Sky Deutschland to launch three new HD channels

Gary Davey

Sky Deutschland is gearing up to launch three new high definition channels – two movie networks and one channel dedicated to crime series and documentaries. 

Sky Cinema+1 HD, Sky Cinema+24 HD and RTL Crime HD will go live on the Sky Deutschland platform on September 25.

Sky Cinema+1 HD and Sky Cinema+24 HD are both catch-up feeds of the Sky Cinema HD film channel – the former airing content on a one-hour delay and the latter showing films on a one-day delay. The two new channels will be available in the Film HD package for Sky satellite and IPTV customers, as well as on some cable networks.

RTL Crime HD will be dedicated to crime thrillers and international documentaries and will air series such as the UK’s Ripper Street and, from October, acclaimed drama The Killing.

The new channel will be available as part of the Sky Welt package for Sky HD customers with a satellite or IPTV connection.

Sky Deutschland said that all programming on RTL Crime HD will be offered without commercial interruption, much of it with the option of viewing in German or the original language.

“More than 30% of the top movies of 2014 were viewed on the channels Sky Cinema+1 and Sky Cinema+24. In future, these broadcasts will also be available in brilliant HD,” said Gary Davey, executive vice president programming at Sky.

He added: “With RTL Crime HD, we look forward to providing outstanding international crime and action formats in top video and sound quality – the majority of them as exclusive German TV premieres.”