Rabbit Films
Rabbit Films is a Helsinki-based production company founded in 2001 that develops, produces, and distributes non-scripted entertainment, scripted drama series, feature films, branded content, and podcasts for Nordic broadcasters, international format buyers, and brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersHelsinki, Finland
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rabbit Films does
Rabbit Films Ltd is a Helsinki-based production company founded in 2001 that develops, produces, and distributes non-scripted entertainment, scripted drama series, feature films, branded content, and podcasts. Originally launched by The Dudesons (Jarno Laasala, Jukka Hildén, Jarppi Leppälä, HP Parviainen), the company today operates four business pillars: Non-Scripted (original reality and entertainment formats such as Ultimate Escape, Over the Atlantic, Ultimate Expedition, Posse, and local adaptations including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, TaskMaster, and Top Gear Finland), Scripted (drama series and feature films such as Summer of Sorrow, Mobile 101, Bubble, Queen of Fucking Everything, Kioski, Raptures, and Defiant), Branded Content (commercial campaigns for brands and advertisers), and International Distribution (format licensing and finished-series sales to global buyers via partners including Keshet International, Avalon, NBCUniversal, and Beyond).
The company's commercial model combines format licensing royalties, co-production fees with Nordic broadcasters (Elisa Viihde, YLE, MTV Finland, C More, Nelonen), international content sales, and branded content production. Distribution is handled by an in-house team led by Head of International Jonathan Tuovinen and is materially amplified by Monday Media's 2023 majority stake acquisition, which integrated Rabbit Films into a group of 13 production labels spanning Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands. CEO Olli Suominen and Creative Director Tuomas Summanen, who became major shareholders via a 2021 partial management buy-out, continue to lead operations alongside a board that includes former Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipilä and senior figures from banking, media, and law.
Rabbit Films has secured international award recognition — Best Reality Series at MIPTV Cannes 2022 for Ultimate Escape Suomi, a Best Competition Series nomination at the 2022 Banff Rockie Awards (the only non-English-language programme in its category), and Best Nordic Feature at the 2023 Nordic International Film Festival for Bubble — supporting its positioning as one of Finland's leading production companies. Active co-production partnerships (Aurora Studios, Iris Film AB, East Film, Kiterabbit Films) and pipeline projects including the 2026 India-based co-production fund and Elisa Viihde's Suojelija signal continued international expansion.
Rabbit Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rabbit Films
- Legal name
- Oy Rabbit Films Ltd
- Website
- https://rabbitfilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Rabbit Films is a Helsinki-based production company founded in 2001 that develops, produces, and distributes non-scripted entertainment, scripted drama series, feature films, branded content, and podcasts for Nordic broadcasters, international format buyers, and brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rabbit Films industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB), Scripted Feature Film Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAA)
Keywords
Where Rabbit Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Helsinki
- HQ country
- Finland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rabbit Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Format Licensing and Distribution: Rabbit Films develops original formats and distributes them internationally to broadcasters. Revenue comes from licensing fees paid by broadcasters for the right to produce local adaptations of Rabbit's original formats.
- Branded Content Production: Production of commercial content for brands including video campaigns, social media series, and recruitment advertising. Rabbit creates original branded content ideas for TV and online platforms.
- International Content Sales: Distribution of finished series and content to international markets. Rabbit handles international distribution for self-developed drama series and other content.
- Co-production Revenue: Participation in co-productions with broadcasters and studios, including drama series for Elisa Viihde, MTV Finland, C More, and other Nordic platforms. Revenue generated through production fees and broadcast rights.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Rabbit Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rabbit Films develops, produces, and distributes original and licensed TV entertainment formats, scripted drama series, feature films, and branded content for broadcasters, streaming platforms, and brand clients. Its portfolio of self-developed original formats (Ultimate Escape, Over the Atlantic, Posse, Ultimate Expedition, City vs Country) is licensed internationally, while its scripted division produces high-end drama series and feature films for major Nordic and Baltic broadcasters. The company also produces Finnish adaptations of international formats and offers branded content production services.
Product overview
Rabbit Films is a Finnish production company founded in 2001 that produces non-scripted entertainment, scripted drama series, feature films, and branded content. The company operates through distinct departments: Non-Scripted (reality formats, game shows, competition series), Scripted (drama series and feature films), Branded Content, and International Distribution. Key original formats include Ultimate Escape, Over the Atlantic, Ultimate Expedition, Posse, Should I Be Worried, and City vs Country. Scripted productions span drama series (Summer of Sorrow, Mobile 101, Queen of Fucking Everything), feature films (Bubble, MC Helper, Raptures, Defiant), and sitcoms (Kioski). Rabbit also produces Finnish adaptations of international formats including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, TaskMaster, Top Gear, and Love It or List It. The company distributes its self-developed content internationally and operates a podcast (Army Stories/Inttistoorit). In 2023, Monday Media acquired a majority stake, expanding the group to 13 labels across Denmark, Norway, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rabbit Formats: International distribution brand for Rabbit Films' self-developed formats and content
- Rabbit International
Quantifiable outcome
- Ultimate Escape reached 35 million views as one of Denmark's biggest non-English series on Netflix in 2025 (note: this is a different production but referenced for context)
Companies that use Rabbit Films
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rabbit Films technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Rabbit Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Kiterabbit FilmsminorLed by Shaunak Sen, Kiterabbit Films collaborated with Humans of Cinema founder Harsit Bansal and U.S.-based producer Nazim Momin on a new India-based co-production fund to discover and support emerging filmmaking voices.
