offthefence.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Off the Fence is a Netherlands-based, Academy Award-winning documentary production and IP licensing company that creates, acquires, and distributes non-fiction programming to global broadcasters and streaming platforms including Netflix, BBC, National Geographic, and Red Bull.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Fiction Documentary Content Production & Licensing

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Production & Distribution Partnerships (Pre-Sales, Output Deals) (MPABANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Thematic/Genre Broadcasters (Entertainment/Lifestyle/Documentary/Music) (MPABAEAL), Pay-TV / Premium Window Distribution (MPADAJAH)

Keywords

• Non-fiction content production
• Factual programming distribution
• Documentary IP licensing
• Content co-production
• Premium factual content

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. IP Licensing: Licensing of proprietary content libraries and intellectual property to broadcasters, streamers, and digital platforms worldwide.
2. Co-production: Joint production partnerships with other production companies, content creators, and platforms where Off the Fence contributes content development expertise and shares production costs and revenues.
3. Pre-sales: Securing advance sales commitments from broadcasters and streamers before content production completion, providing upfront capital for production.
4. Content Acquisitions: Acquiring third-party content for distribution through Off the Fence's network of platform partners and distribution channels.
5. Content Investment: Investing capital in content development projects with return potential through licensing and distribution deals.
6. Customised Digital Strategies: Providing tailored digital strategy services for clients ranging from legacy broadcasters to FAST streamed services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Off the Fence produces and distributes premium non-fiction content worldwide, generating revenue through IP licensing, co-production partnerships, pre-sales, content acquisitions, content investment, and customised digital strategies. The company delivers world-class documentary series and feature films across History, Natural History, Science, Travel, Adventure, People & Culture, Lifestyle, and Crime genres to broadcasters and streaming platforms including Netflix, BBC, Nat Geo, Red Bull, CCTV, and CICC.

Product overview

Off the Fence is an Academy Award-winning global content distribution company and one of the world's most respected names in non-fiction programming. The company operates as a content platform specializing in IP licensing, co-production, pre-sales, acquisitions, and content investment. Their portfolio includes a diverse catalogue of documentary series and feature films across multiple genres including Nature & Wildlife, History, Crime, Travel & Adventure, Science, People & Culture, Lifestyle, and more. The company distributes content to major partners including Netflix, BBC, Nat Geo, and Red Bull, and operates under World Storytelling Media Group with Insight TV as its sister company. The content library features both proprietary productions and licensed third-party content, with distribution across FAST, CTV, digital, and traditional broadcast platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IP Licensing Licensing of proprietary non-fiction content libraries and intellectual property to broadcasters, streamers, and digital platforms worldwide.
• Co-Production Partnerships Joint production partnerships with other production companies, content creators, and platforms, where Off the Fence contributes content development expertise and shares production costs and revenues.
• Pre-Sales Securing advance sales commitments from broadcasters and streamers before content production completion, providing upfront capital for production.
• Content Acquisitions Acquiring third-party content for distribution through Off the Fence's network of platform partners and distribution channels.
• Content Investment Investing capital in content development projects with return potential through licensing and distribution deals.
• Customised Digital Strategies Tailored digital strategy services for clients ranging from legacy broadcasters to FAST streamed services.
• Off the Fence Content Catalogue Global non-fiction content library featuring documentary series and feature films across nature, wildlife, history, crime, travel, adventure, science, people & culture, and lifestyle genres, available for IP licensing, co-production, pre-sales, acquisitions, and content investment.
• Staged True crime 10-part docu-series exposing extraordinary cases where crime scenes were not what they seemed, blending cinematic reconstructions, raw archive footage, and first-hand accounts. In production, available from June 2026.
• We are Guardians Feature documentary (1x90') about Indigenous forest guardians protecting the Amazon rainforest from illegal logging, directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman, produced by Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens with Leonardo DiCaprio as Executive Producer.
• Crime or Rescue Feature documentary about radical animal activists who conducted an open rescue at Ridglan, a Wisconsin beagle breeding facility, produced by For The Animals (Rebecca Loviconi's Swiss-based production company), with Off the Fence serving as European distributor.
• Wild Battlegrounds Nature and wildlife 8x60' documentary series examining animal combat and territorial conflicts across global hotspots using military analysis to study animal strategies and tactics.
• The Sidecar Guys Travel and adventure 4x60' documentary series following Matt and Reece on a 5,000km Africa Rally journey across six countries to Kenya on a scooter and sidecar.

