Dragonfly Film and Television

What Dragonfly Film and Television does

Dragonfly Film and Television is a UK-based factual television production company founded in 2004, headquartered in London with regional offices in Manchester (Dragonfly North) and Glasgow. The company develops and produces premium documentary series, factual dramas, and reality formats for a roster of major UK and international commissioners, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky Documentaries, Discovery+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and CNN. Long-running flagship franchises include Ambulance (12+ series for BBC One), One Born Every Minute (11 series for Channel 4, with an E4 generation launching in 2026), and Surgeons: At the Edge of Life (5 series for BBC Two), alongside single documentaries such as Forced Out (Sky), Then Barbara Met Alan (BBC/Netflix), and the Eva Longoria "Searching For" franchise on CNN. The company's core operating technology centers on fixed-rig filming in medical, emergency-services, and observational settings, combined with remote gallery production and innovative social-media integration in narrative storytelling. Since 2020, Dragonfly has operated as a subsidiary of Banijay, the world's largest group of independent production companies, relying on Banijay Rights for international distribution and co-financing support.

The company's revenue model is B2B and commission-based: production fees and licensing income are negotiated per commission with broadcasters and streaming platforms, with no consumer-facing products and no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with development teams pitching original formats directly to commissioning editors at the major UK broadcasters and global streamers, supported by an extensive track record of BAFTA wins (One Born Every Minute, The Family, Ambulance), Broadcast magazine "Best Place to Work" recognition (2019, 2021, 2022), and a multi-decade output library that functions as a re-pitching asset. Co-production partnerships - with Cancer Research UK (Cancer Detectives), Hyphenate Media Group (Eva Longoria series), The Natural Studios/Bear Grylls (Bear's Mission), Motion Content Group (Teen Mum Academy), and One Shoe Films (Then Barbara Met Alan) - are used to expand output and share cost without proportionate fixed-cost growth.

Dragonfly's leadership team comprises Ros Ponder (Co-Creative Director), Will Yearsley (Head of Development), Alison Seymour (Director of Production and Operations), Tom Calvert (Director of Legal & Business Affairs), and, until May 2025, Richard Bond as Managing Director. Mr. Bond's elevation into a newly created Banijay UK group role to lead factual drama, alongside Will Rowson's appointment as Creative Director of Dragonfly North in September 2023, signals a deeper integration of Dragonfly's leadership into Banijay UK's broader factual portfolio. The company maintains a documented commitment to diversity and inclusion through partnerships with Creative Access, Mama Youth Project, the Grierson Trust, BBC Elevate, and BAFTA Albert, alongside We Are Doc Women's 50:50 pledge.

Name

Dragonfly Film and Television

Legal name

Dragonfly Film and Television

Website

https://dragonfly.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dragonfly Film and Television is a UK factual television production company (founded 2004) producing premium documentary, factual drama, and reality series for major broadcasters and streaming platforms including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Discovery+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and CNN; since 2020 it has operated as a subsidiary of Banijay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)

Keywords

• Factual television production
• Documentary series commissioning
• Fixed-rig documentary filming
• Premium factual programming
• Broadcast production services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Commissioning: Dragonfly produces original documentary and factual programming commissioned by major UK broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, and others. Revenue comes from production fees and licensing of completed content to broadcasters.
2. Streaming Platform Licensing: Content licensed to streaming platforms including Netflix, Discovery+, Amazon Prime Video, and CNN for global distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Dragonfly Film and Television is a UK-based factual television production company that develops and produces premium documentary series, factual dramas, and reality programming for major UK broadcasters and global streaming platforms. The company is best known for fixed-rig medical and blue-light documentary formats such as Ambulance, One Born Every Minute, and Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life, alongside true-crime, social-issue, arts and adventure programming. Programming is funded through commissions from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Discovery+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and CNN, with international distribution handled through its parent group Banijay Rights.

