Story House Productions

What Story House Productions does

Story House Productions is an American-German television production company headquartered in Berlin with a second office in Grünwald (Munich area). Founded circa 2000, the company operates two divisions: Story House Productions, focused on documentaries, factual entertainment, and reality formats, and Story House Pictures, focused on premium fiction and scripted drama. It is a 100% subsidiary of the Bavaria Film Gruppe, one of Germany's largest independent media conglomerates, with operational sites in Berlin and at the Bavaria Film studios.

The company's portfolio spans multi-season factual franchises ('Trucker Babes', 15+ seasons on Kabel Eins; 'The True Story Of' documentary series on 3sat/ZDFinfo; 'Besseresser' food investigations on ZDF), premium historical fiction ('Sisi', four seasons on RTL+/RTL; 'Mozart/Mozart' with ARD/ORF), and investigative documentaries ('Putin's Warriors' for ZDF with Correctiv). Production capabilities are vertically integrated, covering multi-camera production, editing, VFX, DI/color grading, mastering, and rights clearance in-house. Content is commissioned primarily by major German broadcasters (ZDF, ARD, RTL family, Kabel Eins, ProSieben, DMAX, 3sat) and streamed on RTL+, Joyn, and ARD Mediathek, with global distribution handled by Beta Film and Bavaria Media.

Revenue is generated through project-based production fees from broadcaster commissions and co-productions, supplemented by international licensing and distribution income. Pricing is negotiated per-project and not publicly disclosed. The company operates a traditional enterprise sales-led go-to-market, anchored in long-standing relationships with German and Austrian public broadcasters and a growing premium-fiction franchise distributed globally.

Name

Story House Productions

Legal name

Story House Productions GmbH

Website

https://storyhousepro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Story House Productions is an American-German TV production company (100% subsidiary of Bavaria Film Gruppe) producing documentaries, factual entertainment, and premium fiction for major German broadcasters (ZDF, ARD, RTL) and streaming platforms, with global distribution via Beta Film.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

akta.pro primary industry

Docuseries & Episodic Nonfiction (TV/Streaming) (MPADADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scripted TV Series Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAB), Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)

Keywords

• Television production services
• Documentary series production
• Fiction series production
• Factual entertainment content
• Broadcast content creation

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. TV Production Services: Production fees earned from creating documentary, factual entertainment, and fiction content commissioned by German and international broadcasters. Revenue is project-based, generated through co-production agreements, commission deals, and service productions with major TV networks and streaming platforms.
2. International Co-productions: Revenue from premium fiction series co-produced with ARD, ORF, and distributed globally by Beta Film/Bavaria Media. Includes licensing fees and distribution revenues from flagship productions like 'Sisi' and 'Mozart/Mozart'.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Story House Productions develops and produces documentary, factual entertainment, reality, and premium fiction television content for major German broadcasters (ZDF, ARD, RTL, ProSieben, Kabel Eins, DMAX) and streaming platforms (RTL+, Joyn, ARD Mediathek). The company operates two divisions — Story House Productions for documentaries/factual formats and Story House Pictures for scripted drama — and is the only established American-German production company active in both markets, with flagship brands including the SISI historical drama and the Trucker Babes reality series.

Product overview

Story House Productions is an American-German television production company with two divisions: Story House Productions (documentaries, factual entertainment) and Story House Pictures (fiction/drama). The company specializes in diverse documentary formats including the 'True Story Of' biographical series, food investigation series ('Besseresser'), reality shows ('Trucker Babes'), and premium fiction dramas ('SISI', 'Mozart/Mozart'). Productions span factual documentaries, scripted series, reality television, podcasts, and feature documentaries covering history, science, food, and lifestyle topics. The company produces content for major German broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, RTL, ProSieben, Kabel Eins) and international partners (Beta Film, ORF).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The True Story Of: Documentary series franchise examining biographies of famous personalities (Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Pamela Anderson, etc.)
• Besseresser
• Happy Fingerhuths – Der Camping Podcast
• Mozart/Mozart