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.

• For The AnimalsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Swiss-based production company led by Rebecca Loviconi producing feature documentary 'Crime or Rescue'. Off the Fence is serving as European distributor for the project and preparing to pitch it to TV broadcasters and streamers.
• Insight TVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Insight TV and Off the Fence operate under the newly formed World Storytelling Media Group. The collaboration combines Off the Fence's premium factual content development with Insight TV's growing network of channels and platforms, extending reach across FAST, CTV, digital, and traditional broadcast. This is a key strategic partnership that strengthens both companies' positions in the non-fiction content market.
• World Storytelling Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2026Parent company for both Off the Fence and Insight TV. Formed to create a unified content development and distribution powerhouse in the non-fiction programming space. Off the Fence debuted under the WSMG banner with new factual titles at London Screenings 2026.
• CCTVflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChinese state broadcaster involved in co-production of Ash Dykes' Yellow River Adventure series, a three-part documentary set for delivery in 2026. This represents a significant high-profile co-production partnership.
• CICCflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner alongside CCTV for Ash Dykes' Yellow River Adventure series. Three-part documentary exploring the Yellow River in China, set for delivery in 2026.
• NetflixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor streaming platform partner licensing and distributing Off the Fence's non-fiction content to its global subscriber base.
• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBritish public service broadcaster partnered with Off the Fence for content licensing and co-production arrangements for factual programming.
• National GeographiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal media brand partnered with Off the Fence for content distribution and licensing of documentary content.
• Red Bull Media HousemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedia company partnered with Off the Fence for adventure and nature content programming, leveraging Off the Fence's expertise in travel and adventure documentary content.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• All3Media: London-based global factual and unscripted production group spanning production labels across multiple genres. Directly comparable to Off the Fence as a multi-label factual content producer and distributor serving the same broadcasters and streamers.
• ITV Studios: Global content production and distribution arm of ITV, with significant factual, drama and entertainment output. Directly comparable in operating model: produces and licenses premium content to global platforms including BBC, Netflix and others.
• Passion Distribution: UK-based factual content distributor representing premium documentary producers to global broadcasters and streamers. Closely matches Off the Fence's specialist factual distribution model and blue-chip platform buyer relationships.
• Cineflix Media: Montreal-based independent content producer and distributor with a strong factual and non-fiction portfolio across genres including true crime, science and lifestyle. Comparable to Off the Fence as a multi-genre factual specialist selling globally.
• Blue Ant Media: Toronto-headquartered media company producing and distributing factual, nature and lifestyle content across linear, FAST, and streaming channels. Comparable to Off the Fence as a genre-diversified factual specialist with international distribution.
• Abacus Media Rights: London-based factual and documentary distributor representing independent producers to the global TV and streaming market. Closely mirrors Off the Fence's IP licensing and international sales motion.
• Rive Gauche Television: London-based factual and documentary production and distribution company with a global catalogue and established platform buyer relationships. Comparable to Off the Fence as a similarly-sized factual specialist.

Broad incumbents

• Banijay Group: World's largest independent content producer and distributor with a deep factual and non-scripted portfolio (including Zodiak and Endemol Shine labels). Comparable to Off the Fence as a global content powerhouse, though at materially greater scale and breadth across scripted and unscripted.
• Fremantle: Global content production and distribution company with strong factual, entertainment, and drama operations. Comparable to Off the Fence as a premium factual supplier to broadcasters and streamers worldwide, though broader in genre.
• BBC Studios: Commercial production and distribution arm of the BBC with a large factual catalogue (Planet Earth, Blue Planet, etc.). Comparable as a global factual distributor — and notably, BBC is both an Off the Fence customer and a competitor for premium factual commissions.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/offthefence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/off-the-fence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Off the Fence