Pax8 has stepped into the director’s chair — and into a new chapter of IT channel storytelling. The company on May 5 is launching a new documentary series, MSP Legends. The YouTube series offers a behind-the-scenes view of the people, partnerships, and passion that drive the managed services industry. Industry influencer Rob Rae said this story was just waiting to be told.
“A documentary series showing our industry’s best and brightest is long overdue,” the corporate vice president of community and ecosystems for Pax8 told ChannelPro. “In my opinion, this should have been done years ago to show the value and community that MSPs have built and how our industry continues to grow rapidly.”
Season 1 of MSP Legends centers on Rae himself, a channel staple known as much for his thought leadership as for his ability to galvanize a room full of partners. Through Rae’s perspective, the series explores how MSPs collaborate, innovate, and help shape a high-growth ecosystem that powers small and midsized businesses (SMBs) worldwide.
A Timely Tribute to a Maturing Market
The series arrives at a pivotal moment for the channel. Business Research Insights reported that the global SMB IT spending market hit $243.32 billion in 2024. It’s expected to climb to $261.29 billion by 2033, per the report.
Service providers sit at the center of this growth, delivering scalable, secure IT solutions that help SMBs operate efficiently and compete effectively.
Rob Rae
“MSPs did a ton of work with little credit or recognition,” Rae told ChannelPro. “Now, we are on the verge of seeing our first billion-dollar MSP in the market. The world needs to know about what I think is the best-kept secret in IT.”
The emergence of AI has also helped elevate the MSP space to new levels of relevance. “SMB users always seemed to be the last to get new innovation,” Rae said. “With AI, the SMB ecosystem has the opportunity to lead the charge. Our MSP community is the driver of this prosperity.”
Not Just Recognition, but Momentum
The intent behind MSP Legends is not just to entertain or commemorate. It’s to create forward motion.
“Our team at Pax8 Studios wanted to give our audiences a new and different way to learn more about the MSP community and its impact on small businesses,” Nick Yardley, Pax8 Studios senior executive producer, said in a prepared statement. “The exciting thing about this series is that we get to feature legendary figures in this high-growth ecosystem, and Rob Rae is the perfect fit for Season 1.”
Future seasons will feature the perspective of other channel leaders, Yardley added. They will offer more color on the community that Rae calls “the best space to work, grow, and innovate.”
The inaugural season ends with a behind-the-scenes look at Pax8’s annual Beyond conference, offering viewers a deeper understanding of how vendor-MSP collaboration continues to evolve.
One of the Guys — and a Legend
Rae’s selection as the series’ first focal point is no accident. Few people have spent as much time championing the MSP cause, whether onstage, in boardrooms, or across event halls.
“Rob has always been a visionary and a motivator,” said ChannelPro Founder and Publisher Michael Siggins. “He’s one of the guys — someone who has earned the industry’s respect through authenticity and action. If you’re building a documentary about the MSP community, you start with Rob.”
Joel Zaidspiner, vice president and associate publisher at ChannelPro, agreed. “We’ve known Rob for years, and he’s always been a force for good in the channel. He has this rare combination of strategic thinking and on-the-ground understanding that makes him incredibly impactful.”
That impact resonated with Corey Kirkendoll, president and CEO of 5K Technical Services. “I have been part of the MSP community for nearly 20 years, and I am so excited to see a video series focused on us, featuring the legend, Rob Rae, that showcases the way we do business, support our SMB clients and collaborate together,” Kirkendoll said in a prepared statement. “Pax8 takes the lead in innovation and now they’re taking the lead in show business by putting our IT channel on the map with this cool documentary series. That’s really something special.”
A Stage and a Spotlight for the Community
Rae told ChannelPro he sees MSP Legends as a way to put the channel on a bigger stage, one that showcases not just its economic value, but its culture.
“We aim to bring more attention to the MSP community and this segment of the channel to attract more investment, more respect and continue to build the community. People are now seeing the success of MSPs and going to work for them. We’re going to shed more light on that evolution.”
MSP Legends is available on the Pax8 YouTube channel. The four-part season includes stories of success, collaboration, and change. It gives the broader business world a look into a channel that has long flown under the radar. It offers a sneak peek into the industry that powers the economy from behind the scenes.
Images: Pax8
