South Pacific Pictures

What South Pacific Pictures does

South Pacific Pictures (SPP), founded in 1988 and headquartered at 8 Tolich Place, Henderson, Auckland, is New Zealand's largest production company and a subsidiary of the UK-based All3Media group. The company produces scripted drama, comedy, unscripted entertainment, reality, and documentary programming, anchored by long-running franchises such as Shortland Street (33+ years, New Zealand's longest-running drama), Outrageous Fortune, The Brokenwood Mysteries (sold to 150+ countries), and The Traitors NZ (BBC iPlayer's top-rated new entertainment show with 34+ million streams). Its underlying production technology consists of three purpose-built studios with professional 65STC acoustic isolation (700sqm, 500sqm, and 1,092sqm+) alongside 522sqm of production offices with on-site dressing rooms and crew facilities, plus post-production infrastructure.

SPP operates a project-based production business monetized across four revenue streams: (1) broadcast rights licensing to domestic networks (TVNZ, Three/ThreeNow owned by Warner Bros Discovery) and international broadcasters (BBC), (2) international distribution through partner Dynamic Television, (3) production funding from NZ On Air alongside the NZ Screen Production Rebate, and (4) third-party studio hireage. Customer segments are broadcast networks (primary), streaming/VOD platforms, New Zealand government funding bodies, and general viewers as end audiences. Go-to-market is enterprise-style: SPP secures network and platform commissions, layers in public funding, packages rights for international distribution via Dynamic Television, and commissions internationally packaged co-productions (e.g., Ms. X with Plus6Four Entertainment and Dynamic Television for Three/WBD). The company's strategic focus in 2024-2025 has shifted toward unscripted formats and internationally packaged co-productions under its 'More to See' rebrand, while continuing to maintain flagship drama franchises. SPP also holds a joint venture interest in Kura Productions Ltd, established 2004 with Te Ataraiti Waretini, for Māori-language content production.

Name

South Pacific Pictures

Legal name

South Pacific Pictures Limited

Website

https://southpacificpictures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

South Pacific Pictures is New Zealand's largest television and film production company, producing scripted drama, unscripted entertainment, reality, and documentary content for domestic broadcasters (TVNZ, Three) and international platforms, with funding from NZ On Air and global distribution through Dynamic Television and BBC. It operates a wholly-owned production facility complex in Auckland and is a subsidiary of the All3Media group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Film Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC), Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD)

Keywords

• Television production services
• Drama series production
• Reality TV formats
• Studio hireage services
• Film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Production & Broadcast Rights: SPP produces television content and earns revenue through broadcast rights sales to networks including TVNZ, Three, and international broadcasters such as BBC. The company produces drama series, reality shows, and documentaries that air on these platforms.
2. Government Funding & Rebates: Production funding from NZ On Air and eligibility for the Screen Production Rebate enables continuation of productions like Shortland Street. This government support provides crucial funding pathways.
3. International Distribution: Content distributed internationally through partners like Dynamic Television. Productions like The Brokenwood Mysteries are sold to over 150 countries worldwide.
4. Studio Hireage: SPP's purpose-built studios and production office spaces are available for hire to other productions, providing rental revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

South Pacific Pictures produces and finances scripted drama, comedy, reality, and documentary television programming for domestic free-to-air networks, international broadcasters, and streaming platforms, including long-running series such as Shortland Street and award-winning titles like Outrageous Fortune and The Brokenwood Mysteries. The company also operates three purpose-built production studios (Studio 1, Studio 2, and Winston Studio) plus 522sqm of production offices, which are offered for hire to external productions.

