What Tree Media Group does

Tree Media Group is a privately held, founder-led production company established circa 1998–1999 and headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Operating with a team of 1–10 people under founder-director Leila Conners alongside producers Mathew Schmid and Pauline Wray and cinematographer Harun Mehmedinović, the company positions itself as a "production think tank" producing impact documentaries on environmental, climate, democracy, and social transformation themes. Its catalog spans 30+ titles over 25+ years, including Cannes-premiering features such as The 11th Hour (2007, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio), Ice on Fire (2019, co-produced with Appian Way and licensed to HBO), and Legion 44 (2025, filmed across 12+ countries), plus short-form series including The Great Simplification, Pollinators Under Pressure, Biomimicry, and the TIMEP-co-produced GERD series.

Tree Media monetizes through three primary streams: (i) its proprietary Tree+ streaming platform (formerly N2K), which offers free ad-free viewing alongside subscription membership and pay-per-view transactions across web, iOS, Android, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire; (ii) licensing of documentary content to major broadcasters, exemplified by the HBO Documentary Films partnership for Ice on Fire; and (iii) corporate sponsorship of short-form series and feature documentaries, including Lexus (Driving Fashion Forward), CDI, and BioForce Tech (The Biochar Effect). Distribution is multi-channel: film festival premieres (Cannes, Zürich, Reykjavik, Seattle, SXSW Eco) drive visibility and credibility, broadcast licensing provides reach, and Tree+ provides direct-to-consumer recurring revenue. The customer base is environmentally conscious adult viewers on the D2C side, with episodic enterprise anchors in broadcast and corporate sustainability sponsors.

Name

Tree Media Group

Legal name

Tree Media

Website

https://treemedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tree Media Group is a Santa Monica-based production studio that produces environmental and social impact documentaries and distributes them via its Tree+ streaming platform, broadcast licensing (e.g., HBO), and corporate sponsorships for sustainability-focused audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Documentary Film Production and Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK), Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Impact documentaries
• Documentary streaming
• Environmental filmmaking
• Climate change documentaries

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tree+ Streaming Platform: Tree+ is the company's proprietary streaming platform offering both free ad-free content and paid membership. Feature films and select series are available on a pay-as-you-watch basis. Membership provides early access and unlimited viewing across the platform.
2. Licensing to Broadcasters: Tree Media licenses its documentary content to major broadcasters. Ice on Fire was produced for HBO and presented by HBO Documentary Films.
3. Sponsored Content: Some short film series are sponsored by external brands. For example, 'Driving Fashion Forward' was sponsored by Lexus featuring Amber Valletta.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tree Media Group is a production think tank that creates and distributes impact documentaries focused on environmental, climate, and social transformation themes. Its catalog of 30+ feature documentaries and short film series is distributed through the proprietary Tree+ streaming platform, broadcast licensing (e.g., HBO), and sponsored content partnerships with sustainability-focused brands.

Product overview

Tree Media Group is a production think tank specializing in documentary filmmaking. The company operates a streaming platform called Tree+ (formerly N2K) for distributing its content portfolio, which includes feature-length documentaries (such as Legion 44, The Biochar Effect, Ice on Fire, The 11th Hour), short film series (including The Great Simplification, Pollinators Under Pressure, Biomimicry, GERD), and a children's media initiative called TreeMagination. The Tree+ platform offers both free ad-supported viewing and paid membership options across web and mobile/TV applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tree+: Streaming platform for Tree Media content, formerly known as N2K. Offers feature films, documentaries, and series on environmental and social topics.
• TreeMagination

