What Cbn Films does

CBN Films is the documentary and feature-film production division of The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) religious broadcasting organization founded by Pat Robertson in 1956. Established as a distinct unit around 2013 and led by Director Erin Zimmerman, the Virginia Beach-based team produces a steady cadence of documentaries and docudramas focused on biblical history and archaeology, the founding and modern story of Israel, Christian saints and traditions, and faith-based contemporary events. Productions range from the multi-part docuseries 'Oracles of God: The Story of the Old Testament' and 'Written in Stone' to theatrical docudramas such as 'In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem' and 'The Hope: The Rebirth of Israel,' along with event-driven titles like 'The Asbury Awakening' and 'I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland.' The unit's work has earned multiple Emmy nominations and a 2017 theatrical documentary hit.

The underlying production model combines dramatic reenactments, expert interviews, archival footage, and on-location filming across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The catalog is filmed in countries including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Ireland, England, Greece, Nepal, Uganda, and Kurdistan, leveraging Erin Zimmerman's on-the-ground relationships and language fluency built during three years living in Israel. There is no disclosed proprietary technology stack beyond standard film production tooling; the differentiation rests on creative talent, subject-matter access, and the parent organization's distribution infrastructure.

CBN Films monetizes through three streams: one-time DVD and digital/streaming purchases routed through CBN's securegiving.cbn.com e-commerce storefront; theatrical distribution for flagship titles; and ongoing donor and charitable contributions to the parent 501(c)(3). The customer base is individual faith-based documentary viewers seeking educational and inspirational content, with no enterprise or institutional customers disclosed. Distribution channels include the cbnfilms.com website, CBN's television network, theatrical premieres, and direct-response phone sales, all operating under the nonprofit's brand umbrella rather than as a standalone commercial enterprise.

Name

Cbn Films

Legal name

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc.

Website

https://cbnfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CBN Films produces faith-based documentary and docudrama content on biblical history, archaeology, and Christian traditions for individual viewers, distributed via DVD, streaming, and theatrical channels within The Christian Broadcasting Network nonprofit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Documentary Films

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC), Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA), Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG)

Keywords

• Documentary film production
• Religious media production
• Biblical archaeology films
• Faith documentary series
• Docudrama filmmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DVD and Digital Sales: CBN Films generates revenue through direct sales of DVDs and digital/streaming access via CBN's securegiving.cbn.com platform. Consumers can order films like 'Oracles of God', 'The Asbury Awakening', and other productions directly.
2. Theatrical Distribution: Major documentary releases are distributed through U.S. theaters, with 'In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem' debuted in theaters in 2017 as one of the highest-grossing documentaries of the year.
3. Donor/Charitable Support: CBN is described as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, suggesting revenue is supplemented by charitable donations and viewer support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CBN Films produces faith-focused documentary and docudrama films exploring biblical history, archaeology, Israeli history, and contemporary faith-based topics such as global humanitarian work and religious awakenings. Productions are sold directly to consumers via DVDs and streaming access through the parent organization's e-commerce platform, with major releases also distributed through U.S. theatrical channels.

