MPTV Images

What MPTV Images does

MPTV Images (legally mptv, inc., originally Sid Avery and Associates) operates a digital image archive and licensing platform specializing in 20th-century entertainment and celebrity photography. The platform hosts over 4 million images from more than 70 exclusive photographers and is positioned as an irreproducible content library used by picture professionals and collectors globally. Underlying technology is a cloud-based digital archive with image management and delivery, a user-account/lightbox system for curating collections, and supporting content properties including the InFocus blog and a YouTube channel; no native mobile app is offered and no AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The company monetizes through three streams: rights-managed image licensing priced per usage parameters (time, geography, medium, placement), a prepaid Image Credits subscription-like system (5/10/25+ packs with non-expiring credits at quantity discounts, one credit per standard image and two credits per premium image), and direct-to-consumer fine art prints in Gelatin Silver and Type-C chromogenic formats with optional museum-quality framing. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website, an affiliated gallery network (Morrison Hotel Gallery as a core channel partner in Los Angeles and New York, plus Chairish, Jackson Fine Art, and Monroe Gallery of Photography), and ten international sales agents across Europe and Japan. The company serves two primary customer segments — picture professionals (photo editors, researchers, and art buyers in publishing, broadcasting, and advertising) and fine art collectors — with named enterprise anchors including Turner Classic Movies, Vanity Fair, ITV Studios, and Morrison Hotel Gallery. MPTV Images is family-owned by the Avery family, founded by photographer Sid Avery and currently led by his son Ron Avery as president, with operations headquartered in Van Nuys, California.

Name

MPTV Images

Legal name

Sid Avery and Associates, dba mptv

Website

https://mptvimages.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MPTV Images is a family-owned stock photography agency operating a digital archive of over 4 million exclusive entertainment and celebrity images from 70+ photographers, licensing rights-managed images and selling fine art prints to picture professionals and collectors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stock Photography Licensing

NAICS

Commercial Photography (541922), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC), Photography & Photo Production (BPAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Stock photography licensing
• Entertainment photography archive
• Rights managed licensing
• Fine art prints
• Celebrity photo archive

Headquarters

HQ city

Van Nuys

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Image Licensing (Rights Managed): The company licenses images using a Rights Managed model where fees are based on specific usage parameters including time period, geography, medium, and placement. License pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on intended use.
2. Image Credits Packages: Clients who regularly use images can purchase Image Credits in increments of 5, 10, or 25 (or more) at discounted rates. Standard images require one credit while premium images require two credits. Credits do not expire and allow convenient prepaid access.
3. Fine Art Prints: The company sells fine art prints including Gelatin Silver prints (black and white on fiber based paper) and Type-C chromogenic color prints. Museum-quality framing options are available with solid wood black frames and UV Conservation Clear Plexiglass.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MPTV Images licenses and sells rights-managed entertainment and celebrity photography from an exclusive archive of over 4 million images representing more than 70 photographers, primarily serving editorial, publishing, broadcasting, and advertising clients. The company also produces and sells custom museum-quality fine art prints (Gelatin Silver and Type-C chromogenic) and offers prepaid Image Credits packages for repeat customers.

