The Documentary Group
The Documentary Group is a New York-based documentary production company, founded in 2006 by former ABC News producers, that creates premium non-fiction content (features, series, podcasts, short-form) for major U.S. broadcasters and streaming platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Documentary Group does
The Documentary Group is a privately held, New York-based documentary production company founded in 2006 by the core producing team of Peter Jennings at ABC News, including co-founders Richard Robbins and Kayce Freed Jennings, alongside President Tom Yellin. The company produces premium non-fiction content spanning feature documentaries (e.g., Cartel Land, Father Soldier Son, Girl Rising, Mission Possible: The Race for a Vaccine), limited and ongoing television series (e.g., The Deep End, Amend: The Fight for America, The Age of Aerospace, Firing Line with Margaret Hoover), short-form digital content, and podcasts (Svetlana! Svetlana!), with distribution across major U.S. broadcasters and streaming platforms including PBS, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery, ABC News, MSNBC, CNN Films, Freeform, iHeartMedia, and Roku.
The underlying technology is conventional documentary filmmaking — production, editorial, and post-production workflows rather than a proprietary software platform — supported by a staff of 51-100 employees that includes dedicated roles for editorial, production, finance, and facilities management. The company has earned two Academy Award nominations and a portfolio of duPont, Peabody, Emmy, Gabriel, and Polk awards, and has placed projects in competition at Sundance, Tribeca, Telluride, Sheffield DocFest, and BAFTA.
Revenue is generated through project-based production fees and content licensing from commissioning networks and streamers — a professional services model with no disclosed pricing tiers. The company operates as a sales-led B2B business, securing production deals on a project-by-project basis. Customer concentration is concentrated among a small set of major U.S. content buyers, and there are no disclosed institutional investors, parent companies, external funding rounds, or M&A activity in the input data.
The Documentary Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Documentary Group
- Legal name
- The Documentary Group
- Website
- https://thedocumentarygroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Documentary Group is a New York-based documentary production company, founded in 2006 by former ABC News producers, that creates premium non-fiction content (features, series, podcasts, short-form) for major U.S. broadcasters and streaming platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Documentary Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA), Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)
Keywords
Where The Documentary Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Documentary Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Production Deals and Content Licensing: The Documentary Group generates revenue through production fees and deals with networks and streaming platforms. As a production company, they create documentary content under contract with broadcasters and streamers, receiving payment for production services and licensing of content.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels2 records
The Documentary Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Documentary Group is a documentary production company that develops and produces premium non-fiction content — including feature documentaries, limited and ongoing series, documentary specials, short-form content, and podcasts — under contract with major television networks and streaming platforms. The company sells production services and licenses finished content to broadcasters and streamers such as PBS, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery, ABC News, CNN Films, MSNBC, Freeform, iHeartMedia, and Roku.
Product overview
The Documentary Group is a two-time Academy Award-nominated documentary production company founded in 2006 by former ABC News producers. The company produces a diverse portfolio of premium non-fiction content including limited and ongoing documentary series (such as The Deep End, America In Primetime, The Age of Aerospace, Amend, Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, and Invisible Killers), feature documentaries (including Cartel Land, When Lambs Become Lions, Father Soldier Son, Girl Rising, and Mission Possible), short-form documentary content (The Constitution Project, Electionland, The Spiritual Exercises), podcasts (Svetlana! Svetlana!), and digital/streaming content distributed across Netflix, Hulu, PBS, Amazon Prime Video, Discovery, CNN Films, MSNBC, Freeform, and Roku. The company has won numerous awards including duPont, Peabody, Emmy, Gabriel, and Polk awards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Deep End A four-part docu-series exploring the world of one of today's most controversial spiritual teachers and her dedicated followers, filmed over three years with unprecedented access. Distributed in association with Freeform and Hulu.
- Amend: The Fight for America A six-part Netflix series created by Robe Imbriano, executive produced and hosted by Will Smith, telling stories of Americans who fought to enshrine constitutional values.
- Svetlana! Svetlana! A narrative podcast hosted by Dan Kitrosser about Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva, her defection from the Soviet Union, and her complicated life in the West. Distributed via iHeartMedia.
