ZDF expanding pay TV channel activities after Romantic success

ZDF Enterprises says it is talking to platform operators in Europe about extend the distribution of its joint venture channel Romance TV.


ZDFE, the commercial arm of the German public broadcaster, took a stake in channel operator Mainstream Networks last April and its Romance TV channel launched on cable in Poland last September.

The channel is programmed with female-skewed content from ZDFE including Rosamunde Pilcher’s Dream Voyage and French series Seconde Chance. The shows are dubbed into Polish.
The success of the channel in Poland is encouraging Mainstream to launch it in other territories and ZDF said “concrete negotiations” are underway with platforms in Eastern Europe.
Alexander Coridass, president and CEO of ZDFE, said: “This interesting combination of international sales and distribution of Pay TV formats opens up a new and highly attractive growth market outside of Germany.”