Ish Entertainment

What Ish Entertainment does

Ish Entertainment is a full-service, privately held television and film production company founded in 2008 by Michael Hirschorn, the former Executive Vice President of Original Programming at VH1. Headquartered in New York with 11-50 employees, the company develops and produces premium documentaries, unscripted series, and scripted series for distribution to broadcast and streaming networks. Its documentary slate includes Emmy-recognized titles such as 'Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections' (HBO, 2020), 'Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter' (ID/Max, 2024), 'Big Girls Wanted: Escaping Pearadise' (ID/Max, 2026), 'Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee' (Showtime), and the Daytime Emmy-winning 'Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word' (MTV). Unscripted titles include 'This Week at the Comedy Cellar' (Comedy Central), 'Kitchen Expedition' (Food Network), and 'The Approval Matrix' (Sundance TV), while the scripted offering includes 'Money and Violence', co-produced with Lionsgate and TIDAL.

The company's business model centers on B2B content licensing and production fees, with revenue generated by selling or co-producing finished premium content with network buyers. Distribution channels are direct network licensing deals with HBO, Showtime, Max, Netflix, Hulu, Discovery ID, Comedy Central, Lifetime, Starz, MTV, VH1, and Sundance, plus equity co-productions with studios such as Lionsgate and TIDAL, and prestige-focused premieres at festivals including the Toronto International Film Festival and Full Frame. The company does not sell directly to consumers and operates with no disclosed external institutional investors. Marketing leverage is concentrated through founder Michael Hirschorn's public profile as a multi-Emmy award-winning media commentator (The Atlantic, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, MSNBC), award and festival strategy as PR, and earned media coverage of productions. The company is part of a 2008 strategic joint venture with Lionsgate providing financial and distribution infrastructure, and an early first-look arrangement with MTV/VH1/CMT/Logo that has since broadened into a multi-network footprint.

Name

Ish Entertainment

Legal name

Ish Entertainment

Website

https://ish.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ish Entertainment is a New York-based full-service production company founded in 2008 that develops premium documentaries, unscripted series, and scripted content licensed to broadcast and streaming networks including HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Max, Comedy Central, Lionsgate, and Discovery ID.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International) (MPABANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Catalog / Library Distribution & Re-Release (MPADAJAK)

Keywords

• Television production services
• Documentary production
• Unscripted series production
• Content licensing
• Premium non-scripted content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Content Licensing and Production Fees: Ish Entertainment develops and produces documentary and non-scripted series content that is sold or licensed to broadcast and streaming networks. Revenue is generated through production fees, licensing deals, and co-production arrangements with networks such as HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Comedy Central, and others. The company acts as a production partner delivering finished or in-development content to network buyers.
2. Scripted Series Co-Production and Sales: The company co-produces scripted dramatic series with major studios and distributors. Notable example includes 'Money and Violence' produced with Lionsgate and TIDAL, where season two 'broke records' on premiere, indicating revenue sharing, licensing, or co-production revenue from studio partnerships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ish Entertainment is a full-service television production company that develops and produces premium documentaries and non-scripted series, with select scripted projects, and delivers them to broadcast and streaming networks through direct licensing, first-look deals, and studio co-productions. Its productions have been delivered to HBO, Showtime, Max, Discovery ID, Netflix, Hulu, Starz, Comedy Central, Lifetime, VH1, MTV, Sundance, Food Network, and TIDAL, with films premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

