SCOTT SANDERS PRODUCTIONS, INC.

What SCOTT SANDERS PRODUCTIONS, INC. does

Scott Sanders Productions, Inc. (SSP) is an independent entertainment production company founded in 2007 by producer Scott Sanders, with offices in New York and Los Angeles. The company develops and produces projects across five verticals — theater, film, television, music, and live/experiential entertainment — and serves as lead or co-producer on Broadway productions, feature films for major studios, television series, recorded-music projects, and live-event programming for retail partners.

SSP's core products are individual entertainment properties rather than a recurring platform. Theatrical productions include The Color Purple (original 2005, Tony-nominated revival 2015-2016), After Midnight (2013), Evita revival (2012), Tootsie (2018-2019), and The Pee-wee Herman Show (2010, later broadcast on HBO). Feature films include The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Walt Disney, 2012) and the In the Heights adaptation (Warner Bros., $50M rights deal closed 2018). The Color Purple feature film, produced with Warner Bros., Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones, was dated for a December 2023 theatrical release with cast announcements through 2022. Television credits trace to Scott Sanders' earlier role as president of Mandalay Television.

Revenue mechanics are project-based and largely B2B: lead-producer fees and equity participation on Broadway productions (Marquis Theatre, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Stephen Sondheim Theatre), production fees and backend participation on studio films, and licensing/broadcast fees (e.g., HBO). SSP does not publicly disclose pricing and operates with a 1-10 person core team. Productions have cumulatively grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide; the company itself has earned two Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award.

Name

SCOTT SANDERS PRODUCTIONS, INC.

Legal name

Scott Sanders Productions

Website

https://scottsandersproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scott Sanders Productions is an independent entertainment production company founded in 2007 that develops and produces Broadway theater, feature film, television, music, and live-event projects for major studios and venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entertainment Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-Action Production Management & Line Producing (MPADABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)

Keywords

• Broadway production services
• Feature film production
• Live entertainment production
• Television series production
• Music album production

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Theatrical Productions: SSP produces Broadway shows and live theatrical productions, generating revenue through ticket sales at major venues including the Marquis Theatre, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, and Cadillac Palace Theatre.
2. Film Production: SSP produces feature films for major studios including Warner Bros. and Disney, generating revenue through production fees, backend participation, and distribution deals.
3. Television Production: SSP developed and produced television series including Young Americans and Cupid, generating revenue through licensing deals with networks.
4. Music Partnerships: SSP partnered with Queen Latifah to produce The Dana Owens Album, generating revenue through album sales approaching platinum status and Grammy nominations.
5. Broadcast Rights: Productions like The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway were broadcast on HBO, generating revenue through broadcast licensing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Scott Sanders Productions is an independent entertainment production company that develops and produces Broadway theatrical productions, feature films for major studios, television series, music albums, and live-event/experiential entertainment projects. The company operates as a lead or co-producer on projects such as The Color Purple, In the Heights, Tootsie, After Midnight, Evita, and The Odd Life of Timothy Green, handling creative development, production management, talent relations, and partnership with studios, networks, and venues to bring projects to market.

