3 Mills Studios
3 Mills Studios is a publicly-owned London film, television and theatre production facility offering 9 sound stages, 10 rehearsal rooms, 170+ production offices and heritage location sets on Three Mill Island, serving broadcasters, streamers, feature film producers and theatre companies on a dry-hire rental basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 3 Mills Studios does
3 Mills Studios is a single-location film, television and theatre production facility operated on Three Mill Island in Bromley-by-Bow, East London. The site spans 75,000+ square feet of filming space across 9 dry-hire sound stages (ranging from 3,755 to 13,424 sq ft) and 10 rehearsal rooms (280 to 3,945 sq ft), supplemented by 170+ production offices, a 30,000 sq ft unit base with 170+ vehicle spaces, a 50-seat screening room with Dolby Atmos, make-up and dressing facilities, prop stores, workshops, and distinctive on-site heritage location sets including cobbled streets, period buildings from the 1700s to 1980s, basements, tunnels, and canals. Productions can combine stages into blocks of up to 39,000 sq ft and subscribe to full-time tenancy office packages.
The studio is owned by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), a public sector body responsible for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park area, and is managed on behalf of LLDC by Knight Frank. Following a £6m renovation completed in 2022-2023, funded by the Mayor of London's Getting Building Fund and LLDC's Community Infrastructure Fund, the facility added the Gin Still creative workspace, a refurbished screening room, and an upgraded cafe operated by Jones & Sons. The studio operates on a B2B dry-hire model with revenue streams from stage rental, rehearsal space rental, production office subscriptions, creative office tenancy, and on-site catering.
The customer base includes major broadcasters (BBC, Sky), streaming platforms (Apple TV+, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+), feature film productions (Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs, Danny Boyle's Trance, Steve McQueen's Blitz, Millennium Media's Expendables 4), theatre companies (National Theatre, Matthew Bourne, Stranger Things: The First Shadow), music clients (P!nk BRIT Awards rehearsals) and commercial brands (Zara via LG Studios). Marketing is driven by direct enterprise sales, BAFTA TV Craft Awards sponsorship (9 consecutive years), industry trade show presence, and earned media from productions filmed on-site. The studio achieves a BAFTA albert 'Very Good' sustainability rating and has supported productions generating over £10bn for the UK economy over the past five years.
3 Mills Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 3 Mills Studios
- Legal name
- 3 Mills Studios
- Website
- https://3mills.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 3 Mills Studios is a publicly-owned London film, television and theatre production facility offering 9 sound stages, 10 rehearsal rooms, 170+ production offices and heritage location sets on Three Mill Island, serving broadcasters, streamers, feature film producers and theatre companies on a dry-hire rental basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
3 Mills Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film and Television Production Facilities
- akta.pro primary industry
- Set Construction Shops & Millwork Facilities (MPADAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rehearsal & Pre-Production Studios (Rehearsal Rooms, Backline) (MPAIAHAK)
Keywords
Where 3 Mills Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
3 Mills Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sound Stage Rental: Dry-hire rental of 9 sound stages ranging from 3,755 sq ft to 13,424 sq ft. All stages equipped with 3-phase power, house lights, gas, heating and allocated unit parking bays. Stages can be hired individually or in combined blocks.
- Rehearsal Space Rental: Rental of 10 rehearsal rooms and spaces ranging from 280 sq ft to 3,945 sq ft for theatre, dance, opera companies and productions. Spaces include Stage 1 and Stage 2 with soundproofing, plus 8 dedicated rehearsal rooms.
- Production Office Space: Over 170 production offices ranging from 151 sq ft to 2,700 sq ft, available as flexible spaces suitable for directors' suites to large production offices, green rooms, costume rooms, meeting rooms. Full-time tenancy office packages available.
- Gin Still Creative Office Space: Three floors of modern open-plan office space in renovated heritage building, available for long-term tenants looking for creative workspace. Modern amenities including kitchenettes and accessible bathrooms.
- On-site Catering: Jones & Sons Cafe provides onsite catering including fresh food daily with vegetarian and vegan options, plus bespoke catering packages for productions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Sound stages (9 total) - sizes from 3,755 to 13,424 sq ft |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
3 Mills Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
3 Mills Studios is a film, television, and theatre production facility located on Three Mill Island in East London. The studio rents out nine sound stages, ten rehearsal rooms, production offices, a screening room, and ancillary spaces to film crews, broadcasters, theatre companies, and event organizers.
Product overview
3 Mills Studios is a single-location film, television, and theatre production facility offering 9 dry-hire sound stages, 10 rehearsal spaces, production offices, creative workspace (The Gin Still), a 50-seat screening room, catering, and extensive on-site locations. The core offering consists of the sound stages for filming and rehearsal spaces for theatrical productions, supplemented by ancillary services including production offices, unit base parking, and catering. The facility spans over 75,000 sq. ft. of filming space on Three Mill Island in East London.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sound Stages Nine dedicated sound stages available for hire by film, TV, and commercial production crews needing purpose-built, soundproofed shooting space.
- Rehearsal Rooms Ten rehearsal rooms used by theatre companies, dance troupes, and music productions for blocking, choreography, and pre-production preparation.
- Production Offices Workspace rented to production teams to manage logistics, scheduling, and crew coordination while shoots are based at the studios.
- The Gin Still A bar and creative workspace on site used as a meeting, hospitality, and breakout area for production teams and visiting clients.
- Screening Room A cinema-style room available for productions to review footage, hold test screenings, and conduct client presentations.
- Locations and Exteriors The island site and its exteriors are licensed for filming, offering producers a distinctive East London waterfront backdrop.
