Quite Interesting Limited
Quite Interesting Limited is a UK-founded multimedia entertainment company producing factual-comedy content — BBC TV panel show QI, Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity, podcasts, books, and walking tours — serving curious general audiences through the BBC and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Quite Interesting Limited does
Quite Interesting Limited is a privately-held, UK-based multimedia entertainment and education company founded in 2000 by John Lloyd CBE on the principle that "everything is interesting, if looked at in the right way." The company produces factual-comedy content across television (the long-running BBC Two panel show QI), radio (The Museum of Curiosity on BBC Radio 4), podcasts (No Such Thing As A Fish with 500M+ downloads; Lunchbox Envy), books (24+ titles in the QI Factbook and General Ignorance series), audio walking tours (Stephen Fry's Quite Interesting Tours on VoiceMap), live events, and merchandise, with its portfolio built around a team of specialist researchers branded as the "QI Elves."
The company operates two legal entities — Quite Interesting Ltd (company number 3867016, the editorial/IP parent) and the wholly-owned QITV Ltd (company number 9054353, the format-development production subsidiary) — both registered at the same London address. Revenue is generated through a mix of BBC licence fees for flagship programming and new QITV formats, book royalties and direct sales through the QI Shop, podcast ancillary revenue (live shows, merchandise), and per-transaction fees from VoiceMap walking tours. Distribution is multi-channel: BBC broadcast and on-demand platforms (iPlayer, Sounds) for UK audiences; global podcast platforms and YouTube for worldwide reach; the QI Shop and third-party retailers for physical products.
QITV, the production subsidiary, has been the principal growth vector, developing new unscripted TV and radio formats for the BBC — including The Tournament on BBC One (presented by Alex Scott) and Radio 4 pilots Your Number's Up and Bookmarks — extending QITV's commissioning footprint beyond the BBC Two / Radio 4 base of the flagship brand. The company remains founder-controlled under John Lloyd CBE, has taken no external institutional funding, and operates with a lean core team supplemented by an embedded research/writer group.
Quite Interesting Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Quite Interesting Limited
- Legal name
- Quite Interesting Ltd
- Website
- https://qi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Quite Interesting Limited is a UK-founded multimedia entertainment company producing factual-comedy content — BBC TV panel show QI, Radio 4's The Museum of Curiosity, podcasts, books, and walking tours — serving curious general audiences through the BBC and direct-to-consumer channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Quite Interesting Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Comedy Entertainment Media
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB), Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)
Keywords
Where Quite Interesting Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Quite Interesting Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Television Production & Broadcasting: QI produces television content (BBC comedy panel show QI, The Tournament) distributed through BBC channels including BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
- Radio Programming: Radio shows including The Museum of Curiosity broadcast on BBC Radio 4 with episodes available on BBC Sounds.
- Books & Publications: Over two dozen fact books published including the QI Factbook series, General Ignorance series, and The Book(s) of the Year series. Sold through the QI Shop and major retailers.
- Podcast: No Such Thing As A Fish: Hit weekly comedy podcast with over half a billion downloads globally. Generates revenue through merchandise, live shows, and affiliate content.
- Walking Tours (VoiceMap): Stephen Fry's Quite Interesting Tours - audio walking tours of London narrated by Stephen Fry, available through VoiceMap app.
- Merchandise & Live Shows: Apparel, merchandise, No Such Thing As A Fish books and live show tickets sold through the QI Shop and No Such Thing As A Fish merchandise store.
- Podcast: Lunchbox Envy: Food and drink podcast co-hosted by QI Elves with chef Rosie MacKean, released weekly on Mondays.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels9 records
Quite Interesting Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Quite Interesting Limited (QI) produces and distributes a portfolio of comedy-factual entertainment content including the flagship BBC television panel show QI, the BBC Radio 4 series The Museum of Curiosity, the weekly podcast No Such Thing As A Fish (over 500 million downloads), the Lunchbox Envy food podcast, audio walking tours via VoiceMap, and over two dozen published fact books, supported by merchandise sales through the QI Shop.
