The Gibson Group

What The Gibson Group does

The Gibson Group Limited is a privately held, Wellington-based screen production company operating continuously since 1977, producing over 1,300 episodes (775+ hours) of broadcast television across drama, documentary, comedy, arts, and popular factual programming. The company operates two service lines: Screen Production for broadcast and streaming distribution, and Production Services delivering fee-for-service corporate, government, and crown-agency video work including case studies, tourism trailers, promotional content, and event coverage. A separate sub-brand, Gibson International, handles visitor attraction, experience design, and tourism projects leveraging interactive, multi-screen, and 3D graphic interface capabilities led by Technical Director David Crossan.

Core products include drama series (The Strip, The Insider's Guide to Happiness — winner of multiple 2005 NZ Screen Awards), factual entertainment (Street Hospital, Here To Stay, Along For The Ride), docudramas (War News, Nancy Wake: The White Mouse, The Trouble With Murder), and children's programming (Operation Hero, Bug Hunter!). Content is distributed domestically via TVNZ and Prime/Sky TV and internationally through TVF International and streaming platforms Vimeo On Demand, Sky Open, and NEON; a 2024 release, Miles From Nowhere, is co-produced with Homegrown Pictures. The portfolio also includes a recurring Ministry of Education engagement for the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards, producing approximately 120 nominee mini-documentaries since 2014.

The business runs a hybrid revenue model combining professional-services fees (corporate and government video) with licensing and royalty streams (broadcast and digital distribution of produced content), supplemented by NZ On Air public funding for qualifying productions. Customers span domestic broadcasters, public-sector agencies (Ministry of Education, NZ Defence Force), and corporate clients; international co-production partners in Australia, UK, Canada, Sweden, Germany, and the US share financing and territorial rights. The company is co-owned by Victoria Spackman and Allan Smith, with Gary Scott, David Crossan, and Brett Tompkins rounding out senior creative and technical leadership.

Name

The Gibson Group

Legal name

The Gibson Group Ltd.

Website

https://gibson.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Gibson Group Limited is a privately held New Zealand screen production company, founded 1977, producing broadcast television (drama, documentary, factual) and corporate/government video content for broadcasters, government agencies, and crown clients, with international co-production partnerships across six countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Screen 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

Live-Action TV Movies, Miniseries & Specials Production (MPADABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)

Keywords

• Screen production services
• Television production
• Documentary production
• Corporate video production
• Exhibition design

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Screen Production Licensing: Production of television series, documentaries, and films sold to domestic and international channels and distributors. Revenue derived from licensing content to broadcasters like TVNZ and Prime/Sky TV, as well as international co-production agreements.
2. Corporate and Government Video Production: Fee-for-service video production for corporate clients, government agencies, and crown agencies. Services include case studies, promotional videos, presentations, and event coverage.
3. International Co-Production: Co-production partnerships with partners in Australia, UK, Canada, Sweden, Germany, and the US, generating revenue through shared production costs and territorial rights.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Gibson Group produces long-form television screen content spanning drama, documentary, comedy, arts, and factual programming, having produced over 1,300 episodes of television and 775+ hours of broadcast content since 1977. It also delivers fee-for-service corporate and government video production including case studies, tourism trailers, promotional videos, presentations, and event coverage, and provides visitor attraction and exhibition design with interactive, multi-screen, and 3D graphic interfaces.

Product overview

The Gibson Group is a screen production company offering two primary service lines: Screen Production (television drama, documentary, factual programming, and documentary drama) and Production Services (corporate and government video production, visitor attractions and exhibition design). Since 1977, the company has produced over 1300 episodes of television across multiple formats including drama series (The Strip, The Insiders Guide to Happiness), factual series (Bullies, Street Hospital, Operation Hero, Along For The Ride), docudramas (War News, Nancy Wake: The White Mouse), and corporate/government content. Notable portfolio productions include The Strip (40 x 60' for TVNZ featuring Taika Waititi), Here To Stay (12 x 44' migrant history series), and Street Hospital (20 x 22' across two seasons). The company has international co-production partnerships and its content is distributed through platforms including TVNZ+, Sky Open, NEON, and Vimeo on Demand. Visitor attraction and exhibition design work is delivered through the gibsoninternational.design subsidiary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gibson International: Visitor attraction, experience design and tourism project work team operating as a separate sub-brand.