Product overview

Ish Entertainment is a full-service television and documentary production company that develops and produces premium content across three main categories: documentaries, unscripted series, and scripted series. Its documentary portfolio includes investigative projects like Kill Chain (election security), Fallen Idols (Nick and Aaron Carter), Big Girls Wanted (social media exploitation), Gringo (John McAfee), and The T Word (transgender youth). The unscripted slate features comedy shows like This Week at the Comedy Cellar, reality series like Kitchen Expedition (Food Network), and talk shows like The Approval Matrix (Sundance). The scripted offering includes Money and Violence produced with Lionsgate/TIDAL. Content is delivered to major networks and platforms including HBO, Showtime, Max, Discovery ID, Netflix, Hulu, Starz, Comedy Central, Lifetime, VH1, MTV, Sundance, Food Network, and Lionsgate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter Four-part docuseries examining the lives, fame, and struggles of Nick and Aaron Carter from their late 1990s/early 2000s peak through recent years, covering sexual assault allegations against Nick and Aaron's mental health and addiction issues; delivered to Discovery ID and Max.
• Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections Documentary investigating security vulnerabilities in U.S. election technology, following Finnish hacker and election security expert Harri Hursti as he examines threats to voting systems; delivered to HBO and nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award in 2021.
• Big Girls Wanted: Escaping Pearadise Docuseries exploring allegations of manipulation, coercion, and exploitation of plus-sized women within a social media community and Vegas-based "Pearadise" kingdom; delivered to Discovery ID and HBO Max.
• Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee Documentary about antivirus software mogul John McAfee, covering his fortified jungle compound in Belize, paramilitaries, and alleged crimes; directed by Nanette Burstein and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
• Future: Like I Never Left Five-part documentary series following rapper Future's life as he prepares for his Dirty Sprite 2 album release, providing behind-the-scenes access to his creative process and personal life.
• Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word Emmy-award winning documentary following seven transgender youths aged 12-24 from New York, New Orleans, and Baltimore, exploring their common obstacles and joys; delivered to MTV and winner of the 2015 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special.
• The Mothership: 2050 Documentary following NASA space architect Constance Adams as she designs a plan to save Earth for her daughters while facing her own terminal diagnosis, exploring climate survival solutions.
• The Deciders: Red Whiteville and Blue Documentary following millionaire political donors from the Patriotic Millionaires as they partner with working-class residents of Whiteville, NC to educate swing-state voters about income inequality.
• This Week at the Comedy Cellar Weekly half-hour news/comedy show featuring top comedians performing at New York's Comedy Cellar club while discussing the week's events; delivered to Comedy Central.
• Kitchen Expedition Hour-long travel/adventure show hosted by Chef Robert Irvine exploring the history behind fascinating foods and exotic ingredients around the world; delivered to Food Network.
• The Approval Matrix Half-hour talk show hosted by Neal Brennan analyzing buzzed-about pop culture topics, inspired by New York Magazine's cultural quadrant system (Highbrow/Lowbrow/Brilliant/Despicable); delivered to Sundance TV.
• Laurieann Gibson: Beyond the Spotlight Docu-series following legendary choreographer and creative director Laurieann Gibson and her team developing and executing performances for major music stars; delivered to Lifetime.
• Money and Violence Immersive scripted series exploring a brutal subculture where drugs, petty larceny, and casual violence drive survival, featuring characters Rafe, Miz, Kane, and Shane; co-produced with Lionsgate and distributed via TIDAL, where season two broke records on premiere.

Quantifiable outcome

• Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America's Elections nominated for News & Documentary Emmy Award (2021)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LionsgatecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Lionsgate formed a joint venture with Ish Entertainment in 2008, providing financial, production and distribution support. Lionsgate supplies capital and distribution infrastructure while Ish Entertainment supplies content development and production expertise. The partnership has produced the 'Money and Violence' scripted series, with Lionsgate handling distribution alongside TIDAL.
• MTV, VH1, CMT, and Logo (Viacom Networks)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008At its founding in 2008, Ish Entertainment signed an exclusive first-look deal with MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo (all Viacom-owned networks). This gave the networks first right of refusal on Ish Entertainment productions, establishing a preferred distribution channel for the company's content in its early years.
• The People PacminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Founded by Michael Hirschorn, The People Pac creates low-cost videos and develops social media distribution strategies for progressive political candidates. This represents a parallel venture rather than a core production partnership, with shared founding leadership.
• GreenlightGominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Founded by Michael Hirschorn, GreenlightGo (www.greenlightgo.tv) is a new platform designed to provide sharing economy solutions for video producers. Represents a related entrepreneurial venture from the founder rather than a core production partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Campfire Studios: New York-based documentary and unscripted production company producing premium non-fiction content for streamers and networks — directly comparable to Ish's business model of producing finished documentary/unscripted content for HBO, Netflix, and similar buyers.
• Bunim/Murray Productions: Pioneer of unscripted/reality TV production with decades of network commissions. Directly comparable to Ish's unscripted/reality heritage (e.g., Flavor of Love era) and continued focus on documentary-adjacent non-fiction for major networks.
• XTR: Documentary-focused production and streaming company that produces and distributes premium non-fiction content. Highly comparable in product (premium documentary) and customer base (streaming and prestige networks), though XTR has its own direct-to-consumer distribution.
• Imagine Entertainment: Premium production company (Ron Howard / Brian Grazer) producing scripted, unscripted, and documentary content for major networks and streamers. Similar founder-led boutique-to-mid-market model producing premium content for enterprise buyers.
• Blumhouse Television: Premium production company producing scripted, documentary, and unscripted content for networks and streamers, with a strong brand built on prestige and genre. Comparable in producing a premium catalog of documentary and scripted content for top-tier buyers.

Broad incumbents

• A+E Studios: In-house production arm of A+E Networks producing documentary and unscripted programming across A&E, History, and Lifetime. Comparable as both a production counterpart (Ish has produced for Lifetime) and as a buyer in the same documentary category.
• Participant Media: Long-running documentary and impact-focused production company producing social-issue films and series for global distribution. Larger scale and broader catalog than Ish, but the same model of producing prestige documentary content for premium buyers.
• Lionsgate Television: Major studio with which Ish has a 2008 joint venture. Lionsgate finances, produces, and distributes scripted and unscripted content globally — representing the broad incumbent / partner tier that Ish sells into or co-produces with.
• Vice Studios: Premium documentary and unscripted production arm operating globally and producing content for networks and streamers. Overlaps with Ish in producing investigative and social-issue documentaries for the same set of buyers.
• Endemol Shine North America: Large global unscripted production company with a deep network of reality and documentary formats. Represents the broad incumbent tier Ish competes against for unscripted commissions and format rights.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ishteevee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ish-entertainment-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Ish Entertainment