Production Insurance for TV, Commercial and Media Businesses
Practical insurance guidance for production companies arranging cover for shoots, annual production activity, equipment, liabilities and production indemnity risks.
Specialist advice for TV commercials, branded content, corporate video and media production businesses.
Specialist Production Advice
Support for production companies working across TV, commercial, branded and media projects.
Annual & One-Off Shoots
UK & Overseas Exposures
A practical guide to production insurance
Production insurance is designed for businesses involved in planning, managing and delivering TV, commercial, branded content and media productions.
Unlike a standard business package, production insurance can be built around individual shoots, annual production activity, cast, crew and contributors, locations and key props, production budgets and deadlines, and liabilities arising from live production work.
For many production companies, the main concern is not just liability insurance. It is whether the policy can respond if a shoot is interrupted, postponed, abandoned or cancelled and extra costs have to be incurred to complete it.
Who this page is for
This guide is aimed at:
- TV commercial production companies
- branded content producers
- corporate video production companies
- media production businesses
- production service companies
- freelance producers and production managers
- businesses arranging regular shoots throughout the year
Why production companies usually come to us
Most production businesses are not just looking for “public liability”.
They usually want help with one or more of the following:
- cover for annual productions or one-off shoots
- production indemnity / commercial producers indemnity
- equipment and hired-in equipment exposures
- overseas shoots or temporary travel abroad
- non-appearance concerns
- client or agency contract requirements
- specialist activities that may need prior insurer agreement
- clarity over what is and is not insured before filming starts
What production insurance can include
Public Liability
For injury to third parties or damage to third-party property arising from your business activities.
Employers’ Liability
Usually required if you employ staff.
Professional Indemnity
Can be relevant where you provide advice, creative development, planning or production management services.
Equipment Insurance
For owned production equipment.
Hired-In Equipment Cover
Important where hired kit is your responsibility.
For a more detailed breakdown of equipment hire risks, responsibilities, transit exposures and common insurance considerations, see our Equipment Hire Insurance Guide.
Production Indemnity
Often the specialist core section for production companies where the concern is interruption, postponement, cancellation or abandonment of a production.
Media / Negative / Digital Recording Cover
Can protect the financial consequences of damage to footage, negatives, videotape or digital recordings, subject to policy terms and exclusions.
Money Cover
Can apply to production money on location, subject to specific conditions and exclusions.
How production indemnity insurance works
Production indemnity is designed to protect the production budget if the production is necessarily interrupted, postponed, cancelled or abandoned by an insured cause outside the control of the production company.
In practical terms, this is why production businesses often want insurance reviewed before the shoot starts, not after.
Typical insured concerns may include:
- key non-appearance exposures
- loss of essential footage or digital media
- physical damage that creates extra completion costs
- certain additional talent or budgeted costs where contractually due
- increased costs following insured interruption, subject to the wording and schedule
This type of insurance is designed to deal with production disruption in a way that a standard business package usually does not.
Specialist extensions and endorsements that may matter
These are often the areas where production insurance becomes more specialist and where policy wording differences can matter.
- additional expenses for hiring replacement equipment after insured damage
- continuing hire charges for damaged equipment
- hired-in equipment conditions
- hired-out equipment protection subject to written hire terms
- goods in transit, including third-party carriers
- broader theft cover, still subject to exclusions
- unattended vehicle security conditions
- subcontractor insurance conditions
- limited care, custody and control extensions
- overseas or worldwide public liability extensions, sometimes including USA/Canada on restricted terms
This is often where a specialist review adds value — not every production policy is built the same way.
Common gaps and misunderstandings
Production businesses often assume that if they have liability insurance in place, they are fully covered. That is not always the case.
- no true production indemnity section
- hazardous acts or stunt work not declared in advance
- assumption that theft cover applies regardless of vehicle security
- no written trail for cast, props or location commitments
- no back-up planning for key props or animals
- subcontractor insurance not checked
- overseas paperwork or permits not properly documented
- assuming technical failure, operator error or creative dissatisfaction will always be insured
What insurers usually need before quoting
- production company name and business description
- annual production spend or shoot budget
- production types
- locations and territories
- whether work is UK-only or overseas
- cast / celebrity involvement
- any hazardous activities, stunts or unusual filming methods
- equipment values
- hired-in equipment responsibilities
- key props or specialist items
- subcontractor setup
- claims history
- contractual requirements from agency or client
What production companies should have documented before filming
Ideally, production companies should have:
- cast agreements in writing
- location permissions and agreements
- agency / client production agreements
- confirmations around key props and who provides them
- risk assessments for stunts or hazardous acts
- evidence of due diligence on key contributors
- overseas permits, visas and work permissions where needed
- written records of production meetings and changes
Related production insurance services
Depending on your production activities, one of these specialist pages may be more relevant.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common questions production companies have when arranging insurance.
Is public liability enough for a production company?
Can production insurance cover non-appearance?
What is production indemnity insurance?
Do stunts or hazardous acts need to be declared?
Yes, these often need referral in advance and may require full risk assessment information before cover is agreed.