Products and services

• Tree+ Streaming Platform Proprietary streaming platform (formerly N2K) offering bold documentaries and global voices with real impact. Content available free on web or via mobile/TV apps, with pay-per-view for individual films and membership options.
• Legion 44 2025 feature documentary tracking Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) innovations and visionaries across 15+ countries including Oman, Kenya, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Morocco, US, UK, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Tuvalu, Switzerland, and Iceland. Directed by Leila Conners, narrated by Walton Goggins.
• The Biochar Effect Documentary in post-production delving deeply into the complexities and promise of biochar, an ancient material formed from pyrolysis now made new again. Directed by Mathew Schmid, produced by Leila Conners. Sponsors include CDI, BioForce Tech, Alcom, German Biochar, and RBE.
• Ice on Fire 2019 documentary investigating the methane threat in the arctic and introducing carbon sequestration concepts. Premiered at Cannes, directed by Leila Conners, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, produced for HBO and presented by HBO Documentary Films. Co-produced with Appian Way Productions.
• The Arrow of Time 2017 documentary tracking events leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall through Cold War participants. Premiered at Zürich International Film Festival. Co-produced with E-Moovie.
• Urban Roots 2013 documentary following the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit. Premiered at Reykjavik International Film Festival.
• We the People 2.0 2016 feature documentary featuring Thomas Linzey of CELDF about the growing community rights/democracy movement in the US. Premiered at Seattle International Film Festival.
• The 11th Hour 2007 documentary featuring over 50 people discussing climate change and world sustainability. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, directed by Leila Conners and Nadia Conners. Premiered at Cannes International Film Festival.
• The Great Simplification 2022 seven-part series featuring Nate Hagens exploring energy's impact on the economy and what the great simplification means for humanity.
• GERD (Sharing the Nile) 2021 eight-part series on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dynamics, produced in partnership with The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. Focuses on water access and prevention of potential water conflict.
• Pollinators Under Pressure 2018 three-part series on pollinator plight and actions for survival. Episodes narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Walton Goggins, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
• Green World Rising 2015 series of short films on climate state and solutions, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, presented by Thom Hartmann.
• Driving Fashion Forward 2017 series on sustainability and design sponsored by Lexus, featuring Amber Valletta and highlighting fashion industry innovators.
• Biomimicry 2016 two-part series featuring Janine Benyus on mimicking nature to solve pressing problems. Premiered at SXSW Eco.
• Testimony of the Iroquois 2014 series of eight films recording the testimony of the Iroquois people on upholding traditions and protecting the Earth.
• Video Visions Small town comedy feature film in production about Oscar, a video clerk at the last video rental store in the state. Written and directed by Sergio Rico.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple Cannes International Film Festival premieres
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree Media partnered with TIMEP to produce the GERD documentary series examining the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam dynamics. The partnership follows events in the Middle East as told by stakeholders and leaders from the region, focusing on water access and prevention of potential water conflict.
• Appian Way ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production company for Ice on Fire documentary. Appian Way (Leonardo DiCaprio's production company) served alongside Tree Media and HBO Documentary Films.
• HBOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHBO presented Ice on Fire and serves as broadcast distribution partner. HBO Documentary Films presented the documentary for wide audience distribution.
• Pollinators Under PressureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative short film series on pollinator plight and ecosystem preservation. Three films produced with executive producers including Laura Cox and George DiCaprio.
• Tree ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction entity associated with Video Visions feature film project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kartemquin Films: Nonprofit documentary production house producing impact-driven films on social issues (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters). Operates in adjacent impact-doc category with a similar values-led, independent production approach.
• Participant: Independent media company founded by Jeff Skoll that produces impact-focused film and television content on social and environmental issues, directly overlapping Tree Media's environmental documentary strategy and sponsorship-driven funding model.
• Appian Way Productions: Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, which co-produced Ice on Fire with Tree Media. Operates as a strategic partner producing environmentally-themed, talent-attached feature content for premium distributors like HBO.
• Patagonia Films: Environmental filmmaking arm of Patagonia, producing climate and conservation documentaries (e.g., Blue Heart, Takaya). Direct peer in environmental impact-documentary production with similar advocacy-driven mission.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Studios: Major network documentary division producing premium environmental and climate programming at scale. Overlaps with Tree Media's climate/environmental subject matter while serving a much broader audience and distribution footprint.
• Discovery Channel Documentary Unit: Long-running network producing environmental, nature, and science documentaries. Comparable as a broadcaster of similar subject matter but at substantially larger scale and with mass-market positioning versus Tree Media's premium festival-led approach.
• PBS (WGBH/Frontline): US public broadcaster with established documentary operations covering climate, democracy, and social transformation themes. A potential licensing/distribution counterpart for Tree Media films alongside commercial broadcasters like HBO.
• A24: Independent studio producing and distributing critically acclaimed documentary and narrative film. While broader than Tree Media's environmental focus, A24 represents the type of prestige indie buyer/distributor that Tree Media targets for festival-to-broadcaster pipelines.

Emerging players

• XTR: Documentary-focused streaming service and production company (formerly XTR Channel) that distributes and produces feature-length non-fiction, overlapping with Tree+'s D2C streaming and feature documentary model for niche impact audiences.
• Greenwich Entertainment: Independent distributor specializing in documentary theatrical and digital release (e.g., Hashima Project, Presidential documentaries). Operates downstream of Tree Media's production model and competes for the same indie documentary window.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/treemediagroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ2aQJk5vQpCGZrRFon-0Nw
• Facebookfacebook.com/Tree-Media-Group-286943294577
• Instagraminstagram.com/treemedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Tree Media Group