Terra Mater Studios
Terra Mater Studios is a Vienna-based premium factual production company and wholly-owned Red Bull subsidiary that produces nature, science, and conservation documentaries for global broadcasters, streaming platforms, theatrical release, and conservation-NGO commissioning partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersVienna, Austria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Terra Mater Studios does
Terra Mater Studios is a Vienna-based premium factual production company founded in 2011 and wholly owned by Red Bull GmbH. It produces nature, science, and history documentaries, feature-length theatrical films, TV series, and short-form digital content distributed globally. The company has built a catalog of more than 300 hours of content and an award record exceeding 500 international prizes and 1,000 nominations, anchored by an Academy Awards shortlist ('The Ivory Game', 2017) and a Sundance Audience Award ('Sea of Shadows', 2019). Its productions are commissioned and distributed by a diversified mix of broadcasters (ServusTV as primary anchor in the DACH region, NDR, PBS, ARTE), streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Curiosity Stream), and conservation organizations (FOUR PAWS).
The company's production infrastructure is built around owned, state-of-the-art post-production facilities in Vienna — including a 14-seat 4K cinema with Dolby Atmos, 7 AVID Media Composers, 2 AVID Symphony Systems, 8K-capable editing pipelines, an AVID Pro Tools post-production audio suite, and specialized field capture (military-rated thermal cameras, 4K high-speed imaging, endoscopes, electron microscopy, and underwater rigs). It operates a dedicated Terra Mater WILD channel on ServusTV, a YouTube presence for short-form nature content, and the German-language Terra Mater Magazine.
Revenue is generated primarily through multi-territory content licensing to broadcasters and streamers, theatrical distribution, commissioned co-productions with public broadcasters (NDR Naturfilm, PBS/WNET, ARTE) and conservation NGOs, dedicated channel revenue, press footage licensing, and corporate project services. The company maintains a wholly-owned German subsidiary (Terra Mater Studios Germany GmbH, established 2022, headquartered in Munich with a Berlin office) focused on factual entertainment formats and scripted/unscripted features for the German market. Sustainability credentials — including Austrian Ecolabel UZ76 certification, Ökobusiness certification, and a self-imposed Green Producing Criteria framework since 2022 — are positioned as a competitive differentiator with European public broadcasters and NGO commissioning partners.
Terra Mater Studios firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Terra Mater Studios
- Legal name
- Terra Mater Studios GmbH
- Website
- https://terramater.at
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Terra Mater Studios is a Vienna-based premium factual production company and wholly-owned Red Bull subsidiary that produces nature, science, and conservation documentaries for global broadcasters, streaming platforms, theatrical release, and conservation-NGO commissioning partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Terra Mater Studios industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Film Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), 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 industries
- International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales) (MPADAJAC), Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD), Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC)
Keywords
Where Terra Mater Studios is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vienna
- HQ country
- Austria
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Terra Mater Studios business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- TV Licensing and Broadcasting: Licensing content to TV broadcasters including ServusTV, NDR Naturfilm, PBS, National Geographic Channels for broadcast in specific territories.
- Streaming Platform Distribution: Content distributed through streaming platforms including Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Curiosity Stream.
- Theatrical Releases: Feature documentaries released theatrically, including 'Sea of Shadows' and 'The Ivory Game'.
- Press Content Licensing: Members of press can license content for Communication Use (non-commercial viewing, copying, sharing) under specific license terms for editorial coverage.
- YouTube and Digital Content: Exclusive short-form videos about nature, conservation and environmental topics distributed via company's YouTube channel.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
Terra Mater Studios product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Terra Mater Studios is a production company that creates premium factual programming — nature documentaries, feature films, TV series, and science/history documentaries — for sale and licensing to TV broadcasters (ServusTV, NDR, PBS), streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Curiosity Stream), and theatrical distributors. The company also offers corporate video production services, press editorial content licensing, a German-language Terra Mater Magazine subscription, and operates the Terra Mater WILD dedicated channel on ServusTV.
Product overview
Terra Mater Studios is a premium factual programming production company specializing in nature documentaries, feature films, TV series, and digital content. The company operates as a unified production house offering productions across multiple formats: blue-chip nature and wildlife documentaries (including award-winning features like Sea of Shadows, The Ivory Game, and Patrick and the Whale), science and history documentaries (Star Chasers of Senegal, Viennese Water), and conservation-focused content. The portfolio spans over 300 hours of content with over 500 international awards. Distribution is achieved through multiple channels: the Terra Mater WILD channel on ServusTV, the company's YouTube channel for short-form content, and the Terra Mater Magazine publication. As a Red Bull subsidiary founded in 2011 and headquartered in Vienna, the company also operates Terra Mater Studios Germany as a subsidiary focused on German market productions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Terra Mater WILD: A dedicated channel available on various platforms in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland featuring nature and wildlife content.
