What 19 Entertainment does

19 Entertainment is a U.S.-based television production and artist development company operating as part of Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction group. Its core business is producing long-running music and dance competition franchises for the U.S. broadcast market, anchored by American Idol (currently in Season 24, airing on ABC and co-produced with Fremantle) and So You Think You Can Dance (airing on Fox and co-produced with dcp). The company is led by executive producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman.

Beyond production, 19 Entertainment operates 19 Recordings, an affiliated music label that signs competition winners and develops them into commercial recording artists, generating label royalty revenue and producing a pipeline that closes the loop between on-screen performance and recorded-music commercialization. In February 2026 the label consolidated its major-label partnership with Atlantic Records, succeeding prior arrangements with RCA, Hollywood Records, Big Machine, and BMG. Season 25 winner Will Moseley is the first artist launched under the new arrangement.

The business model combines network license fees and production budgets from broadcast partners (ABC, Fox) with music label revenue (advances, royalties, and publishing). Audience interaction is increasingly enabled by social-voting technology from Telescope. The unit is private and does not separately disclose revenue or headcount; financial performance is consolidated within Sony Pictures Television.

Name

19 Entertainment

Legal name

19 Entertainment

Website

https://19entertainment.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

19 Entertainment is a U.S. television production and artist development company that produces American Idol (ABC), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox), and operates the 19 Recordings music label, serving U.S. broadcast networks and developing competition-show winners into commercial recording artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production and Artist Development

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dance Competitions & Showcases (Non-Esports) (MPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Television production
• Reality competition shows
• Artist development
• Music recording label
• Unscripted entertainment

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Television Production Licensing: Co-production and licensing of television formats including American Idol (ABC) and So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) through partnerships with major networks and production companies
2. Artist Development and Recordings: Music artist development through 19 Recordings, launching careers of platinum artists with record label partnerships for distribution and commercialization

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

19 Entertainment produces and co-produces unscripted reality competition television shows, most notably American Idol (with Fremantle for ABC) and So You Think You Can Dance (with dcp for Fox). Through its 19 Recordings subsidiary, the company also develops and launches music recording artists, having built the careers of multiple platinum-selling performers. Operations are conducted as part of Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction production group.

Product overview

19 Entertainment is a television production and artist development company operating as part of Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction group. The company operates across three main product lines: American Idol (a singing competition co-produced with Fremantle for ABC), So You Think You Can Dance (a dance competition co-produced with dcp for Fox), and 19 Recordings (an artist development and record label arm that has launched the careers of platinum artists including Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, and Daughtry). The portfolio represents a platform of reality competition formats paired with downstream music industry services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American Idol
• So You Think You Can Dance
• 19 Recordings

Quantifiable outcome

• American Idol entering 24th season on television
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Atlantic RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026Atlantic Records has partnered with American Idol for artist development in Season 24. This represents a shift from previous label partnerships with RCA, Hollywood Records, Big Machine, and BMG. The partnership provides recording contracts and music industry support for competition contestants.
• FremantlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFremantle co-produces American Idol with 19 Entertainment for ABC broadcast. Fremantle is a major global media company providing production expertise and international distribution capabilities for the format.
• dcp (directed by/produced by)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerdcp co-produces So You Think You Can Dance with 19 Entertainment for Fox broadcast. The partnership produces one of the premier dance competition shows in television.
• Sony Pictures TelevisionflagshipOthers19 Entertainment is part of Sony Pictures Television's nonfiction group through ownership interests. The parent company provides corporate infrastructure, distribution networks, and access to the broader Sony entertainment ecosystem including connections to other production companies within the nonfiction group (Sharp Entertainment, IPC, B17 Entertainment, This Machine, etc.).
• ABC (American Broadcasting Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABC serves as the broadcast home for American Idol, airing Season 24 with Monday night primetime scheduling. The network partnership provides distribution to millions of viewers across the United States.
• Fox Broadcasting CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFox Broadcasting Company distributes So You Think You Can Dance, co-produced by 19 Entertainment and dcp. The partnership provides primetime broadcast access to Fox's audience base.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• All3Media: Independent global production group behind shows such as The Circle, Gogglebox, and Undercover Boss. Overlaps with 19 Entertainment in the unscripted/reality production category for major networks.
• Lionsgate Television: Produces scripted and unscripted programming across broadcast and cable networks through its Pilgrim Media and eOne labels, overlapping with 19 Entertainment's reality/competition TV production.
• ITV Studios: Production arm of ITV plc producing reality, drama, and entertainment programming globally. Competes for unscripted format rights and broadcast network commissions adjacent to 19 Entertainment's core business.
• Warner Bros. Television Group: Produces unscripted programming for the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio of cable and broadcast networks. Competes for talent and broadcast commissions adjacent to 19 Entertainment's offerings.

Direct peers

• Propagate Content: Independent production company co-founded by Ben Silverman producing unscripted, scripted, and format content including Inkmaster and upcoming competition formats, competing for the same broadcast/streaming commissions.
• Tinopolis Group: Independent international production group with reality and entertainment labels including Sunset+Vine, Pioneer Productions, and Firecracker Films. Directly comparable as an unscripted-format producer supplying broadcast networks.
• Big Machine Label Group: Former 19 Recordings artist development partner that launched Taylor Swift and other country artists. Closely comparable for the artist development arm of 19 Entertainment given their prior commercial partnership.
• Universal Television Alternative Studio: NBCUniversal's unscripted/alternative studio producing The Voice, America's Got Talent, and other competition formats. Direct competitor in the same broadcast-reality category as American Idol.
• Fremantle: Global production and distribution company that co-produces American Idol with 19 Entertainment for ABC and produces other major talent-competition formats such as X Factor and Got Talent, making it the most direct comparable in unscripted competition production.
• Banijay (Endemol Shine Group): Largest global independent content producer and owner of Endemol Shine, producing Big Brother, Survivor, MasterChef, and Deal or No Deal. Operates in essentially the same unscripted-competition space as 19 Entertainment with comparable broadcast-network licensing economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 19 Entertainment