Doubleband Films

What Doubleband Films does

DoubleBand Films is an award-winning Belfast-based independent television and film production company founded in 1988 by Michael Hewitt and Dermot Lavery. The company specialises in factual programmes and feature-length documentaries with distinctive storytelling, producing across historical documentaries about Northern Ireland (The Band series, Lost Lives, 50 Years of the Troubles), biographical and cultural portraits (Seamus Heaney, My Name is Ottilie, Michael Longley), sports documentaries (Road, Ride or Die, Ciotóg, Carl Frampton: On Probation), and Irish-language feature films (FRÉWAKA, Doineann). The core technology is conventional broadcast-quality production craft rather than proprietary software or platforms. DoublBand has no disclosed patents, proprietary technology stack, or API products.

The business model is a B2B commissioned production house. Revenue is generated primarily through securing documentary commissions from major UK and Irish broadcasters - notably BBC Northern Ireland, Channel 4, RTÉ, and TG4 - who fund productions in exchange for broadcast rights. A secondary revenue stream comes from international streaming licensing to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. The company benefits from ongoing financial support through Northern Ireland Screen funds including the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund. Operations are concentrated in a single Belfast office with 1-10 employees, functioning as a lean founder-led boutique with established director and producer relationships on a project-by-project basis.

Name

Doubleband Films

Legal name

DoubleBand Films

Website

https://doublebandfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DoubleBand Films is a Belfast-based independent television and film production company founded in 1988, producing commissioned documentaries and feature films for UK and Irish broadcasters including BBC Northern Ireland, Channel 4, RTÉ, and TG4, with international licensing through Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

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 industry

True Crime Documentaries (MPADADAN)

Keywords

• Documentary production
• Factual programming
• Television production
• Feature documentaries
• Broadcast commissioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Commissioning: DoubleBand Films generates revenue by producing commissioned documentary and factual programming for major broadcasters including BBC Northern Ireland, Channel 4, RTÉ, and TG4. The company secures production budgets and licensing fees for broadcast rights.
2. International Streaming Distribution: Content produced by DoubleBand Films is distributed internationally through streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

DoubleBand Films is an independent TV production company that develops, produces, and delivers commissioned factual programming and feature-length documentaries for major UK and Irish broadcasters (BBC, Channel 4, RTÉ, TG4), with select productions licensed for international streaming distribution via Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. The company's output spans documentary series, single documentaries, and feature films with a distinctive focus on Northern Irish culture, history, and Ulster-Scots heritage.

Product overview

DoubleBand Films is an award-winning Belfast-based television production company established in 1988, specializing in factual programmes and feature-length documentaries with distinctive storytelling. The company produces content across multiple documentary series and feature films, including historical documentaries (The Band series exploring Ulster-Scots marching band culture, 50 Years of the Troubles, Lost Lives), biographical documentaries (Seamus Heaney and the Music of What Happens, My Name is Ottilie, Michael Longley - Where Poems Come From), sports documentaries (Road, Ride or Die, Ciotóg), and Irish language feature films (FRÉWAKA, Doineann, Aonaracht). Their productions are distributed through major UK and Irish broadcasters including BBC, Channel 4, RTÉ, and TG4, as well as international streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Band - Series 4 Documentary series exploring the stories of people who emigrated from Northern Ireland to America and Canada, united by their passion for marching bands. Produced for BBC Northern Ireland with Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund support.
• Fréwaka Irish language horror feature film produced by DoubleBand Films; world premiered at the Locarno Film Festival.
• Lost Lives Feature documentary inspired by the book of the same name, documenting the deaths of all 3,700 people killed during the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland.
• Road Documentary about motorcycle road racing narrated by Liam Neeson, following two sets of brothers from Northern Ireland who dominated the sport for over thirty years; available on Amazon Prime Video.
• Maradona - Kicking the Habit Channel 4 documentary following Diego Maradona during medical treatment in Havana, Cuba, examining whether he is a national disgrace or an exploited legend.
• Doineann Irish-language feature film produced by DoubleBand Films with world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival.
• 50 Years of the Troubles: A Journey Through Film Documentary by Mark Cousins exploring the changing face of Northern Ireland and its depiction on screen, marking 50 years since sectarian riots; commissioned by Channel 4.
• The Hospital: From the Inside Two-part BBC One Northern Ireland series providing unprecedented insight into the NHS in Northern Ireland through staff and patients at Belfast Trust hospitals.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BBC Northern IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBBC Northern Ireland is the primary commissioning broadcaster for DoubleBand Films, funding and broadcasting numerous productions across BBC One NI, BBC Two, and BBC Four including The Band series, Lost Lives, and many documentary features.
• Channel 4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChannel 4 commissions documentary programming from DoubleBand Films including Britain's Ancient Tracks with Tony Robinson series and various documentary features.
• RTÉcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish national broadcaster RTÉ commissions documentary content from DoubleBand Films including Eoin Mac Néill - Fear Dearmadta 1916, Hunger Strike, and other productions.
• TG4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish language broadcaster TG4 partners with DoubleBand Films on Irish language documentary productions including various co-productions with BBC NI.
• Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational streaming platforms license and distribute DoubleBand Films productions to their global subscriber bases.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tiger Aspect Productions: London-headquartered independent TV producer producing factual, documentary, and drama programming for BBC, Channel 4 and ITV, owned by Endemol Shine/Banijay. Closely comparable as a UK indie producing factual content for the same primary commissioners.
• Blakeway Productions: UK factual and documentary production company producing premium documentaries for BBC, Channel 4 and streamers. Comparable mid-sized factual indie with a similar commissioning footprint.
• Wall to Wall Media: UK factual and documentary producer (part of Warner Bros Television Studios) producing series such as '24 Hours in A&E' and 'Who Do You Think You Are?'. Comparable as a specialist factual TV indie serving the same commissioning clients.
• Darlow Smithson Productions: UK-based independent factual and documentary producer with deep relationships across BBC, Channel 4, and US broadcasters, producing premium documentary features and series. Direct comparable in business model, commissioning relationships, and factual programming focus.
• Windfall Films: London-based factual and specialist documentary production company producing content for BBC, Channel 4, Discovery and Netflix. Directly comparable in size, factual focus, and broadcaster relationships.
• North One Television: London-based factual and entertainment indie producing programming for UK broadcasters and streamers. Comparable as a UK factual indie with similar broadcaster relationships and project-based revenue model.
• Love Productions: Independent UK producer behind 'The Great British Bake Off' and other factual programming, with strong BBC and Channel 4 relationships. Comparable as a UK factual indie with a similar size profile and broadcaster-driven model.
• Seventh Art Productions: UK factual and documentary production company producing premium content for broadcasters and international audiences. Comparable mid-sized factual specialist with a similar BBC/Channel 4 orientation.

Regional players

• Fine Point Films: Northern Ireland-based documentary and factual production company working with BBC NI, RTÉ and TG4 on cultural and historical documentaries. Direct comparable as a fellow Belfast factual indie serving the same regional commissioners.
• Bandit Films: Belfast-based independent production company producing factual, documentary and drama content. Closely comparable as a Northern Ireland indie operating in the same regional commissioning ecosystem (BBC NI, RTÉ, TG4).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/doublebandfilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/130434723698401
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doubleband-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Doubleband Films