WDR mediagroup


Exclusive: Beta Film & WDR Mediagroup strike sales deal

German distributor Beta Film has struck an international sales agreement with WDR Mediagroup, the commercial subsidiary of German pubcaster WDR. The deal includes worldwide distribution of WDR Mediagroup’s content with Beta Film gaining access to almost 1,000 hours of mostly crime, drama, and comedy programs. The agreement also contains movies and series from up to […]

Autentic buys WDR out of distribution JV

Munich-basesd Autentic is taking full control of the international distribution company it runs with WDR Mediagroup. The deal, financial terms of which were not disclosed, is scheduled to close on January 1, 2018, and will see Autentic Distribution become a fully-owned Autentic company. Autentic, in turn, is part of drama distributor Beta Film. Following close […]

Captive audience: the Spanish SVOD boom

Spain’s drama production sector is moving swiftly towards international television’s top tier, fuelled by the SVOD global boom. Emiliano de Pablos reports. Not so long ago, Spain’s TV drama production sector was completely driven by free-to-air TV broadcasters Mediaset España, Atresmedia and state-owned TVE. However, weighty new players, led by telco giant Telefonica’s  pay TV […]

WDR to build Little Sandman on Crosiette

Cologne’s WDR Mediagroup (WDRmg) will introduce international buyers cult German-language kids series Little Sandman to buyers at MIPTV. The bedtime show has been on air in German-speaking territories since 1959, and now pubcaster WDR has taken on international rights and will debut in Cannes. WDRmg subsidiaries RBB and RBB Media previously sold the show, and […]

German pubcaster joins blue-chip BBC series

German pubcaster WDR will coproduce BBC natural history series Ocean. WDR is already a coproducer on BBC blue chip series Africa and Wild Atlantic. Ocean is a 7x50mins series set to deliver in 2017, which follows on from Blue Planet. It will use new filming techniques such as gryo-stabilised aerial camera system, remotely operated submarines […]

ZDF, WDR prep for MIPTV’s German Focus

Key German distributors, including ZDF Enterprises and WDR Mediagroup, are prepping for a MIPTV during which there will be a Focus on Germany initiative. ZDF Enterprises, one of the sponsors of the German-themed activities alongside Red Arrow International, will launch a raft of drama in Cannes, and is also sponsoring the MIPDrama Screenings on Sunday, […]

MIPDoc Hot Pick: Top Secret Doping

Autentic Distribution, a joint venture between local pubcaster WDR mediagroup and Bavarian doc label Autentic that launched last year, brings to market a riveting exposé of alleged systematic doping that prompted the likes of CNN and the BBC to call Germany for follow-up news stories. Through testimony from banned sprinter Yuliya Stepanova and her husband, […]

WDR doping doc finds int’l homes

A German documentary about alleged wide-scale doping among Russian Olympic athletes has sold to seven broadcasters around the world. Top Secret Doping: How Russia Makes its Winners, an in-house doc for German regional pubcaster WDR, has gone to VRT in Belgium, Globo in Brazil, DR in Denmark, Kanal 2 in Estonia, Al Jazeera in the […]

Germany’s WDR adds two execs

German regional pubcaster WDR has hired two new execs who will work on its international business. Nicole Offergeld and Julia Jaensch (pictured) have both joined WDR mediagroup’s content division, reporting to Stefanie Fischer, the ex-ProSiebenSat.1 exec the broadcaster poached last year as it started on an international coproduction drive. Offergeld will be sales manager, international. […]

WDR poaches ProSiebenSat.1 exec

German regional pubcaster WDR has poached kids TV specialist Stefanie Fischer from ProSiebenSat.1 as part of a push into international coproductions. She became WDR mediagroup’s head of content on Ausgust 1. She will oversee international sales and broadcast distribution of WDR’s children’s brands and seek to exploit rights across platforms. She comes across from ProSiebenSat.1, […]