Products and services

• SISI Historical drama series following the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary (Sisi). Currently in its 4th season, produced for RTL+/RTL and co-produced with Beta Film for global distribution.
• Mozart/Mozart Six-part premium series focusing on Maria Anna Mozart, the forgotten older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus. Co-produced with ARD and ORF, targeting female empowerment themes.
• The True Story Of Documentary series franchise exploring the true stories behind famous personalities. Broadcast on 3sat and ZDFinfo since 2022.
• Trucker Babes – 400 PS in Frauenhand Long-running reality documentary series featuring female truck drivers. Currently in its 15th season on Kabel Eins.
• Besseresser Food documentary series featuring food expert Sebastian Lege investigating food industry practices. Broadcast on ZDF/ZDFinfo.
• Putin's Warriors (Putins Krieger) Four-part documentary series produced for ZDF in cooperation with research network Correctiv, featuring interviews with Russian defectors.
• Nordkoreas Geheimnisse Documentary series exploring North Korean secrets, including 'Die Waffen des Diktators' and 'Blick in ein verschlossenes Land'. Produced for ZDF and ZDFinfo.
• Mythos – Die größten Rätsel der Geschichte Documentary series exploring history's greatest mysteries including Atlantis, Bermuda Triangle, vampires, Bigfoot, pyramids, and more. Three seasons on ZDFinfo.
• Die Camper Schmiede Documentary series following German camper conversion workshops, featuring custom builds, van conversions, and expedition vehicles. Broadcast on DMAX.
• TERRA X – Söhne der Sonne Three-part documentary series exploring the rise and fall of ancient American empires: Maya, Aztecs, and Incas. Produced for ZDF.
• TERRA X – Die großen Fragen Two-part documentary series hosted by Harald Lesch exploring fundamental human questions. Produced for ZDF.
• Galileo Daily Daily documentary segments produced for ProSieben's Galileo magazine covering various topics including technology, science, and lifestyle.
• Galileo X-Plorer: Wohnträume Documentary series exploring extraordinary homes and living spaces around the world, part of the ProSieben Galileo franchise.
• Better than Beef by Maya Leinenbach Documentary format featuring food influencer Maya Leinenbach exploring plant-based and sustainable food topics; available in ARD Mediathek.
• Besseresser goes Schule – Lege packt's an Format where food expert Sebastian Lege visits schools to examine school food quality, produced for ZDF.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sisi achieved Excellent rating and won 3 Jupiter Awards (2022) with 5 German Television Award nominations (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• Bavaria Film GruppecoreOthersStory House Productions is a 100% subsidiary of Bavaria Film Gruppe. The Bavaria Film Group is one of Germany's largest independent media companies, providing corporate infrastructure, shared services, and production facilities including the famous Bavariafilmplatz studios in Grünwald.
• Beta FilmflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeta Film handles global sales and international distribution for Story House Pictures' premium fiction series, including 'Sisi' (co-produced with RTL) and the new 'Mozart/Mozart' series with ARD/ORF.
• ARD (WDR/SWR/ARD Degeto Film)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerARD (German public broadcaster consortium) is co-producer of flagship series 'Mozart/Mozart' (under WDR/SWR/ARD Degeto Film leadership) and other documentary productions. ARD is described as 'the largest public broadcaster in Europe.'
• ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustria's public broadcaster ORF is co-producer of 'Mozart/Mozart' premium series alongside ARD and Story House Pictures.
• Bavaria MediamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBavaria Media handles world distribution for 'Mozart/Mozart' in distribution partnership with Beta Film.
• CorrectivmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman investigative research network Correctiv collaborated with Story House Productions and ZDF on the documentary series 'Putin's Warriors – Russian Defectors Unpack', providing journalistic research support for access to Russian military defectors.
• Dreaming Sheep CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Mozart/Mozart' series alongside ARD, ORF, and Story House Pictures.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UFA GmbH: Germany's largest television production company and a subsidiary of RTL Group (Bertelsmann). UFA produces scripted, reality, and entertainment content for the same set of German broadcasters that buy from Story House (RTL, VOX, NITRO), making it the most direct head-to-head competitor in the German production market.
• Studio Hamburg: Major German film and television production group with a similar scale and broadcaster-driven business model. Produces scripted and factual content for ARD, NDR, ZDF, and streaming platforms, directly overlapping with Story House's customer base and genre mix.
• Wiedemann & Berg Film: Premium German scripted production house behind series such as 'Dark' (Netflix) and 'The Billion Dollar Code'. Comparable to Story House Pictures in pursuing high-end German-language scripted series for both public broadcasters and international streaming platforms.
• Endemol Shine Germany (Banijay Germany): Local arm of global format giant Banijay, producing reality, entertainment, and scripted formats for German broadcasters including RTL, ProSieben, and SAT.1. Direct competitor in the unscripted/reality space where Story House's Trucker Babes and Die Camper Schmiede operate.
• Constantin Film: Long-established German production and distribution company producing feature films, TV series, and entertainment content for German broadcasters and cinemas. Comparable as a German-language scripted and entertainment producer serving the same commissioning market.
• ITVP (Tele München Group): German production company producing scripted series, comedy, and entertainment formats for major German broadcasters including ProSieben, SAT.1, and RTL. Overlaps directly with Story House in the commercial-broadcaster scripted and entertainment space.
• Redseven Entertainment: Germany-based production company (part of the Red Arrow Studios / ProSiebenSat.1 ecosystem) producing factual entertainment, reality, and lifestyle programming. Comparable to Story House's factual/reality formats sold to commercial broadcasters like Kabel Eins and DMAX.

Broad incumbents

• Fremantle: Global content producer and distributor (RTL Group / Bertelsmann) operating across drama, entertainment, factual, and documentary. While far larger and broader, Fremantle's German operations and global documentary division are a natural reference point for Story House's ambitions to scale German-language content internationally.

Others

• Beta Film: Munich-based international distribution company that handles global sales for Story House's premium fiction (Sisi, Mozart/Mozart). Acts as both a flagship distribution partner and a benchmark for international content monetization from German-language productions.
• Bavaria Film Gruppe: Parent conglomerate of Story House Productions and one of Germany's largest independent media companies, operating the Bavariafilmplatz studios. Adjacent ecosystem participant whose strategic decisions directly shape Story House's positioning rather than competing with it on commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StoryHouseProductions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/story-house-productions-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/storyhouseproductions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Story House Productions