Product overview

Scott Sanders Productions (SSP) is an independent entertainment production company founded in 2007, offering a diversified portfolio of production services across theater, film, television, music, and live events. The company operates as a single unified production entity rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing end-to-end production capabilities including theatrical productions (Broadway shows like Tootsie, The Color Purple, After Midnight, Evita), feature films (In The Heights, The Odd Life of Timothy Green), television series, music production partnerships, and experiential live entertainment. Productions have grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide with two Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Grammy Award to their credit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theater Production Services Full-service theatrical production services including lead producing, co-producing, and creative development of Broadway and touring productions for major venues such as the Marquis Theatre, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, and Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
• Film Production Services Feature film development and production services including co-producing and lead producing films for major studios such as Warner Bros. and Disney, generating revenue through production fees, backend participation, and distribution deals.
• Television Production Services Television series development and production services, including producing series like Young Americans and specials for networks and cable broadcasters such as HBO.
• Live Events and Experiential Entertainment Live-event and experiential entertainment production, including mall entertainment initiatives with Westfield Corporation and other large-scale live entertainment experiences.
• Music Production Services Music recording and album production partnership services, including collaboration with artists such as Queen Latifah on The Dana Owens Album, which approached platinum sales and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
• The Color Purple (Musical) Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on Alice Walker's novel, produced by Scott Sanders with Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones. Original 2005 production earned 11 Tony nominations; the 2015 revival won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical and Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.
• In the Heights (Feature Film) Feature film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, produced by Scott Sanders and released by Warner Bros. with a $50M rights deal.
• Tootsie (Musical) Musical adaptation of the 1982 Dustin Hoffman comedy film, world premiered at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre in 2018 before opening on Broadway.
• After Midnight (Musical) Cotton Club musical featuring Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars. Winner of Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Astaire Awards for Best Choreography.
• Evita (Broadway Revival) First Broadway revival of Evita in thirty years, starring Ricky Martin, Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris. Nominated for three Tony Awards and launched a successful national tour.
• The Odd Life of Timothy Green (Film) Walt Disney film written and directed by Peter Hedges, starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton.
• The Pee-wee Herman Show (Broadway) Broadway production at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre featuring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman, later broadcast on HBO.
• The Dana Owens Album Vocal jazz album by Queen Latifah, produced in a groundbreaking music partnership with SSP. Approached platinum sales status and received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions have grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Westfield CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Scott Sanders was tapped by Westfield Corporation, a $29 billion shopping center empire with 35 malls including the Westfield World Trade Center, to lead its entertainment offerings and direct entertainment for the retail chain.
• Sony Pictures EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2012 to develop and produce stage adaptations of the studio's films and to serve as a theatrical consultant. This partnership provided SSP access to Sony's film library for theatrical adaptation.
• Warner Bros.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSP partnered with Warner Bros. for the feature film adaptation of In the Heights (with a $50M deal) and The Color Purple musical film. Warner Bros. distributes these major productions globally.
• Mandalay EntertainmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Sanders launched Mandalay Entertainment with partner and chairman Peter Guber and served as president of Mandalay Television, executive producing six network series in association with Columbia TriStar.
• Lin-Manuel MirandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Sanders and Lin-Manuel Miranda partnered to produce the feature film adaptation of In the Heights. Miranda is also a producer on the project.
• Queen LatifahmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSP collaborated with Queen Latifah in a groundbreaking music partnership to record and produce her first vocal album, The Dana Owens Album, which approached platinum sales status.
• Oprah WinfreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSP partnered with Oprah Winfrey as co-producer of The Color Purple Broadway revival and the upcoming The Color Purple musical film. Winfrey is a key producing partner on these projects.
• Quincy JonescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSP partnered with Quincy Jones as co-producer of The Color Purple original Broadway production in 2005 and the musical film adaptation.
• Steven SpielbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteven Spielberg joined as producer on the The Color Purple musical film adaptation for Warner Bros., partnering with Scott Sanders, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sonia Friedman Productions: Leading independent theatrical production company producing West End and Broadway hits (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Ferryman). Direct peer to SSP — both are independent producers originating award-winning stage productions with international reach.
• Really Useful Group: Andrew Lloyd Webber's production company behind The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and Evita. Direct peer producing blockbuster Broadway/West End musicals and managing IP lifecycles across stage, film, and global tours — closely comparable to SSP's Color Purple and Tootsie franchises.
• Broadway Video: Lorne Michaels' production company spanning television (Saturday Night Live), film, and Broadway (Mean Girls, Book of Mormon). Direct peer producing across multiple entertainment verticals — same multi-platform model as SSP's theater/TV/film/live mix.
• Work Light Productions: Independent producer of Broadway and touring musicals including Come From Away and Mrs. Doubtfire. Direct peer focused on originating and touring commercial stage productions — comparable business model to SSP's Broadway + national tour strategy.
• TROIKA Entertainment: Independent Broadway and national tour producer behind Tootsie's national tour, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, and others. Direct peer operating as an independent producer of commercial stage productions with national touring reach.

Broad incumbents

• Disney Theatrical Group: Division of The Walt Disney Company producing The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen on Broadway. Broad incumbent — operates at much greater scale than SSP, but both companies produce Broadway musicals often based on film IP, which is the same playbook SSP used for Tootsie.
• Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures: Theatrical arm of Warner Bros. Discovery. Functions both as SSP's distribution partner (In The Heights, Color Purple films) and as a competitor producing stage adaptations of studio IP. Broad incumbent in the same theatrical-to-film adaptation space.
• Amblin Entertainment: Steven Spielberg's film and television production company. Co-producer with SSP on The Color Purple musical film and adjacent in the prestige musical adaptation space. Broad incumbent, but closely linked via shared partnership on SSP's flagship IP.
• Imagine Entertainment: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's diversified production company spanning film, television, and Broadway (like A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical). Broad incumbent operating with similar diversification across entertainment verticals.

Emerging players

• Level Forward: Independent Broadway and entertainment production company producing Slave Play and other recent stage works. Emerging player with overlapping Broadway producing activity, though smaller and more theater-focused than SSP's multi-vertical portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scott-sanders-productions-inc.

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 SCOTT SANDERS PRODUCTIONS, INC.