Product overview

South Pacific Pictures operates as a multi-format television and film production company offering a diverse portfolio of scripted drama, comedy, unscripted entertainment, and reality programming. The core product portfolio includes long-running drama series (Shortland Street), award-winning crime dramas (Outrageous Fortune, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Far North), reality formats (The Traitors NZ, Snack Masters NZ), and comedy series (Educators, The Almighty Johnsons, Step Dave). The company also offers physical production infrastructure through SPP Studios, providing three sound stages and production office spaces for external productions. Productions span drama, documentary, and entertainment genres, distributed across New Zealand and internationally to over 200 territories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shortland Street New Zealand's longest-running drama serial, a fast-paced hospital-based serial drama exploring medical crisis, human drama, comedy, romance, and suspense, distributed to TVNZ and broadcast on TVNZ 2.
• Outrageous Fortune Six-season crime-laced comedy drama series following the West family of career criminals attempting to go straight, produced between 2005 and 2010 and winning over 50 awards.
• Westside Prequel to Outrageous Fortune, following legendary safe cracker Ted West and his family across three decades from the 1970s through the 1990s.
• The Brokenwood Mysteries Murder mystery series set in the fictional small town of Brokenwood, featuring Detective Mike Shepherd and his team, with each standalone two-hour episode solving a separate case, distributed internationally to over 150 countries.
• The Traitors NZ Murder mystery reality game show where players must identify hidden traitors among the faithful to win a cash prize, with Season 3 in production in 2025 and the format streamed on BBC iPlayer internationally.
• Far North True crime drama based on how an Ahipara couple foiled an international crime ring's half-billion dollar meth deal, aired on Three/ThreeNow and recognized with New York Festivals awards.
• Educators Unscripted comedy series about the dysfunctional staff of a suburban New Zealand high school, recognized with awards including Best Comedy at the NZ Television Awards.
• Snack Masters NZ Cooking challenge format where well-known New Zealand chefs replicate iconic Kiwi snacks, airing domestically and forming part of SPP's expanding unscripted slate.
• The Almighty Johnsons Fantasy comedy drama about four brothers who discover they are reincarnated Norse Gods with inherited superpowers, recognized with the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
• Step Dave Comedy drama about a 24-year-old slacker whose life is upended when he falls for an older woman with three children.
• Ms. X Crime dramedy series starring Melissa George, commissioned for Three/ThreeNow (Warner Bros Discovery) in 2025 and co-produced with Plus6Four Entertainment and Dynamic Television for international distribution.
• Settling Romantic comedy series commissioned for Three with NZ On Air funding in 2025, written by Pax Assadi and Hannah Marshall, creators of Raised by Refugees.
• Live & Let Dai Documentary production recognized with a Gold Tower at the 2026 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards in the Documentary – Biography / Profiles category.
• SPP Studios (Studio Hireage) Commercial studio hireage service offering three purpose-built production facilities - Studio 1 (700sqm, 65STC sound-proofed), Studio 2 (500sqm, 65STC sound-proofed), and Winston Studio (1,092sqm+ blackout) - along with 522sqm of production offices, dressing rooms, and crew facilities for external film and television productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions have won 160+ industry awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kura Productions LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Joint venture between Te Ataraiti Waretini and SPP, established in 2004 with support from SPP. Creates and celebrates Māori content for television, film and digital spaces. Ataraiti manages Kura and determines its scope and direction, while SPP contributes development funding, financial and legal advice, and training. Both partners are working towards Ataraiti eventually becoming the majority owner.
• NZ On AircoreOthersGovernment funding body that provides crucial production funding for SPP productions including Shortland Street, The Traitors NZ, Ms. X, Far North, and Settling. Their funding support enables continuation of New Zealand's longest-running drama.
• TVNZcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary broadcaster of SPP productions including Shortland Street and The Brokenwood Mysteries. Key pillar of TVNZ 2 slate. Long-standing partnership for broadcast of drama content.
• Three (Warner Bros Discovery)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFree-to-air network Three and its BVOD service ThreeNow commissioned productions including The Traitors NZ, Far North, Ms. X, and Settling.
• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational broadcaster streaming The Traitors NZ on BBC iPlayer. The Traitors NZ made available alongside The Traitors US and Australia on BBC platform.
• Dynamic TelevisioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-producer and worldwide distributor for productions like Ms. X. Handles international distribution of SPP content.
• Plus6Four EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer with SPP on productions including Ms. X. Local production partner for crime dramedy content.
• AMCminorOthersProduction partner listed on company website partnerships section.
• CBSminorOthersProduction partner listed on company website partnerships section.
• ParamountminorOthersProduction partner listed on company website partnerships section.
• ShaftesburyminorOthersProduction partner listed on company website partnerships section.
• NZ Film CommissionminorOthersGovernment production partner listed on company website.
• Te Mangai PahominorOthersMāori broadcasting funding body, production partner listed on company website.
• Warner Bros DiscoveryminorOthersProduction partner and broadcaster (Three network owner) listed on company website.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CJZ: Australian production company producing reality, entertainment, and factual formats (MasterChef Australia, The Amazing Race AU). Comparable in the unscripted format space SPP has expanded into via The Traitors NZ.
• Hoodlum Entertainment: Australian production company producing scripted drama and factual content for global streamers and Australian broadcasters. Comparable regional peer operating across drama and factual production.
• Screentime: Banijay-owned ANZ production company producing drama, reality, and factual programming. Directly competes with SPP for broadcaster commissions and shared All3Media/Banijay ecosystem overlap.
• Great Southern Television: Australian and New Zealand television production company producing entertainment, reality, and drama formats. Comparable as a similarly-sized ANZ production house competing for the same broadcasters and talent pool.
• Matchbox Pictures: Australian scripted drama specialist (e.g. Stateless, The Newsreader) producing premium drama for ANZ and global streamers. Directly comparable as a regional drama-focused production house serving similar broadcasters.

Broad incumbents

• Fremantle: Global production and distribution giant producing formats like Idol, Got Talent, and drama worldwide. A broad incumbent competitor operating in the same production and international distribution space as SPP, but at far greater scale.
• BBC Studios: Production and distribution arm of the BBC, co-producer and broadcaster of SPP's The Traitors NZ on BBC iPlayer. Comparable as a broad incumbent that both commissions content from and competes with regional producers.
• ITV Studios: International production and distribution arm of ITV producing drama, entertainment, and formats globally. Comparable as a broad incumbent with both production and global distribution capabilities that overlap with SPP's value chain.
• Endemol Shine Australia: Banijay-owned Australian production operation producing drama, reality, and entertainment formats. Broad incumbent competitor with overlapping capabilities in the ANZ production market.
• Warner Bros Television Studios: Global scripted and unscripted production studio within Warner Bros Discovery, owner of Three and co-producer of Ms. X with SPP. Broad incumbent partner and customer that produces comparable content at global scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/southpacificpix
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJAMNgEmwhs_UYWKJW9qYog
• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthPacificPictures
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-pacific-pictures/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/southpacificpix/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 South Pacific Pictures