Product overview

Dragonfly Film and Television is an award-winning UK production company producing premium factual programming. The company's portfolio consists primarily of documentary series and factual dramas across multiple genres including medical documentaries (Ambulance, One Born Every Minute, Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life, The Face Doctors), true crime (Anni: The Honeymoon Murder, What Makes A Murderer), social issue documentaries (Forced Out, Leigh-Anne: Race Pop & Power, Then Barbara Met Alan), and reality/entertainment (Date My Mate, Teen Mum Academy, Bear's Mission). Since 2020, Dragonfly has been part of Banijay, the world's largest group of independent production companies. The company operates from London, Manchester, and Scotland offices and produces content for major UK broadcasters including BBC, ITV, Channel 4, as well as streaming platforms Discovery+, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and CNN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dragonfly North: Manchester-based production office specializing in BBC1 documentary series

Products and services

• Ambulance Long-running blue-light documentary series following UK ambulance services from control rooms to frontline crews, covering London Ambulance Service, North West Ambulance Service and North East Ambulance Service. Commissioned by BBC One.
• One Born Every Minute BAFTA-award-winning medical documentary series chronicling births at UK maternity units, originally on Channel 4 and now expanding to E4. Across 11 series Dragonfly has filmed 300 babies.
• Surgeons: At The Edge Of Life Documentary series featuring world-leading surgeons at Royal Papworth and Addenbrooke's hospitals performing pioneering operations, commissioned for BBC Two.
• Forced Out Sky Original documentary telling the story of LGBTQ+ service people discharged from the UK Armed Forces under the 'gay ban' who fought to overturn it. Won Broadcast Digital Awards 2024 and was nominated for BAFTA 2024.
• Then Barbara Met Alan Factual drama single (1x70 minutes) telling the civil rights story of disabled cabaret performers Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth whose campaign led to the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. Co-produced with One Shoe Films for BBC Two and Netflix.
• Anni: The Honeymoon Murder Four-part true-crime docuseries for Discovery+ examining the 2010 honeymoon murder of Anni Dewani in South Africa.
• Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain Travel and food documentary series following Eva Longoria on a gastronomic pilgrimage across Spanish regions. Co-produced with Hyphenate Media Group for CNN and also available on BBC iPlayer.
• The Face Doctors Eight-part medical documentary series following patients undergoing life-changing facial surgery at Addenbrooke's hospital, covering reconstructive surgery, prosthetics and cutting-edge treatment. Aired on Discovery+ and Really.
• Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures Landmark documentary series following three trailblazing scientists working on cancer research, commissioned by Channel 4 in partnership with Cancer Research UK.
• Leigh-Anne: Race, Pop & Power Documentary following Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock exploring racism and colourism in the music industry and confronting her own experiences. Commissioned by BBC Three.
• Moulin Rouge: Yes We Can-Can! Six-part BBC Two arts documentary following the audition process and behind-the-scenes workings of the Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris, led by artistic director Janet Pharaoh.
• Kaleb Down Under Four-episode farming series following Clarkson's Farm star Kaleb Cooper as he experiences large-scale agriculture in Australia. Commissioned by Amazon Prime Video.
• Escaping Idi Amin Two-hour historical documentary for BBC Two and iPlayer telling the story of Idi Amin's 1972 expulsion of Asians from Uganda.
• Patrick Kielty: One Hundred Years of Union BBC One authored documentary presented by Patrick Kielty exploring Northern Ireland's future on its centenary. Won RTS Northern Ireland award for Outstanding On-Screen Talent.
• Life and Birth Six-part BBC One series following parents and staff at Birmingham maternity hospitals, narrated by Suranne Jones. Winner of a Royal Television Society award.
• Paramedics: Britain's Lifesavers Three-part Channel 4 documentary with exclusive access to West Midlands Ambulance Service during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Bradford On Duty Five-part documentary produced by Dragonfly North following Bradford's district nurses, police officers and council workers, offering access to frontline public services in the UK's youngest city.
• Bear's Mission With Nicola Adams Adventure series following Bear Grylls and Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams on a wilderness mission. Commissioned by ITV.
• Bear's Mission With Jonny Wilkinson Adventure series following Bear Grylls and rugby star Jonny Wilkinson on a wilderness mission. Commissioned by ITV1.
• Cops Like Us Three-part BBC Two and iPlayer documentary following the Staffordshire police force.
• Dr Alex: Our Young Mental Health Crisis Documentary following Dr Alex George exploring mental health issues affecting young people. BBC One commission produced by Dragonfly North for BBC Children in Need.
• What Makes A Murderer Three-part documentary series investigating biological and psychological factors in convicted murderers, featuring neuro-criminologist Professor Adrian Raine.
• Diagnosis Detectives Medical series in which Michael Mosley challenges twelve leading medical experts to diagnose patients with baffling symptoms.
• Date My Mate Dating reality series in which friends control a single friend's dating app and witness the resulting dates. Commissioned by Amazon Prime Video.
• Teen Mum Academy Factual entertainment series following six teen mums at a residential summer school learning business skills. Co-produced with Motion Content Group for E4.