- East FilmcoreRabbit Films and East Film are co-producing 'Suojelija' (4 x 45 min), a TV drama series for Elisa Viihde directed by Tiina Lymin. Filming scheduled May 25 – July 3, 2026 in Tyrväntö and Hämeenlinna.
- Iris Film ABcoreRabbit Films co-produced 'Raptures' (Valitut) with Iris Film AB. This feature film, set in 1930s Sweden, is the first feature film ever with main dialogue in the Meänkieli minority language. Based on true events and inspired by the novel 'Dagning, röd!' by Bengt Pohjanen.
- BeyondminorBeyond distributes the 'Love It or List It' format for the Finnish market adaptation 'Remppa vai muutto Suomi' produced by Rabbit Films.
- AvalonminorAvalon distributes the 'Taskmaster' format for the Finnish adaptation 'Suurmestari' produced by Rabbit Films.
- NBCUniversalminorNBCUniversal distributes the 'Making It' format for the Finnish adaptation produced by Rabbit Films.
- Aurora StudioscoreAurora Studios co-produced 'Mobile 1.0' drama series with Rabbit Films and MTV Finland. The six-part series charts the dramatic story of Nokia's rise and fall in the mobile phone industry. Co-producers Petri Kemppinen and Ari Tolppanen represented Aurora Studios.
- MTV Finland / C MorecoreMTV Finland and C More partnered with Rabbit Films for 'Mobile 1.0.' C More acquired first-window VOD rights for the Nordics and Baltics regions, with linear premiere to follow on MTV3. Jani Hartikainen, Head of Drama at MTV, served as contact.
- Keshet InternationalcoreKeshet International represents both the finished series and format of 'Summer of Sorrow' for international distribution outside Finland. Managing Director Sebastian Burkhardt described the series as having strong appeal for Finnish and international audiences.
- Elisa ViihdecoreFinland's top streaming service Elisa Viihde ordered 'Summer of Sorrow,' a high-concept mystery thriller series produced by Rabbit Films. Head of Content Ani Korpela noted the series' potential for both domestic and international appeal.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rabbit Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Fremantle: Major international production and distribution group (formerly FremantleMedia) with deep scripted and unscripted capabilities. Comparable as a large incumbent in the same production/distribution value chain Rabbit operates in, including Nordic content via labels like Miso Film.
- Studiocanal: European production, distribution, and sales operation owned by Canal+. Comparable as a broader incumbent that acquires and distributes scripted drama and feature films from independent European producers like Rabbit.
- Banijay Group: Global leader in format licensing and production (including Endemol Shine). Directly comparable as the dominant international format distributor Rabbit Films competes against when licensing originals like Ultimate Escape to broadcasters worldwide.
- ITV Studios: UK-based international production and global distribution arm of ITV. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor in international format sales and finished-series distribution across the same buyer pool.
- All3Media: Independent UK-based television production and distribution group. Comparable as a broad-incumbent peer operating many production labels across formats, scripted, and unscripted categories globally.
Direct peers
- Yellow Bird: Swedish production company known for Nordic crime drama (Millennium trilogy). Directly comparable as a peer Nordic producer of premium scripted content distributed internationally.
- Beta Film: German-based international distributor and co-production financier for scripted drama and entertainment. Directly comparable as a distribution partner competing for the same international buyers as Rabbit's Keshet International partnership channel.
- Federation Entertainment: Paris-based international distribution and production company specializing in scripted and premium content. Directly comparable as a similarly sized international sales business working with Nordic and European producers on co-financed drama.
- Miso Film: Nordic drama production company producing high-end scripted series (e.g., The Rain, The Bridge). Directly comparable as a peer Nordic scripted production house competing for the same broadcaster commissions and international distribution slots.
Regional players
- Viaplay Group: Nordic streaming and broadcaster group operating NENT brands across the Nordics. Comparable as a regional buyer/producer of Nordic entertainment that both commissions from and competes with Rabbit's pipeline.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rabbit Films social profiles
Digital presenceRabbit Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rabbit Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Rabbit Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rabbit Films 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 Rabbit Films
What does Rabbit Films do?
Rabbit Films develops, produces, and distributes original and licensed TV entertainment formats, scripted drama series, feature films, and branded content for broadcasters, streaming platforms, and brand clients. Its portfolio of self-developed original formats (Ultimate Escape, Over the Atlantic, Posse, Ultimate Expedition, City vs Country) is licensed internationally, while its scripted division produces high-end drama series and feature films for major Nordic and Baltic broadcasters. The company also produces Finnish adaptations of international formats and offers branded content production services.
Is Rabbit Films a public or private company?
Rabbit Films is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Rabbit Films founded?
Rabbit Films was founded in 2001. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Rabbit Films based?
Rabbit Films is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, in the Europe region.
How does Rabbit Films make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Format Licensing and Distribution is the primary driver. The others are branded Content Production, international Content Sales and co-production Revenue.
Who are Rabbit Films's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Fremantle, Studiocanal, Banijay Group, ITV Studios and All3Media. Direct peers are Yellow Bird, Beta Film, Federation Entertainment and Miso Film. Viaplay Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Rabbit Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rabbit Films.
What industry is Rabbit Films in?
Rabbit Films's product category is Television Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAC, Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of MPADABAB, Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action). Its NAICS code is 512110 and its SIC code is 7812.