ProSieben MAXX to launch BBC Earth branded block

New German free-to-air channel ProSieben MAXX is due to launch a branded block of BBC Earth content in September, after agreeing a deal with BBC commercial arm BBC Worldwide.

The agreement is for 300 hours of BBC Earth content, with the BBC Earth block to air on ProSieben MAXX twice a day on weekdays – in daytime and access primetime slots – as well as in primetime on selected Saturdays, after the channel launches on September 3.

Shows that will air on ProSieben MAXX as part of the deal include Life Below Zero, which follows the drama and hardships experienced by four Alaskan households during winter, and Deadly 60, in which British naturalist, writer and television presenter Steve Backshall travels the world to track down the deadliest animals on the planet.

Isabelle Helle, head of German-speaking Europe, BBC Worldwide said the deal “is a key part of our strategy to bring the highest-quality content and the BBC Earth brand to wider audiences in Germany.”

The deal comes after male-skewing ProSieben MAXX said earlier this week that it has also secured a long-term children’s content output deal with new m4e and Mainstream Media co-venture Yep! TV Bebtriebs.

ProSieben MAXX will broadcast on German free-TV, targeting a 30-59 male audience with US series, international documentaries and an in-house magazine series – though its Yep! block of programming will target boys aged six to 13.