Products and services

• Screen Production (Broadcast Television & Multi-Platform) Long-form television and film production spanning drama, documentary, comedy, arts, and factual programming, with co-production partnerships across Australia, UK, Canada, Sweden, Germany, and the US; portfolio has sold globally and includes Emmy and Oscar-winner associations.
• Corporate and Government Video Production Services Video production services for companies, collectives, and crown agencies seeking to tell stories to specific audiences, including case studies, promotional videos, tourism trailers, professional presentations, prizegiving events, and event coverage, with capabilities in interactive, multi-screen, and 3D graphic interfaces.
• Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards Video Production Annual content production partnership with NZ Ministry of Education for the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards, producing nominee mini-documentaries and ceremony trailers.
• The Strip Drama series (40 x 60') produced for TVNZ, following a woman who becomes a male strip club proprietor. Features Luanne Gordon and an early career appearance by Taika Waititi. Available on Vimeo On Demand.
• Street Hospital Factual entertainment series (20 x 22' across two seasons) following Wellington Free Ambulance medics in Wellington's party zone. Available on TVNZ+ and Vimeo On Demand.
• The Insider's Guide to Happiness Contemporary TV drama (13 x 30') exploring life, love, and happiness through eight 20-somethings whose lives intersect after an accident. Won multiple 2005 New Zealand Screen Awards.
• Bullies Factual series (3 x 44') examining bullying in schools, workplaces, and online in New Zealand. Available on Vimeo On Demand.
• The Trouble With Murder Docudrama series (3 x 44') analyzing high-profile New Zealand murder trials and evolving social attitudes to crime and rehabilitation. Produced for Prime/Sky TV and available on Vimeo On Demand.
• War News Docudrama series (5 x 44') presenting WWI history through the format of a TV news team breaking stories from the frontlines. Produced for Prime (SkyTV). Available on Vimeo On Demand.
• Nancy Wake: The White Mouse Docudrama (1 x 70') dramatizing the true story of WWII heroine Nancy Wake, the New Zealand-born woman who was the Gestapo's most wanted. Produced for TVNZ and available on Vimeo On Demand.
• Operation Hero Live-action competition series (40 x 22') where teams of 12-14 year olds complete physical challenges inspired by real-life Kiwi heroes. Produced in cooperation with NZ Defence Force and available on TVNZ.
• Along For The Ride Factual entertainment series (7 x 22') following radio presenter Simon Morton cycling around New Zealand exploring the cultural significance of the bicycle. Available on Vimeo On Demand.
• Here To Stay Factual series exploring the history of migrant groups arriving in New Zealand. Two series produced (12 x 44' total) featuring celebrities discovering their heritage. Available on Vimeo On Demand.
• Miles From Nowhere Screen production developed with Homegrown Pictures (producer Ahmed Osman, writers Mohamed Hassan and Aamer Rahman), released on Sky Open and NEON in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2005 New Zealand Screen Awards - Winner Best Drama Series, Best Script, Best Directing, Original Music, and multiple acting categories for The Insider's Guide to Happiness

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Homegrown PicturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Miles From Nowhere, produced with Ahmed Osman and writers Mohamed Hassan and Aamer Rahman. Partnership for 2024 release on Sky Open and NEON.
• Australia, UK, Canada, Sweden, Germany, US Co-Production PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational co-production partners across multiple countries for various screen productions. Enables access to shared production funding and territorial rights.
• NZ On AircoreOthersGovernment funding body that provides financing for numerous Gibson Group productions including Bullies, War News, Street Hospital, and Here To Stay.
• TVF InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational sales agent representing Gibson Group productions for global distribution, handling inquiries for series like Bullies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoodlum Entertainment: Australia/NZ production house with strong factual and drama credentials, including international co-productions and streaming platform deals. Comparable in size, genre breadth and reliance on offshore financing.
• Pukeko Pictures: New Zealand children's and family entertainment producer behind The WotWots and other international co-productions. Closely comparable: NZ-based, co-production reliant, same children's/family content overlap as Gibson's Operation Hero and Bug Hunter!
• Jump Film & Television: Wellington-based production company producing drama and factual programming for NZ broadcasters and international partners. Same scale band, same geographic base, same broadcaster-dependent revenue model.
• South Pacific Pictures: New Zealand's largest drama production house, producer of Shortland Street and Westside. Most direct comparable: same Wellington-adjacent base, same broadcast and international co-production model, same multi-genre drama/factual slate.
• Great Southern Television: Australia- and NZ-focused production company producing factual, entertainment and reality formats. Comparable in scale, genre mix (factual, documentary) and dependence on public broadcaster and international co-production funding.
• Screentime Australia: Australia-based production company producing drama, factual and documentary for domestic and international broadcasters. Closely aligned business model: commissioned content, government/crown clients, and international co-financing.

Broad incumbents

• CJZ: Australia-based factual, entertainment and documentary producer with a long-running international slate. Larger and more diversified, but directly comparable factual/documentary commissioning model and public broadcaster relationships.
• Matchbox Pictures: Australia-based drama and factual producer, part of NBCUniversal, producing top-tier drama and limited series for global streamers. Larger scale but operates the same ANZ broadcaster/streamer commissioning model as Gibson.
• Working Title Films: Major UK production house behind numerous international co-productions and global theatrical/TV releases. Useful as a scaled reference point for where co-production-led producers can grow, though orders of magnitude larger than Gibson.
• See-Saw Films: Australia/UK production company behind Heartstopper, Top of the Lake and other international co-productions. Larger scale but directly comparable international co-production strategy and genre mix (drama, factual).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gibsongroupnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-gibson-group-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Gibson Group