Products and services
- Nature Documentary Productions (Terra Mater Studios Productions portfolio) Core production portfolio of blue-chip nature, science, and history documentary programming spanning primetime TV series, specials, and feature films. Produced for license to broadcasters (ServusTV, NDR, PBS), streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Curiosity Stream), and theatrical distributors worldwide.
- Sea of Shadows 2019 feature documentary thriller (runtime 106 min) following undercover investigators and conservationists working to rescue the vaquita porpoise from extinction in Mexico's Sea of Cortez. Co-produced with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions and Malaika Pictures.
- The Ivory Game 2016 feature undercover documentary (runtime 116 min) exposing the dark world of ivory trafficking and its role in driving elephants toward extinction. Co-produced with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions and Malaika Pictures; distributed on Netflix.
- Patrick and the Whale 2023 feature documentary (runtime 73 min) following diver Patrick Dykstra's quest to reconnect with a sperm whale. Co-produced in association with PBS and The WNET Group, contributing to the creation of the world's first sperm whale reserve in Dominica.
- Hippo King Nature documentary (runtime 52 min) revealing the life story of a hippo king in Zambia's Luangwa Valley. Co-produced with NDR Naturfilm/Doclights, Skyland Productions, and Into Nature Productions, and certified under the Austrian Ecolabel UZ76 for sustainable production.
- KATAVI: Africa's Fallen Paradise Three-part nature documentary series (2025) covering Katavi National Park in Tanzania, Africa. Emmy-nominated in 2026 for Outstanding Nature Documentary at the News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
- DETHRONED Documentary (streaming release March 2026 on Curiosity Stream) exposing big cat exploitation across Peru, South Africa, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia. Co-created with Four Corners Film & Photography and commissioned by FOUR PAWS as an international animal welfare organization.
- Terra Mater WILD Channel Dedicated nature documentary channel available on ServusTV across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Aggregates Terra Mater's wildlife and nature content for branded linear/streaming distribution to German-speaking audiences.
- Corporate Projects B2B service offering customized corporate video production, project submission, and licensing/exploitation of audio-visual content for business clients. Direct route via the corporate-projects page on terramater.at and [email protected].
- Terra Mater Magazine Subscription-based German-language magazine offering in-depth insights into the natural world, available via magazinabo.com. Provides consumers with companion reading on nature, conservation, and environmental topics covered in Terra Mater productions.
- Press Content Licensing Self-serve press licensing service for editorial use of Terra Mater footage and content clips under a 3-month Communication Use license. Members of the press license content for non-commercial editorial coverage. Footage sales handled via [email protected].
Quantifiable outcome
- The Ivory Game helped convince state leaders to impose a nationwide ban on the ivory trade
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Terra Mater Studios
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Terra Mater Studios technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Terra Mater Studios partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship, core, key and supporting.
- FOUR PAWSmajorCommissioning partner for 'DETHRONED' documentary exposing big cat exploitation. FOUR PAWS is an international animal welfare organization that commissioned the documentary for awareness raising on streaming platforms.
- Appian Way Productions (Leonardo DiCaprio)flagshipCo-production partnership for high-profile conservation documentaries including 'The Ivory Game' (2016) and 'Sea of Shadows' (2019). Leonardo DiCaprio's production company provides star power, additional funding, and distribution reach for environmental documentaries with global impact potential.
- NetflixcoreDistribution partner for 'The Ivory Game' documentary. Netflix provides global streaming reach to millions of subscribers worldwide.
- National Geographic Documentary FilmscorePresentation partner for 'Sea of Shadows'. National Geographic's brand recognition and global distribution network amplify documentary reach to environmentally engaged audiences.
- Doclights / NDR NaturfilmmajorCo-production partner for documentaries including 'Hippo King'. NDR Naturfilm is part of Germany's public broadcaster ARD, providing production funding and broadcast access to German-speaking markets.
- The WNET Group / PBSmajorCo-production and broadcast partner for productions including 'Mara: Rebirth', 'Patrick and the Whale'. PBS provides access to US public television audience and educational markets.
- ARTE France / ARTE G.E.I.E.majorCo-production partner for documentaries. Franco-German broadcaster provides European distribution and production funding for high-quality documentary content.
- Skyland ProductionskeyProduction partner for 'Hippo King'. Contributes production expertise and resources to documentary projects.
- Into Nature ProductionskeyProduction partner for 'Hippo King'. Collaborative production arrangement for nature documentary content.
- Malaika PictureskeyCo-production partner for 'Sea of Shadows' and 'The Ivory Game'. Contributes to documentary production with focus on environmental storytelling.
- WildLeakssupportingFeatured in 'The Ivory Game' as a freedom-of-information group working to expose wildlife crime. Collaboration is thematic rather than commercial.
