Bandicoot

What Bandicoot does

Bandicoot is a Glasgow-headquartered, privately-held independent television production company founded in 2017 by Derek McLean and Daniel Nettleton. It specializes in developing and producing entertainment and factual-entertainment programmes, anchored by The Masked Singer UK — a celebrity guessing-game format that has aired on ITV since 2020, won the BAFTA Television Award for Entertainment Programme in 2023 and an International Emmy in 2021, and has spawned spin-offs including The Masked Dancer, Christmas Specials, I'm a Celebrity crossover specials, and a 2026 Magic of Early Years edition. Beyond the flagship, the company maintains a slate of 9+ active productions (Chase the Case, Test Drive, Peckham's Finest, Supercar Superfam, Celebrity Christmas Hell, Paddy Power Drag It Out) commissioned primarily by BBC and ITV, and is extending into digital via the Maskcast podcast/vodcast.

The company's business model is B2B broadcaster commissioning combined with international format licensing. Revenue is generated by producing episodes and series for UK and international broadcasters under per-production and per-series commission terms, supplemented by format licensing royalties where The Masked Singer has been adapted abroad. Distribution is exclusively through broadcaster and licensed production-company partnerships; Bandicoot does not sell directly to consumers. Customers are UK and US broadcasters (ITV, BBC, NBCUniversal) plus one branded entertainment partner (Paddy Power). The go-to-market motion is sales-led via direct relationships with commissioners and is increasingly supplemented by structured co-development deals, notably the BBC/NBCUniversal mega-format initiative (shortlisted October 2025) and the SuperSizing Entertainment Formats programme with BBC, Screen Scotland and TRC (running November 2025 to April 2026).

Operationally, Bandicoot is a bootstrapped, founder-controlled company with no disclosed external funding and approximately a dozen named senior staff, including co-founders, a Director of Productions and Operations with US expansion remit, a Head of Digital, a Head of Talent, a Development EP, and a part-time Financial Controller. It operates from Glasgow with a Scotland sub-brand (Bandicoot Scotland), is expanding US operations, and pursues awards-led credibility as a primary marketing channel to attract commissioners. The company has won multiple BAFTA, International Emmy, RTS, Rose d'Or and TBI Content Innovation awards between 2020 and 2024, and was added to the National Television Awards 2026 longlist.

Name

Bandicoot

Legal name

Bandicoot

Website

https://bandicoot.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bandicoot is a Glasgow-based independent television production company founded in 2017 that develops entertainment and factual-entertainment formats for UK and international broadcasters, anchored by The Masked Singer franchise for ITV and a broader slate commissioned by BBC and NBCUniversal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV Production Revenue: Revenue generated from producing television programmes for broadcasters. The company creates commissioned content for major UK networks including BBC and ITV, receiving payment per production or series commissioned.
2. Format Licensing: Revenue from licensing proprietary entertainment formats to international broadcasters and production companies. The Masked Singer has been adapted internationally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bandicoot is an independent television production company that devises and produces entertainment and factual entertainment programmes, principally for major UK broadcasters such as BBC, ITV and NBCUniversal. Its core commercial offering is the creation, production and delivery of original entertainment formats, headlined by the globally licensed The Masked Singer, alongside additional formats such as The Masked Dancer, Chase the Case, Test Drive and Peckham's Finest. Revenue is generated primarily through production commissions from broadcasters and through licensing of its proprietary formats for international adaptations.

Product overview

Bandicoot is a Glasgow-based television production company that creates entertainment and factual entertainment programming. Their portfolio includes flagship formats like The Masked Singer (a celebrity guessing game show that has won BAFTA and International Emmy awards) and The Masked Dancer (dance spin-off), alongside other entertainment shows such as Test Drive, Peckham's Finest, Chase the Case, Supercar Superfam, Celebrity Christmas Hell, and Paddy Power Drag It Out. The company has expanded The Masked Singer into multiple sub-products including Christmas Specials and I'm a Celebrity Specials, as well as a Magic of Early Years edition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bandicoot Scotland: Regional operations entity for Scotland-based production activities.
• Bandicoot TV

Products and services

• The Masked Singer

Quantifiable outcome

• The Masked Singer UK has achieved multiple BAFTA wins and numerous award nominations across BAFTA, National Television Awards, and international award bodies.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• BBCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025BBC is a key commissioning partner for Bandicoot productions. The company produces multiple programmes for BBC networks including Chase the Case for BBC Scotland. BBC and Bandicoot are also collaborating on the SuperSizing Entertainment Formats programme to develop new entertainment formats for potential BBC co-commissions.
• NBCUniversalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Bandicoot is one of nine independent production companies shortlisted for a BBC and NBCUniversal mega-format project to develop original formats across genres like reality, dating, and talent shows. The project aims to create a new British format for potential international co-commission. Commissioning decisions expected March 2026.
• Screen ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreen Scotland, a Scottish Government funded body, is partnering with BBC and Bandicoot (via TRC) on the SuperSizing Entertainment Formats initiative. The programme runs from November 2025 to April 2026 and aims to strengthen Scotland's creative economy.
• TRCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTRC (Training Resources Consortium) is a Glasgow-based training provider that is co-running the SuperSizing Entertainment Formats programme with BBC and Screen Scotland. TRC brings format development training expertise building on their previous FormatLab programme.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fremantle: Global production and distribution powerhouse behind entertainment formats including Got Talent, Idol, and The X Factor. Directly comparable as a major entertainment format producer supplying UK and international broadcasters, though operating at significantly larger scale and owned by RTL Group.
• Endemol Shine Group: Global entertainment production and format powerhouse behind Deal or No Deal and Your Face Sounds Familiar. Comparable as a major format-led production company serving the same broadcaster clients with entertainment IP.
• ITV Studios: UK broadcaster-owned production arm and global distributor of entertainment formats. Comparable as a major format producer and format-rights holder supplying entertainment programming, while also serving as Bandicoot's largest customer (ITV commissions The Masked Singer UK).
• Banijay: World's largest independent content producer, with strong format IP (Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef). Comparable as a global format-led production house supplying entertainment programming to UK and international broadcasters.

Direct peers

• Lifted Entertainment: UK independent production company (formerly Shiver Productions) producing entertainment and factual entertainment formats for major UK broadcasters. Directly comparable as a similarly sized UK indie focused on entertainment commissions with major broadcaster relationships.
• Expectation Entertainment: UK independent production company creating entertainment formats and multi-genre content for UK broadcasters. Directly comparable as a UK indie entertainment format producer supplying BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 with similar-sized entertainment commissions.
• Studio Lambert: UK independent production company producing entertainment formats including The Circle and Gogglebox for major broadcasters. Directly comparable as a UK indie entertainment format producer with strong broadcaster relationships and format-led IP.
• Dragonfly Film & Television: UK independent production company producing premium entertainment and factual programming. Directly comparable as a UK indie supplying entertainment and entertainment-adjacent formats to major UK broadcasters.
• Monkey Kingdom: UK independent production company developing entertainment formats and factual entertainment programming for UK broadcasters. Directly comparable as a mid-sized UK indie entertainment producer with similar GTM motion targeting major UK PSBs.
• Hungry Bear Media: UK independent production company founded by a former BBC commissioner, producing entertainment formats for major UK broadcasters. Directly comparable as a similarly sized UK indie entertainment format producer supplying the same broadcaster clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/bandicoottv
• Facebookfacebook.com/bandicoottv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bandicoot-tv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Bandicoot