RTL Deutschland strikes extended deal with Tele Columbus

RTL Deutschland has struck a new and extended distribution agreement with cable operator Tele Columbus that will see channels VOXup, RTLplus and Toggo Plus made available to Tele Columbus subscribers in SD and HD, and the pay TV channels RTL Crime HD and RTL Living made available in SD.

A further channel, GEO Television HD, will also be available via the networks of Tele Columbus, which operates under the PŸUR brand. Meanwhile RTL UHD will for the first time provide an ultra-high-definition channel into Tele Columbus’ central network. The UHD service can be received by PŸUR customers who have subscribed to an HD package.
As part of a comprehensive agreement, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and Tele Columbus have set out a new contractual basis for the distribution and use of all RTL television channels in the Tele Columbus Group’s networks.

The deal ensures the nationwide distribution of all linear channels in all available resolutions in the entire Tele Columbus Group network and also lays the groundwork for interactive use of RTL content on Tele Columbus’ digital TV platform.
The additional free TV HD programs will be activated for all PŸUR existing and new customers in the corresponding free TV HD packages. The new pay TV channels will be available in existing and future pay TV packages.
Oliver Schablitzki, EVP multichannel at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland said: “Our wide-ranging multichannel offering is enjoying growing popularity. With highlights from Mediengruppe RTL’s broad channel portfolio, our pay TV channels RTL Living, home of Jamie Oliver in Germany, as well as RTL Crime and GEO Television, genre fans will have access to unique German premieres. And our free TV stations Nitro, RTLplus and VOXup not only regularly achieve success in their respective core target groups, they also make a significant contribution to the overall reach of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. We are sure that with the distribution via one of the leading fibre optic network operators in Germany, we will in future inspire many new viewers to watch the great programming of our channels.”
Stefan Riedel, chief consumer officer of Tele Columbus, said: “With the new agreement, we have concluded an intensive negotiation process on the conditions of the program feed. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers an even wider range of programs thanks to the collaboration with Mediengruppe RTL and to be able to feed a channel in UHD quality into our central network for the first time. The possibility of providing new and diverse content in our network and at the same time providing additional multimedia offers enables us to further optimize the interactive offer for our customers.