What Astley Baker Davies Ltd does

Astley Baker Davies Ltd is a London-based independent animation studio that creates original animated television series for children. The company was founded by Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies and operates with a small team of 1–10 employees. Its production portfolio consists of three core franchises: Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and The Big Knights. The Big Knights, commissioned by the BBC and first broadcast in 1999, was the studio's inaugural television series and originally released on VHS before being remastered in widescreen HD 1080p and reissued on Blu-ray in 2009, with a further sound-restored version made available globally on YouTube in 2021.

The studio's core technology is a vector-based digital animation pipeline. Original artwork is created using vector files that can be scaled to any resolution without quality loss, which enables remastering and reformatting of catalog content for new distribution formats (e.g., VHS to widescreen HD Blu-ray) and serves as a distinguishing technical capability. Distribution spans traditional broadcast partnerships (BBC as primary UK broadcaster), physical media (VHS, Blu-ray), and direct-to-consumer digital channels (an official YouTube channel for The Big Knights).

The business model is project-based content creation and licensing. The studio creates original animated series and licenses them to broadcasters, primarily under commissioning arrangements, generating revenue through licensing royalties rather than standardized pricing. The customer base is concentrated among television broadcasters seeking high-quality children's programming, with BBC as the named anchor relationship and additional international broadcast licensees implied. The company is privately held by its founders with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Astley Baker Davies Ltd

Legal name

Astley Baker Davies Ltd

Website

https://astleybakerdavies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Astley Baker Davies Ltd is a London-based independent animation studio that creates original children's television series, including Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and The Big Knights, licensing them primarily to broadcasters such as the BBC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Animation Production

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids & Preschool Animation Production (MPADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Form Animation (Shorts, Web Series) (MPADACAI), 3D/CGI Animation Production (MPADACAB)

Keywords

• Children's animation production
• Animated television series
• Broadcast content licensing
• Preschool animated content
• Original IP creation

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Television Series Licensing: Creation and licensing of animated television series to broadcasters. The studio creates original content (Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, The Big Knights) which is commissioned and licensed to TV networks like the BBC.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Astley Baker Davies Ltd is a London-based animation studio that creates original children's animated television series, including Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and The Big Knights. The studio produces animated content using vector-based digital animation technology and licenses finished series to television broadcasters such as the BBC, with additional distribution through YouTube and physical media (VHS, Blu-ray).

Product overview

Astley Baker Davies Ltd is a London-based animation studio that creates children's animated content. Their portfolio consists of three core animated series: Peppa Pig, Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, and The Big Knights. The company specializes in producing short animated films for children, with The Big Knights being their first television series commissioned by the BBC in 1999.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Peppa Pig: Animated children's television series created by Astley Baker Davies
• Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom
• The Big Knights

Products and services

• Peppa Pig

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1999BBC commissioned The Big Knights as the studio's first television series in 1999. BBC serves as the primary broadcaster and distribution partner for the series, handling television broadcast distribution in the UK.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Aardman Animations: Aardman is a Bristol-based animation studio famous for Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Morph. It is a direct peer to ABD as a UK-based studio creating globally successful children's animated series for broadcasters.
• Lupus Films: Lupus Films is a London-based animation studio known for The Snowman and the Snowdog and Ethel & Ernest. Comparable to ABD as a small UK studio producing premium animated children's content for BBC and other broadcasters.
• Factory (Create): Factory is a UK-based animation studio producing children's content including Angry Birds and other preschool properties. Comparable to ABD as a small studio creating original animated children's programming for global broadcasters.
• Blue Zoo Animation Studio: Blue Zoo is a London-based animation studio producing children's series such as Q Pootle 5, Go Jetters, and Digby Dragon. Comparable to ABD as a UK children's animation studio serving broadcasters and streaming platforms.
• Karrot Entertainment: Karrot Entertainment is a UK children's entertainment company that produces animated series including Peppa Pig. A direct peer to ABD given shared involvement in Peppa Pig's production pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Tiger Aspect Productions: Tiger Aspect is a larger UK production company (Endemol Shine subsidiary) with a children's animation division. Operates in the same children's content space as ABD but as part of a much broader portfolio spanning drama and entertainment.

Emerging players

• Lion Forge Animation: Lion Forge Animation is an emerging animation studio focused on diverse children's and family content. Comparable to ABD as a newer player in the children's animation space targeting similar audiences.

Regional players

• Mondo TV: Mondo TV is an Italian animation studio and distributor producing children's animated series across European and global markets. Comparable to ABD as a children's animation IP owner/distributor but primarily operating in continental European markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzUUvVcIsHcMaoLbIwuZrKQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astley-baker-davies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Astley Baker Davies Ltd