Park Circus
Park Circus is a Glasgow-based B2B film licensing intermediary that licenses 25,000+ classic and contemporary films to cinemas, festivals, TV networks, and streaming platforms across the UK, USA, France, and Australia. It operates as a subsidiary of Arts Alliance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersGlasgow, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Park Circus does
Park Circus is a Glasgow-headquartered B2B film licensing intermediary that licenses over 25,000 classic and contemporary films to cinemas, film festivals, television networks, home entertainment distributors, and digital/streaming platforms worldwide. Operating as Park Circus Group Limited, a UK private limited company and subsidiary of Arts Alliance, the company runs a territory-specific licensing business with offices in Glasgow and London (UK), Thousand Oaks (USA), Enghien-les-Bains (France), and Sydney (Australia), serving exhibitors and programmers globally.
The core offering is organised across four interconnected service lines: Classic Cinema (licensing of restored and catalogue titles, including new 4K restorations such as 'All The President's Men' 50th anniversary and 'Sexy Beast'), Contemporary Cinema (indie hits, festival favourites, and new documentaries), Festivals (licensing to festivals of all sizes for restorations, new movies, and classics), and Home Entertainment (TV, physical media, and digital rights). The technical backbone is DCP (Digital Cinema Package) distribution alongside physical prints, with in-house 4K restoration capability positioned as a key differentiator. Supporting tools include the quarterly Booking Guide for cinema programmers and curated collections such as 'Christina Newland Presents' with expert programme notes.
Revenue is generated through licensing and royalty arrangements on a territory-by-territory, quote-based basis; pricing is not publicly disclosed and inclusion in the catalogue does not guarantee rights availability for a specific territory. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led with strong event-driven activation at film festivals, supported by a multi-channel digital presence (website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Letterboxd) aimed at B2B cinema buyers and programming professionals. The company operates with a lean headcount of approximately 11 employees.
Park Circus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Park Circus
- Legal name
- Park Circus Group Limited
- Website
- https://parkcircusfilms.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Park Circus is a Glasgow-based B2B film licensing intermediary that licenses 25,000+ classic and contemporary films to cinemas, festivals, TV networks, and streaming platforms across the UK, USA, France, and Australia. It operates as a subsidiary of Arts Alliance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Park Circus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Distribution Services
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community) (MPADAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Park Circus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Glasgow
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Park Circus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Theatrical Distribution: Licensing classic and contemporary films to cinemas and theaters for theatrical exhibition. Revenue generated through territory-specific licensing fees and screening rights.
- Festival Licensing: Licensing films to film festivals globally for screenings of restorations, new movies, and classic titles.
- Home Entertainment Rights: Home entertainment, television, and digital rights licensing for thousands of classic films. Includes physical media and digital streaming rights.
- Television Rights: Licensing classic film content to television networks for broadcast.
- Digital/Streaming Rights: Digital rights licensing for classic and contemporary films to streaming platforms.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Park Circus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Park Circus licenses over 25,000 classic and contemporary films to cinemas, film festivals, television networks, and digital/streaming platforms on a territory-specific basis worldwide. It provides both digital (DCP) and physical film prints, including in-house 4K restorations of classic titles. The offering is organised into four service lines — Classic Cinema, Contemporary Cinema, Festivals, and Home Entertainment — supported by a quarterly Booking Guide and curated programming collections with expert programme notes.
Product overview
Park Circus is a film distribution company operating as a single unified service rather than a modular platform. The company specializes in classic and contemporary film distribution through four interconnected service lines: Classic Cinema (licensing over 25,000 films for theatrical screening), Contemporary Cinema (indie hits and new documentaries), Festivals (global festival licensing), and Home Entertainment (TV and digital rights). The offering is complemented by a Booking Guide service that helps cinemas plan screenings, and curated collections like Christina Newland Presents that provide programme notes and thematic selections. The company functions as a rights licensing intermediary between film studios/rights holders and venues (cinemas, festivals, broadcasters) rather than a technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Classic Cinema Licensing
- Contemporary Cinema Licensing
- Festival Licensing
- Home Entertainment and Digital Rights Licensing
- 4K Film Restoration Services
- Booking Guide
- Curated Collections (e.g., Christina Newland Presents)
Companies that use Park Circus
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Park Circus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Park Circus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Arts Alliance CompaniescorePark Circus is part of Arts Alliance Companies, a media company focused on the arts. This parent company relationship provides strategic backing and alignment in the film distribution and media sector.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Park Circus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Criterion Collection: Iconic classic cinema brand with theatrical distribution and home entertainment arms; comparable to Park Circus in curating classic films, producing rich programme notes, and licensing across theatrical, home entertainment, and digital channels.