Product overview

CBN Films produces documentary and docudrama films focused on biblical archaeology, history, current events, and faith-based content. The portfolio includes standalone feature documentaries such as 'Oracles of God: The Story of the Old Testament,' 'The Asbury Awakening,' and 'The CBN Story,' as well as documentary series like 'Written in Stone' which encompasses multiple episodes covering Jesus of Nazareth, House of David, Secrets of the Temple, and Kings and Prophets. Productions range from historical docudramas including 'The Hope: The Rebirth of Israel,' 'In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem,' and 'Made in Israel' to contemporary documentaries like 'Outbreak' and humanitarian-focused films such as 'To Life.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oracles of God: The Story of the Old Testament Documentary following the history and archaeology of the Old Testament, from Moses and the Torah through the Israelite kingdom, with a focus on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Directed by Erin Zimmerman as part of the new docuseries.
• The Asbury Awakening Documentary recounting the true story of the 2023 Asbury University revival that began on February 8 and lasted 15 days, drawing tens of thousands of visitors worldwide.
• The CBN Story Documentary tracing the 60-year history of the Christian Broadcasting Network from its founding by Pat Robertson in 1956 to its current status as a major television ministry.
• Written in Stone Series A docuseries exploring archaeological evidence confirming biblical history, including Jesus of Nazareth, House of David, Secrets of the Temple, and Kings and Prophets.
• Outbreak Documentary exploring how a virus outbreak in China spread globally and examining the cover-up that enabled its spread.
• I Am Patrick: The Patron Saint of Ireland Four-time Emmy-nominated documentary peeling back legend and myth to tell the true story of Saint Patrick through historical reenactments filmed in Ireland and England, starring John Rhys-Davies.
• Treasures of the Second Temple Documentary tracing the historical path of the Jewish Temple treasure, including the golden menorah, from the Middle East to Europe, filmed in four countries.
• Christmas: The Story Behind the Traditions Documentary exploring the history and origins of Christmas traditions, filmed in eight different countries, from the birth of Jesus to modern celebrations.
• To Life: How Israeli Volunteers Are Changing the World Emmy-nominated documentary following Israeli volunteers in Uganda, Nepal, Greece, Kurdistan and the Palestinian territories showcasing Israeli humanitarian work.
• In Our Hands: The Battle for Jerusalem Emmy-nominated docudrama telling the story of the Six-Day War battle for Jerusalem through the eyes of Israel's 55th Paratrooper Brigade. Debuted in U.S. theaters as one of the highest-grossing documentaries of 2017.
• The Hope: The Rebirth of Israel Emmy-nominated docudrama telling the story of the half-century before Israel's rebirth, featuring Theodor Herzl, Chaim Weizmann, David Ben-Gurion, and Golda Meir.
• Made in Israel Three-time Emmy-nominated documentary exploring the roots of Israeli innovation in agriculture, medicine, and technology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest-grossing documentary of 2017
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Angel Studios: Faith-friendly film production and distribution company (successor to Pure Flix) that produces and releases theatrical films like 'Sound of Freedom' and 'The Chosen' distribution. Directly comparable as a faith-oriented film studio competing for the same audience and donor/viewer dollars.
• Kingdom Story Company: Faith-based film production company behind 'The King of Kings' (animated, 2025) and 'I Can Only Imagine'. Operates in the same faith-themed theatrical documentary/narrative feature space with a similar donor/cross-promotion model.
• Sight & Sound Theatres: Faith-based film and theatrical production company producing Bible-story stage and film productions (e.g., 'Jesus', 'Moses'). Directly comparable as a producer of biblically-themed feature content for faith audiences with theatrical/screen distribution.
• UP Faith & Family: Faith-themed streaming service operated by UP Entertainment, producing and licensing faith-content films and series. Directly comparable as a faith-content platform that competes for both content supply and audience attention with CBN Films.
• Grizzly Adams Productions: Independent documentary and faith-content production company with similar small-team production model. Comparable as a small-scale documentary producer in the values/faith space.

Broad incumbents

• Affirm Films (Sony Pictures): Sony's faith-based film label producing theatrical faith titles ('Heaven Is for Real', 'The Star', 'Paul, Apostle of Christ'). Comparable as a faith-content label, but with major-studio funding and distribution.
• Shanachie Entertainment: Independent film distributor and producer with deep faith/values-oriented catalog. Broad incumbent serving overlapping audience with documentary and faith-content distribution capabilities.

Others

• Fathom Events: Specialty theatrical distribution company that partners with theaters for event cinema, including faith-based content like 'The Chosen' theatrical releases. A distribution peer/comparator for CBN Films' occasional theatrical strategy.

Regional players

• Reel Pictures: Independent faith/family film production and distribution company producing evangelical feature films and theatrical documentaries. Comparable in mission and production scale to CBN Films' niche.

Emerging players

• Epic Pictures Group: Independent film production and distribution company with a faith/values genre label ('Believe') and DREAD Central for genre content. Comparable as an emerging independent label pursuing niche audience content with theatrical and digital distribution.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cbn-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cbn Films