- Unit Base and Parking Secure parking and unit base space used by productions to stage vehicles, trailers, and technical units during occupancy of the studios.
- Jones & Sons Cafe An on-site cafe providing food and beverage service to crews, clients, and visitors working at the studios.
Quantifiable outcome
- Productions filmed at 3 Mills have generated over £10bn for the UK economy over the past five years
Companies that use 3 Mills Studios
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
3 Mills Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
3 Mills Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Jones & Sons CafecoreOn-site hospitality partner providing cafe services including fresh food daily with vegetarian and vegan options. Also provides bespoke catering packages for productions. Jones & Sons operates their own restaurant in Dalston and is an established location caterer for film and television productions.
- Gort Scott (Architecture Firm)minorArchitecture firm that renovated the Gin Still building into three floors of modern open-plan office space. Shortlisted for 'Refurbishment Architect of the Year' in the Architect of the Year Awards for their work on the Gin Still project, which was made possible through Government funding.
- BAFTA albertcoreProud partners of the Albert Studio Sustainability Standard. Participated in the Studio Sustainability Standard since its first iteration, working towards improved sustainability scores. Achieved 'Very Good' rating in 2024 with 250%+ improvement from 2022.
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)flagship3 Mills Studios has sponsored the Director: Fiction category at the BAFTA TV Craft Awards for 9 consecutive years. This major industry sponsorship provides significant brand visibility among television production professionals and reinforces positioning as a premium production facility.
- London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC)coreThe studio is owned by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), the organization responsible for planning, developing, and managing the Olympic Park after the 2012 Olympic Games. Ownership transferred to LLDC in 2010. LLDC manages the studio through Knight Frank. The studio falls within the remit of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
- BLAST PremierminorHosted BLAST Premier Spring Series eSports tournament at 3 Mills Studios in early 2020. Three weekends of matches with audience of 150 guests at each event, featuring Counter-Strike championship matches.
- Nicholson GinminorHistorical connection to the site - Nicholson family acquired Three Mills Island in 1872 and operated gin distillery on site. The Gin Still building retains its name as homage to this history. Nicholson Gin provided beverages at 3 Mills Summer Party events.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
3 Mills Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden: Warner Bros.-owned major UK film and television studio in Hertfordshire. Competes for tentpole feature and HETV productions but operates a much larger site with permanent tenant commitments.
Direct peers
- Longcross Studios: Surrey-based film and TV studio complex with multiple stages and extensive backlot. Competes for UK-based feature and HETV productions requiring large stage footprints.
- Pinewood Studios: The UK's flagship film and television studio complex, with the largest concentration of sound stages in the country. Directly comparable as a London-anchored dry-hire and full-service studio serving the same global HETV and feature film clients.
- Shepperton Studios: Major UK film studio with 16+ stages near London, hosting blockbusters and HETV series. Closely comparable business model of stage rental plus production offices and unit base, serving identical client base.
- Elstree Studios: Historic North London film studio complex hosting HETV and feature productions. Direct competitor for London HETV bookings and the prior employer of 3 Mills' incoming Head of Studios, Lucy McCutcheon.
- BBC Studioworks: BBC-owned commercial studio operation offering television studios and post-production facilities. Direct competitor for broadcast and streaming production bookings and another prior employer of 3 Mills' incoming head.
- Sky Studios Elstree: Sky's purpose-built 13-stage HETV studio campus in Borehamwood, opened 2022. Competes directly with 3 Mills for premium streaming commissions anchored in the UK.
- Twickenham Studios: West London film and television studio with sound stages and production support. Direct competitor for London-located drama and feature bookings, and a prior employer of 3 Mills' incoming head of studios.
Regional players
- Bovingdon Airfield Studios: Hertfordshire-based ex-airfield film studio offering large open stages and backlot. Comparable stage rental model serving the same London-anchored production ecosystem but with a different site profile.
Emerging players
- Sunset Studios Waltham Cross / Hudson Pacific: Major US-backed studio operator building new UK film/TV stage capacity near London. Represents incremental competitive supply that could pressure London studio pricing and availability in the medium term.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
3 Mills Studios social profiles
Digital presence3 Mills Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
3 Mills Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
3 Mills Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
3 Mills Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
3 Mills Studios 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 3 Mills Studios
What does 3 Mills Studios do?
3 Mills Studios is a film, television, and theatre production facility located on Three Mill Island in East London. The studio rents out nine sound stages, ten rehearsal rooms, production offices, a screening room, and ancillary spaces to film crews, broadcasters, theatre companies, and event organizers.
Is 3 Mills Studios a public or private company?
3 Mills Studios is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was 3 Mills Studios founded?
3 Mills Studios was founded in 1995. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 3 Mills Studios based?
3 Mills Studios is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 3 Mills Studios make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Sound Stage Rental is the primary driver. The others are rehearsal Space Rental, production Office Space, gin Still Creative Office Space and on-site Catering.
Who are 3 Mills Studios's main competitors?
Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Longcross Studios, Pinewood Studios, Shepperton Studios, Elstree Studios, BBC Studioworks, Sky Studios Elstree and Twickenham Studios. Bovingdon Airfield Studios is listed as a regional player. Sunset Studios Waltham Cross / Hudson Pacific is listed as an emerging player.
Does 3 Mills Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for 3 Mills Studios.
What industry is 3 Mills Studios in?
3 Mills Studios's product category is Film and Television Production Facilities. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAIAE, Set Construction Shops & Millwork Facilities, with a secondary code of MPAIAHAK, Rehearsal & Pre-Production Studios (Rehearsal Rooms, Backline).