- Curzon: UK arthouse cinema chain with a distribution arm (Curzon Artificial Eye) handling classic and arthouse theatrical and home entertainment rights. Comparable to Park Circus in UK classic/arthouse theatrical licensing and curated programming.
- Cohen Media Group: Independent US distributor that acquires, restores, and releases classic and arthouse films theatrically and on home entertainment. Closely comparable to Park Circus in restoration-led distribution to cinemas and festivals.
- Oscilloscope Laboratories: US independent distributor of curated arthouse and classic films across theatrical and home entertainment channels. Comparable to Park Circus in boutique, curator-led distribution for repertory and festival audiences.
- BFI Distribution: Distribution arm of the British Film Institute, licensing classic British and international cinema for theatrical, festival, and home entertainment. Comparable to Park Circus in repertory distribution, festival relationships, and curated UK heritage catalogue.
- Kino Lorber: US-based distributor of classic, art-house, and repertory cinema across theatrical, festival, TV, and home entertainment channels. Directly comparable to Park Circus in operating multi-channel licensing for a curated classic and arthouse catalogue.
- Janus Films: Closest direct peer; US-based classic and repertory film distributor that licenses restored and classic films for theatrical exhibition worldwide. Mirrors Park Circus's curation-led, theatrical-first licensing model with a comparable focus on festival and cinema accounts.
- Arrow Films: UK-based distributor specializing in classic, cult, and arthouse cinema for theatrical, home entertainment, and digital release. Directly comparable to Park Circus in UK-anchored classic film licensing and curated repertory positioning.
Broad incumbents
- IFC Films: US indie film distributor owned by AMC Networks, operating at greater scale across theatrical, VOD, and home entertainment. Overlaps with Park Circus in independent theatrical distribution but serves a broader indie slate beyond classic cinema.
Emerging players
- MUBI: Curated streaming platform with growing theatrical distribution activity; intersects with Park Circus in classic and arthouse film curation and licensing for repertory audiences, but with a streaming-first business model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Park Circus social profiles
Digital presencePark Circus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Park Circus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Park Circus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Park Circus 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 Park Circus
What does Park Circus do?
Park Circus licenses over 25,000 classic and contemporary films to cinemas, film festivals, television networks, and digital/streaming platforms on a territory-specific basis worldwide. It provides both digital (DCP) and physical film prints, including in-house 4K restorations of classic titles. The offering is organised into four service lines — Classic Cinema, Contemporary Cinema, Festivals, and Home Entertainment — supported by a quarterly Booking Guide and curated programming collections with expert programme notes.
Is Park Circus a public or private company?
Park Circus is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Park Circus founded?
Park Circus was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Park Circus based?
Park Circus is headquartered in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Park Circus make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Theatrical Distribution is the primary driver. The others are festival Licensing, home Entertainment Rights, television Rights and digital/Streaming Rights.
Who are Park Circus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Criterion Collection, Curzon, Cohen Media Group, Oscilloscope Laboratories, BFI Distribution, Kino Lorber, Janus Films and Arrow Films. IFC Films is listed as a broad incumbent. MUBI is listed as an emerging player.
Does Park Circus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Park Circus.
What industry is Park Circus in?
Park Circus's product category is Film Distribution Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAJAJ, Non-Theatrical Distribution (Educational, Airlines, Cruise, Community). Its NAICS code is 71 and its SIC code is 7829.