- Cartel Land A feature documentary by Matthew Heineman with unprecedented access to vigilante groups in Mexico and Arizona fighting drug cartels. Official selection at Sundance Film Festival and BAFTA nominee.
- When Lambs Become Lions
Companies that use The Documentary Group
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Documentary Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Documentary Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- iHeartMediamajor
- Hulucore
- Netflixcore
- PBScore
- Rokumajor
- MSNBCcore
- Fusion Media Groupmajor
- The New York Timesmajor
- Discoverycore
- CNN Filmscore
- Discovery Sciencemajor
- Vice Studiosminor
- Boeingcore
- A&E IndieFilmscore
- Freeformmajor
- 10x10minor
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Documentary Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kartemquin Films: Long-standing Chicago-based independent documentary production house (Hoop Dreams, Minding the Gap) producing award-winning non-fiction features for major U.S. distributors. Directly comparable to TDG as an independent, award-focused doc producer serving networks/streamers via project commissions.
- XTR: Independent documentary production and distribution company whose slate spans feature documentaries for major streamers. Comparable to TDG in independent B2B documentary production model and focus on premium feature docs for networks and streaming platforms.
- Sandbox Films: Independent non-fiction production company focused on science- and ideas-driven documentary features and series for major streamers (Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV+). Comparable to TDG in B2B production model, premium feature/series output, and top-streamer buyer base.
- Participant: Independent production company historically focused on impact-driven documentaries (An Inconvenient Truth, American Factory, CITI) distributed through major networks and streamers. Directly comparable to TDG as a feature-doc-driven B2B production company serving premium U.S. distributors with award-grade non-fiction output.
- Actual Films: Independent documentary production company producing premium feature documentaries and series for major networks/streamers, frequently with award nominations. Comparable to TDG in independent B2B operating model, prestige positioning, and reliance on major-streamer commissions.
- Imagine Documentaries: Documentary division of Imagine Entertainment producing premium feature-length documentaries and docuseries for streamers and premium networks. Comparable to TDG in target customers (Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+), prestige-documentary positioning, and project-based commission model.
- Concordia Studio: NY-based independent production company founded by Liz Garbus producing premium long-form documentaries and series for major streamers (e.g., Becoming for Netflix), often in partnership with The New York Times. Directly comparable to TDG in B2B operating model, project-based revenue, New York footprint, premium non-fiction focus, and top-streamer client base.
- Moxie Firecracker Films: Independent documentary production company producing award-winning feature documentaries and series (Fed Up, The Invisible War) distributed across premium networks and streamers. Directly comparable to TDG as an independent producer of long-form non-fiction for major U.S. distributors.
Broad incumbents
- A24: Major independent film and television entity with an established documentary division (Moonlight's producing arm also funds non-fiction). Comparable to TDG as a producer/distributor of premium documentaries for major streamers, but materially larger and more diversified across scripted film/TV — i.e., a broader incumbent rather than a doc-only specialist.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Documentary Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Documentary Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Documentary Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
The Documentary Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Documentary Group 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 Documentary Group
What does The Documentary Group do?
The Documentary Group is a documentary production company that develops and produces premium non-fiction content — including feature documentaries, limited and ongoing series, documentary specials, short-form content, and podcasts — under contract with major television networks and streaming platforms. The company sells production services and licenses finished content to broadcasters and streamers such as PBS, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery, ABC News, CNN Films, MSNBC, Freeform, iHeartMedia, and Roku.
Is The Documentary Group a public or private company?
The Documentary Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Documentary Group founded?
The Documentary Group was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Documentary Group based?
The Documentary Group is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Documentary Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: production Deals and Content Licensing.
Who are The Documentary Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kartemquin Films, XTR, Sandbox Films, Participant, Actual Films, Imagine Documentaries, Concordia Studio and Moxie Firecracker Films. A24 is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Documentary Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Documentary Group.
What industry is The Documentary Group in?
The Documentary Group's product category is Documentary Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAJ, Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries, with a secondary code of MPADADAA, Feature-Length Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.