Disney+ will offer more than 3,000 hours of shows from the German broadcaster
Germany’s ZDF has become the latest broadcaster to strike a content pact with Disney+ in a deal that will see thousands of hours of its shows appearing on a branded section of the streamer.
The first batch of content included in the collection – titled ZDF Films and Series – is available from today on Disney+ in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The offering is set to grow to more than 3,000 episodes and films by the end of the year, the companies said.
The deal was described as a “multi-year licensing agreement” by Disney+, which struck the partnership via the broadcaster’s commercial entity ZDF Studios.
German-produced TV series and films will be available to subscribers at no extra cost and includes crime shows such as SOKO, A Crime in Munich (aka München Mord), Murder Up North (Nord Nord Mord) and Wilsberg.
Programming will be discoverable on Disney+ via the search function and is embedded in a recognisable ZDF branding.
It also includes a provision to offer new seasons of ZDF series “only months” after their debuts on the broadcaster’s linear and streaming services.
The two companies have collabroated on programming previously, with Disney+ licensing series such as Mountain Medic (aka Der Bergdoktor) and Alpine Rescue (aka Die Bergretter), but the new pact reflects the broader trend of streamers partnering with broadcasters to expand reach.
TF1 and Netflix unveiled their deal earlier this summer, as did France Télévisions and Amazon Prime Video, while Disney+ already has a deal in the UK with ITV that sees both companies sharing each others programming.
The move in Germany will allow the streamer to add to its German offering, which includes local originals such The Interpreter of Silence and Sam – A Saxon. A local version of Call my Agent is also in the works.
Karl Holmes, general manager of Disney+ in EMEA, described the deal as “an exciting new milestone built on our collaboration with leading European broadcasters.”
He added: “We’ve long admired the distinctive storytelling of ZDF’s films and series, and we’re delighted to bring even more local content to Disney+ customers in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, offering an even richer variety of stories to enjoy.”
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