Quantifiable outcome

• Episode achieved 1.55 million viewers with 10.31% audience share, +76% above BBC2 slot average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cancer Research UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025Co-production partnership on Cancer Detectives: Finding the Cures for Channel 4. Partnership brings scientific expertise and access to cancer research community.
• Hyphenate Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2024Co-production partnership on Eva Longoria: Searching for Spain documentary series for CNN. Hyphenate Media Group is a production partner providing creative development support.
• Motion Content GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2022Co-production partnership on Teen Mum Academy for E4. Motion Content Group provided funding and distribution support.
• We Are Doc WomenminorOthers · 17 May 2022Dragonfly signed the 50:50 pledge supporting gender equality in documentary filmmaking.
• One Shoe FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2021Co-production partnership on Then Barbara Met Alan factual drama. One Shoe Films brought additional production resources and creative collaboration.
• The Natural Studios (Bear Grylls)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2021Co-production partnership with Bear Grylls' production company for adventure series Bear's Mission. The Natural Studios is a joint venture between Banijay and Grylls.
• Banijay UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Dragonfly has been part of Banijay UK since 2020. Banijay is the world's largest group of independent production companies, providing Dragonfly with distribution (Banijay Rights), financing, and access to international markets.
• Creative AccessminorOthersDiversity initiative partnership to fill entry-level positions and develop diverse talent pipeline for the production industry.
• Mama Youth ProjectminorOthersDiversity initiative partnership to provide training and entry opportunities for underrepresented groups in television production.
• The Grierson TrustminorOthersDiversity initiative partnership supporting new talent from underrepresented backgrounds in documentary filmmaking.
• BBC ElevateminorOthersDiversity initiative partnership with BBC to develop and retain diverse talent in production roles.
• BAFTA AlbertminorOthersSustainability initiative partnership using BAFTA Albert scheme to promote environmental sustainability in production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Workerbee: Banijay UK factual label co-located with Dragonfly North in Manchester's Tower 12 building. Produces premium factual (The Bridge, Forensics) for UK broadcasters - direct intra-group competitor for the same commissioner commissions.
• Studio Lambert: Banijay UK sister label producing premium factual and formatted entertainment (Gogglebox, Race Across the World, The Circle). Most directly comparable peer - shares parent company, BBC/Channel 4 commissioning relationships, and factual format expertise.
• Raw TV: British factual and true-crime producer (Three Girls, Don't F**k with Cats) for BBC, Netflix, and Discovery+. Comparable factual documentary specialism with overlapping commissioner relationships and BAFTA-recognized output.
• Curve Media: UK factual production company producing premium documentary formats for UK broadcasters and streamers (24 Hour Wedding, Paramedics on Scene). Comparable scale and direct competitor for blue-light/medical factual commissions.
• Wall to Wall Media: Banijay UK factual label producing BAFTA-winning formats (Who Do You Think You Are?, 24 Hours in A&E). Closely comparable factual documentary maker for BBC and Channel 4, competing for similar medical and biographical commissions.
• Lion Television: Long-established UK factual indie producing documentaries and formatted factual for BBC, Channel 4, and Discovery+. Comparable scale, broadcaster portfolio, and factual documentary specialism.
• Love Productions: Producer of The Great British Bake Off and other premium factual formats for BBC and Channel 4. Comparable as a UK factual powerhouse with deep broadcaster relationships and BAFTA-winning franchises in the same commission pool as Dragonfly.
• Pulse Films: UK factual and entertainment producer with global streamer relationships (Netflix, Amazon). Competes with Dragonfly for premium documentary commissions and has overlapping talent with similar BBC/Channel 4 factual expertise.
• Label1: UK factual production company (24 Hours in A&E, Ambulance Australia) producing observational documentaries for UK and international broadcasters. Direct peer in fixed-rig medical/blue-light documentary production.
• Blast! Films: Independent UK factual production company producing premium documentaries and factual entertainment for BBC, Channel 4, and Netflix (Louis Theroux, Stacey Dooley). Directly competes for the same factual commission slots.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DragonflyFilmTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/dragonflyfilmtv
• Instagraminstagram.com/dragonflyfilmtv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dragonfly-film-and-television

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Dragonfly Film and Television