- Four Corners Film & PhotographykeyCo-creator of 'DETHRONED' documentary alongside Terra Mater Studios. Three-year production collaboration investigating commercial breeding and wildlife trafficking of big cats.
- Wildlife Films (Dereck and Beverly Joubert)flagshipProduction partner for 'Mara: Rebirth'. Award-winning wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert bring decades of documentary experience and National Geographic association.
- Tikki Hywood FoundationsupportingFeatured organization in 'Pangolin – Journey to Freedom'. Zimbabwe-based wildlife rehabilitation center providing expertise and access for pangolin conservation documentary.
- Curiosity StreammajorStreaming distribution partner for 'DETHRONED' documentary. Science and nature-focused streaming platform reaches audiences interested in conservation content.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Terra Mater Studios competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Geographic Studios: In-house production arm of National Geographic Partners, producing blue-chip nature documentaries and serving as both a co-producer and competitor for premium wildlife content. Functions as both buyer and producer in Terra Mater's ecosystem.
- Red Bull Media House: Sibling entity under Red Bull GmbH, producing sports, lifestyle, and adventure content across TV, digital, and print. Adjacent rather than direct competitor — shares ownership and brand, but operates in a different genre vertical.
- Warner Bros. Discovery (Discovery Natural History): Owns Discovery Channel and produces major natural history franchises. A broad incumbent in the factual/wildlife distribution space and a potential competitor for both commissions and talent.
Direct peers
- BBC Studios Natural History Unit: BBC Studios' Natural History Unit (Bristol) is the world's pre-eminent nature documentary production operation, producing Planet Earth, Blue Planet, and Dynasties. It is the most direct competitor to Terra Mater in premium nature/wildlife factual programming for global broadcasters and streamers.
- Plimsoll Productions: UK-based independent producer of premium factual and natural history content for Apple TV+, BBC, and Netflix (Tiny World, Night on Earth). Closely comparable on factual/nature focus and blue-chip streamer relationships.
- Doclights / NDR Naturfilm: Production arm of NDR (German public broadcaster ARD) and a current co-production partner of Terra Mater on titles such as Hippo King. Directly comparable in nature documentary production for the German-speaking market.
- Wildstar Films: Independent factual production company specializing in natural history and wildlife programming for BBC, Netflix, and Channel 4. Comparable scale and genre focus, with similar award-circuit positioning.
- Silverback Films: Founded by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey (former NHU heads), Silverback produces Our Planet and similar blue-chip nature series for Netflix. Highly comparable: premium factual, global distribution, wildlife focus, award-driven brand.
Emerging players
- Wildgaze Films: Independent UK factual production company behind several high-profile nature documentaries. Smaller and more selective in output but competes for similar commissions and talent.
- Hauteville Productions: France-based factual production company producing premium nature and wildlife documentaries, including for European public broadcasters. Geographic and stylistic peer in the European premium factual market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Terra Mater Studios social profiles
Digital presenceTerra Mater Studios compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Terra Mater Studios financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Terra Mater Studios leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Terra Mater Studios subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Terra Mater Studios funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Terra Mater 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 Terra Mater Studios
What does Terra Mater Studios do?
Terra Mater Studios is a production company that creates premium factual programming — nature documentaries, feature films, TV series, and science/history documentaries — for sale and licensing to TV broadcasters (ServusTV, NDR, PBS), streaming platforms (Netflix, National Geographic Documentary Films, Curiosity Stream), and theatrical distributors. The company also offers corporate video production services, press editorial content licensing, a German-language Terra Mater Magazine subscription, and operates the Terra Mater WILD dedicated channel on ServusTV.
Is Terra Mater Studios a public or private company?
Terra Mater Studios is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Terra Mater Studios founded?
Terra Mater Studios was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Terra Mater Studios based?
Terra Mater Studios is headquartered in Vienna, Austria, in the Europe region.
How does Terra Mater Studios make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. TV Licensing and Broadcasting is the primary driver. The others are streaming Platform Distribution, theatrical Releases, press Content Licensing and youTube and Digital Content.
Who are Terra Mater Studios's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Geographic Studios, Red Bull Media House and Warner Bros. Discovery (Discovery Natural History). Direct peers are BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Plimsoll Productions, Doclights / NDR Naturfilm, Wildstar Films and Silverback Films. Emerging players are Wildgaze Films and Hauteville Productions.
Does Terra Mater Studios have an API?
No public API is recorded for Terra Mater Studios.
What industry is Terra Mater Studios in?
Terra Mater Studios's product category is Documentary Film Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABANAB, Finished Program Sales & Window Licensing (Domestic/International), with a secondary code of MPADAJAC, International Sales & Licensing (Territory Pre-Sales). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.