Product overview
Quite Interesting Limited (QI) is a UK-based multimedia entertainment and education company founded in 2000 on the principle of curiosity. The company operates a portfolio of interconnected content brands across television, radio, podcasts, books, audio tours, and live events. At its core is the award-winning BBC comedy panel show QI, which has aired for over two decades and uses an alphabetical series structure combining comedy with facts. Supporting the flagship show are several distinct products: The Museum of Curiosity (BBC Radio 4), a sister radio programme in which experts donate fascinating ideas to an imaginary museum; No Such Thing As A Fish, a weekly comedy podcast with over half a billion downloads; and Lunchbox Envy, a food and drink podcast co-hosted with chef Rosie MacKean. QI also publishes over two dozen fact books, including the General Ignorance series and the 1,000+ Facts series, and produces audio walking tours narrated by Stephen Fry through VoiceMap. Its production arm, QITV, develops additional unscripted TV and radio formats such as Your Number's Up and Bookmarks for BBC Radio 4. Merchandise and live QI events round out the commercial portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- No Such Thing As A Fish: Hit fact-filled weekly comedy podcast featuring QI Elves James, Andrew, Anna and Dan, with over half a billion downloads worldwide.
- QITV
- QI Factbooks
- Lunchbox Envy
- The Museum of Curiosity
- Stephen Fry's Quite Interesting Tours
Products and services
- QI (Quite Interesting) An award-winning BBC comedy panel quiz show combining comedy with facts, featuring impossible questions and points for being interesting. Each series is based around a different letter of the alphabet. Hosted by Stephen Fry for Series A-M and Sandi Toksvig for the second half of the alphabet. Targets general audiences seeking entertainment that is also educational.
- The Museum of Curiosity A BBC Radio 4 sister show in which the world's most interesting and unusual experts make donations to a vast, imaginary museum. Hosted by QI founder John Lloyd as Professor of Ignorance. Targets general radio audiences interested in facts and expert insights.
- No Such Thing As A Fish A hit fact-filled weekly comedy podcast featuring QI Elves James Harkin, Andrew Hunter Murray, Anna Ptaszynski and Dan Schreiber, discussing the weirdest and funniest facts found each week. Has accumulated over half a billion downloads worldwide. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, and BBC Sounds.
- Lunchbox Envy A QI food and drink podcast co-hosted by QI Elves Manu Henriot and Jack Chambers with chef Rosie MacKean, unpacking the world of food and drink one lunchbox at a time. New episodes released every Monday on major podcast platforms.
- Stephen Fry's Quite Interesting Tours Audio walking tours narrated by Stephen Fry, developed by QI's team and available via VoiceMap. Tours cover London locations including Westminster and the City and Bankside. Targeted at tourists and curious visitors to London.
- Your Number's Up A BBC Radio 4 quiz show hosted by Max Fosh, created by QI's production wing QITV, in which two teams of players are put through number-crunching paces with brain-teasers and calculation conundrums.
- Bookmarks A BBC Radio 4 literary quiz show hosted by Clare Balding, created by QI's production wing QITV, bringing book lovers together to compete in a literary challenge.
- QI Factbooks A series of over two dozen published books filled with fascinating facts, including the QI Book of General Ignorance series, the 1,000+ Facts series (1,227 to 2,024 facts per volume), and The Book(s) of the Year series. Sold through the QI Shop and major retailers including Amazon and bookstores globally.
- No Such Thing As A Fish Books and Merchandise Books, apparel, retro-chic audio formats, and guides for No Such Thing As A Fish fans, plus tickets to live shows, sold through the QI merch store (themerchstore.co). Targets podcast fans and QI brand enthusiasts.
- A Load of Old Balls A QI fact book about the history of sport by James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski, bringing the QI angle of unusual facts to sporting history. New paperback edition published in June 2024.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 500 million podcast downloads globally for No Such Thing As A Fish
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Quite Interesting Limited
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Quite Interesting Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Quite Interesting Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BBCcoreBBC is QI's primary broadcast partner, airing QI on BBC Two, The Museum of Curiosity on BBC Radio 4, and hosting content on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. QITV produces The Tournament and other formats for BBC.
- Lost In TVminorExternal ticketing partner for studio audience applications for QI live recordings.
- Stephen FrycoreStephen Fry was the original host of QI (Series A to M, 2003-2022) and narrates the VoiceMap walking tours. He is closely associated with the QI brand as its most iconic presenter.
- Sandi ToksvigcoreSandi Toksvig took over as QI host for Series N onwards (second half of the alphabet), continuing the show's legacy.
