The Knowledge

What The Knowledge does

The Knowledge is a UK-based B2B directory serving the film, television, and commercials production industry. Founded in 1986 as a print book, it now operates as a multi-format industry directory under the corporate umbrella of Media Business Insight Limited, headquartered in London. The platform indexes more than 15,000 companies and crew across 445+ categories spanning equipment hire, locations, post-production, and crew services, and it attracts roughly 25,000 unique monthly users on the web, more than 29,000 weekly newsletter subscribers, and 24,000+ professionals receiving the annual print edition.

The core product is The Knowledge Online — a self-serve, web-based directory with hierarchical category browsing, company profiles, and tiered listing packages (Basic free; Enhanced £495/year; Enhanced Plus £650/year; Premier £1,120/year) that confer differentiated search visibility, profile features, and SEO benefits. The print edition continues as a paid reference publication distributed to the industry. Ancillary products include the weekly Knowledge Bulletin newsletter, digital production guides (World of Studios UK, World of Studios International, and SGP Production Guide), and a wholly-owned adjacent subsidiary called Production Intelligence (PI) that layers production-specific intelligence on top of the directory. Distribution channels span the website, email newsletter, social media (LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube), SEO/organic search, and the print directory.

The business model is a hybrid of subscription listing fees and display advertising across online (21,500 monthly unique users) and print (24,000+ readers) inventory. The go-to-market is sales-led but operates on a self-serve purchasing flow with freemium entry; the platform is trusted by BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and major UK production companies. No external funding has been disclosed, and the company appears to operate profitably as a mature niche directory business within its parent media group.

Name

The Knowledge

Legal name

Media Business Insight Limited

Website

https://theknowledgeonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Knowledge, operated by Media Business Insight Limited, is the UK's longest-established directory for film, television, and commercials production crew and suppliers, offering a searchable database of 15,000+ listings across 445+ categories via online, print, and weekly newsletter channels since 1986.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Directory Services

NAICS

Directory and Mailing List Publishers (513140), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMAAAF

Q&A and Knowledge Discovery Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Search, Discovery & Web Portals

SECONDARYMPACAKAA

News & Current Affairs Aggregators

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Digital Content Aggregators & Discovery (Feed/Curated)

SECONDARYCRAFAIAA

Digital Content & Media Subscriptions

Consumer Products & Retail/E-commerce & Marketplaces/Digital Products & Subscription Commerce

Keywords

• Film production directory
• Crew services listings
• Production supplier database
• UK film TV directory
• Industry company listings

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listing Subscription Fees: Tiered annual subscription packages (Basic free, Enhanced £495, Enhanced Plus £650, Premier £1,120) providing varying levels of search visibility, profile features, and promotional capabilities for listed companies
2. Display Advertising: Banner and MPUs displayed throughout the site and on specific category pages, reaching 21,500 monthly unique users, plus advertising in the print edition reaching 24,000+ industry professionals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Knowledge operates a UK film, television and commercials production industry directory available in print and digital formats. Its online platform provides a searchable database of over 15,000 companies and crew across 445+ categories, helping production companies find crew, service providers, and suppliers. The company monetizes via tiered paid listing subscriptions (free Basic, Enhanced £495/year, Enhanced Plus £650/year, Premier £1,120/year) and display advertising, supplemented by a weekly newsletter to 29,000+ subscribers.

Product overview

The Knowledge is a film, TV and commercials production industry directory available in both print and digital formats. The core offering consists of The Knowledge Online (a searchable web directory of over 15,000 companies and crew across 445 categories) and the print edition book (covering 14,500+ listings since 1986). The online platform operates on a tiered subscription model with free Basic access and paid Enhanced (£495/year), Enhanced Plus (£650/year), and Premier (£1,120/year) listing packages that provide increasing search visibility and profile features. Supplementary offerings include the weekly Knowledge Bulletin newsletter (29,000+ subscribers), digital production guides (World of Studios UK, World of Studios International, SGP Production Guide), and industry news/guides content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Knowledge Online Directory Searchable web directory of over 15,000 companies and crew listings across 445 categories covering the full UK film, TV and commercials production ecosystem. Free basic access allows production companies to find crew, service providers, and suppliers.
• The Knowledge Book (Print Edition) Print directory covering 14,500+ UK film, TV and commercials production listings, used annually by over 24,000 industry professionals as a physical reference.
• Knowledge Bulletin Newsletter Weekly email newsletter providing a roundup of essential UK film and TV industry news to over 29,000 subscribers with free sign-up available.
• World of Studios UK Digital edition guide covering existing, new and emerging studios within the UK production industry.
• World of Studios International International studio directory covering existing, new and emerging studios globally.
• SGP Production Guide Production guide for British producers looking to film around the world.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 15,000 companies and crew listed in the database
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ReelTime MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReelTime Media partnered with ScreenSkills and Prime Video Pathway to deliver job-sharing programmes for unscripted TV productions, with The Knowledge serving as the news platform covering this initiative.
• Media Business Insight LtdcoreOthersMedia Business Insight Ltd is the parent company of The Knowledge. The company also publishes related industry titles and operates under the same corporate umbrella.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Cineuropa: European film industry portal covering production, distribution and funding across European territories. Comparable as a regional film-industry information platform, though geographically broader and editorially rather than directory-led.

Direct peers

• ProductionHUB: US-headquartered production services directory connecting filmmakers with crew, vendors and locations. Comparable because it operates the same supplier/crew-discovery marketplace model for film/TV/commercials producers.
• Backstage: Casting, crew and talent marketplace with subscription listings and casting notices. Comparable as a paid-listing directory platform connecting creative professionals with production buyers.
• Mandy.com: International film, TV and theatre crew and services directory with similar freemium/subscription listing model. Directly comparable as a peer directory serving the same crew-discovery use case across multiple geographies.
• Production Intelligence: Wholly-owned subsidiary of The Knowledge offering programme-level production tracking and supplier discovery for UK scripted/unscripted TV. Directly comparable because it shares the same crew/supplier discovery use case and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• IMDbPro: Industry-focused subscription database of credits, contacts and representation from Amazon-owned IMDb. Comparable as a paid, structured film/TV industry directory targeting the same professionals.
• Screen International: Established UK/global film industry trade publication under Media Business Insight. Comparable as a sibling B2B information product serving the same UK production-industry audience and advertiser base.
• Variety: Global entertainment-industry trade publication with extensive film/TV production coverage and job board. Comparable as a higher-tier information brand monetising the same UK/US production-industry audience.

Others

• ScreenSkills: UK industry skills body operating workforce databases, training and certification for screen industries. Comparable as an adjacent, non-competing industry infrastructure player referenced as a partner in The Knowledge's coverage.

Emerging players

• StaffMeUp: Digital marketplace for entertainment-industry crew hiring and production staffing. Comparable as an emerging digital-first alternative to traditional printed crew directories like The Knowledge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheKnowledgeUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theknowledgeproductioninte3337
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheKnowledgeUK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fill-your-boots-location-catering-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Knowledge