Product overview

MPTV Images is a stock photography licensing platform specializing in one of the world's most exclusive collections of entertainment and celebrity photography from the 20th century. The company operates a multi-product business model centered on image licensing (Rights-Managed), fine art print sales (Gelatin Silver and Type-C prints), and a subscription credit system (Image Credits). Supporting features include Lightboxes for digital image curation and sharing, expert research services, and the InFocus Blog. The archive contains over 4 million images from more than 60 exclusive photographers, with hundreds of new items added weekly.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Image Licensing (Rights-Managed) One-time rights-managed licenses to use specific images for defined usage terms including time period, geography, medium, print run, placement, and size. Pricing is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on intended use. Targeted at photo editors, researchers, art buyers, and creative professionals from publishing, broadcasting, advertising, and film/TV production industries.
• Fine Art Prints Custom-made museum-quality fine art prints including Gelatin Silver black-and-white prints on silver gelatin fiber-based paper (archival standards) and Type-C chromogenic color prints on Fujicolor Crystal Archive Matte paper. Available in standard and custom sizes with optional museum-quality solid wood black frames and UV Conservation Clear Plexiglass. Targeted at fine art collectors, interior designers, and gallery buyers.
• Image Credits Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million images available from 70+ exclusive photographers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• APA - Austria Presse AgenturminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustria Presse Agentur serves as MPTV's sales agent for the Austrian market, providing local editorial clients access to MPTV's image archive through their picturedesk.com and apa.at platforms.
• Profimedia.CZ, a.s.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent for Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, providing MPTV access to Central and Eastern European markets.
• TheMegaAgencyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDenmark-based sales agent representing MPTV for editorial clients in the Danish market.
• Intertopics/DDPminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent for Germany and Austria, providing MPTV editorial image distribution in German-speaking markets.
• Bureau233minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParis-based sales agent representing MPTV for French editorial clients, with contacts Michel Huescar and Tony Rubichon.
• Photomakers SrlminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian sales agent representing MPTV for editorial clients in Italy, contact Francesca Ferretti.
• Aflo Co., Ltd.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTokyo-based sales agent providing MPTV access to the Japanese market for editorial imagery licensing.
• ReportersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBelgium-based sales agent for Netherlands and Belgium, providing MPTV editorial image distribution in Benelux markets.
• Cordon PressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMadrid-based sales agent representing MPTV for Spanish market editorial clients.
• TOPFOTOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based sales agent representing MPTV for British editorial clients.
• Morrison Hotel GallerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFine art print gallery partnership at Sunset Marquis Hotel (Los Angeles) and Prince Street (New York). Proudly represents the Sid Avery archive with beautiful prints and quick fulfillment.
• ChairishminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSan Francisco-based online marketplace for fine art prints, offering MPTV decor imagery for purchase.
• Jackson Fine ArtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAtlanta-based fine art photography gallery offering MPTV prints for collectors in the southeastern US.
• Monroe Gallery of PhotographyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSanta Fe-based fine art photography gallery offering MPTV images for collectors in the southwestern US.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Redux Pictures: Editorial photo agency representing assignment and stock photographers for editorial, corporate, and brand use. Comparable to MPTV in editorial licensing model and photographer representation, though Redux is more assignment-focused.
• Everett Collection: Entertainment-focused archival photo agency licensing Hollywood and celebrity photography to editorial, publishing, and documentary clients. Directly comparable to MPTV Images in archive content, customer base, and rights-managed licensing model.
• Magnum Photos: Photography agency representing iconic photographers and licensing high-quality editorial photography for editorial and commercial use. Comparable to MPTV's exclusive photographer representation model and premium licensing positioning.
• Globe Photos: Long-standing celebrity and entertainment photo archive licensing images to media, publishers, and brands. Highly comparable to MPTV in archive focus, vintage Hollywood content, and editorial licensing customer base.
• Polaris Images: Editorial photo agency representing photographers for news, entertainment, and feature coverage. Comparable to MPTV in editorial licensing focus and photographer representation model, though with stronger news rather than entertainment/history archive.
• Morrison Hotel Gallery: Fine art gallery specializing in music and entertainment photography prints, also serving as MPTV's gallery partner. Directly comparable in entertainment photography print retail and collector customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Alamy: Stock photography marketplace with a large contributor network and editorial archive. Comparable to MPTV in serving editorial and commercial buyers, though Alamy is broader and royalty-free-leaning versus MPTV's rights-managed entertainment focus.
• Shutterstock: Global stock content marketplace offering royalty-free photography, footage, and music to enterprise and SMB customers. Overlaps with MPTV in commercial licensing but is primarily known for high-volume, royalty-free content rather than niche archival.
• Getty Images: World's largest stock photography platform with broad editorial and commercial content, including entertainment and archival footage. Competes with MPTV in editorial licensing but at a vastly larger scale and broader content mix.

Regional players

• Camera Press: Long-established British photo agency supplying celebrity, entertainment, and editorial photography to UK and international publishers. Comparable archival and editorial licensing focus, but primarily UK-based distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MPTVImages
• Xx.com/mptvimages
• Facebookfacebook.com/mptvimages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mptv-images

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 MPTV Images