- Alan DaviescoreAlan Davies is the regular panellist on QI (described as 'panellist supremo'), appearing in every series since the show began in 2003.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Quite Interesting Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hat Trick Productions: Independent UK television production company best known for panel comedy shows such as Have I Got News For You and Outnumbered. Closely comparable to QI/QITV in producing long-running BBC panel and comedy formats with associated merchandise, live shows, and spin-off IP.
- Baby Cow Productions: UK independent founded by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal producing comedy and factual content for BBC and others (e.g., This Time with Alan Partridge, Mum). Comparable to QI as a talent-led indie developing comedy panel and unscripted formats with associated IP and merchandise.
- Tiger Aspect Productions: UK-based indie producer behind factual and entertainment formats including Mr Bean and Robin Hood. Comparable to QI/QITV as a BBC-supplying independent with a portfolio approach to long-running character-led and factual properties.
- Open Mike Productions: UK indie behind 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit. Directly comparable to QITV as a BBC panel/quiz comedy producer with adjacent live tours and merchandise revenue streams.
- Audioboom Group: UK-listed podcast hosting and distribution platform that publishes and monetizes third-party podcasts. Comparable to QI on the podcast publishing side: hosts/publishes multiple shows, sells advertising and premium content, and operates as a commercial podcast network.
Broad incumbents
- ITV Studios: Production and distribution arm of ITV, producing entertainment, drama, and factual formats for global buyers. Comparable to QI/QITV as an entertainment producer/distributor, but with a far larger portfolio and direct broadcaster ownership advantages.
- BBC Studios: Commercial arm of the BBC, producing, financing, and globally distributing BBC-branded content. Functions as both QI's primary broadcast/distribution partner and a broad incumbent operating across every category QI plays in (TV, radio, podcasts, books, merchandise).
- All3Media: UK-headquartered global indie production group producing factual, entertainment, and comedy programming (e.g., Gogglebox, The Circle). Directly comparable to QITV as a portfolio production house supplying multiple UK and international broadcasters with entertainment formats.
- Endemol Shine Group: Global entertainment production group behind MasterChef, Big Brother, and Peaky Blinders. Comparable to QI/QITV as a large-scale indie producing unscripted formats internationally, but with vastly broader portfolio and global distribution reach.
Emerging players
- Wondery: Podcast-first publisher (now part of Amazon) producing and licensing high-profile narrative and factual podcasts. Comparable to QI's No Such Thing As A Fish franchise as a premium podcast publisher monetizing through advertising, premium subscriptions, and IP adaptation (books, TV).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Quite Interesting Limited social profiles
Digital presenceQuite Interesting Limited compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Quite Interesting Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Quite Interesting Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Quite Interesting Limited subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Quite Interesting Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Quite Interesting Limited 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 Quite Interesting Limited
What does Quite Interesting Limited do?
Quite Interesting Limited (QI) produces and distributes a portfolio of comedy-factual entertainment content including the flagship BBC television panel show QI, the BBC Radio 4 series The Museum of Curiosity, the weekly podcast No Such Thing As A Fish (over 500 million downloads), the Lunchbox Envy food podcast, audio walking tours via VoiceMap, and over two dozen published fact books, supported by merchandise sales through the QI Shop.
Is Quite Interesting Limited a public or private company?
Quite Interesting Limited is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Quite Interesting Limited founded?
Quite Interesting Limited was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Quite Interesting Limited based?
Quite Interesting Limited is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Quite Interesting Limited make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Television Production & Broadcasting is the primary driver. The others are radio Programming, books & Publications, podcast: No Such Thing As A Fish, walking Tours (VoiceMap), merchandise & Live Shows and podcast: Lunchbox Envy.
Who are Quite Interesting Limited's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hat Trick Productions, Baby Cow Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions, Open Mike Productions and Audioboom Group. Broad incumbents are ITV Studios, BBC Studios, All3Media and Endemol Shine Group. Wondery is listed as an emerging player.
Does Quite Interesting Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for Quite Interesting Limited.
What industry is Quite Interesting Limited in?
Quite Interesting Limited's product category is Comedy Entertainment Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAIAE, Audio Production & Podcasting, with a secondary code of MPACADAB, Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers. Its NAICS code is 516.