What SPIEGEL TV does

SPIEGEL TV GmbH is a Hamburg-based German television production company founded in spring 1988 as the documentary and TV journalism arm of the SPIEGEL Group (SPIEGEL-Gruppe), publisher of DER SPIEGEL. The company produces documentaries, reportages, docu-dramas, and magazine-format programs for all major German public broadcasters (ARD and its regional members, ZDF, ARTE, 3sat) and private broadcasters (RTL, SAT.1, RTL ZWEI, VOX, Kabel Eins), and co-produces internationally with BBC, Discovery Channel, NHK, ZDF Enterprises, and others. Its two flagship formats are the current-affairs magazine 'SPIEGEL TV' on RTL (since 1988) and the documentary strand 'SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE' on SAT.1 (since 1990). It also co-owns two pay-TV channels: 'SPIEGEL Geschichte' (HD history channel broadcasting since 2009) and the global 'Curiosity Channel', the latter as a joint venture with Autentic and CuriosityStream.

Revenue is generated across five streams: commissioned and co-production fees from broadcasters, national and international program licensing via the in-house SPIEGEL TV Distribution sales team, pay-TV and streaming subscription revenue (Deutsche Telekom, Sunrise, T-Mobile Austria, Waipu.tv, Zattoo, plus CuriosityStream ecosystem), post-production services billed out through SPIEGEL TV Produktion GmbH, and advertising plus digital subscription revenue from YouTube exclusives and SPIEGEL+. Operationally, SPIEGEL TV runs a full in-house post-production facility with twelve Avid Media Composer editing suites, two Pro Tools audio studios with soundproof recording booths, shared centralized storage, and remote editorial supervision via Microsoft Teams. The wholly-owned SPIEGEL TV Produktion GmbH handles technical services and shared infrastructure, while SPIEGEL TV Infotainment & Fiction GmbH produces talk and factual-entertainment formats. An archive dating to 1988 — thousands of hours of German news, documentary, and historical footage in both broadcast and raw form — supports both internal productions and external clip and program licensing.

The company is privately held, with headcount of 51–100, and is led by managing directors Thomas Hass (also Chairman of the SPIEGEL-Verlag management board) and Kay Siering. It has not publicly raised external funding, has no disclosed M&A history, and operates across DACH plus selected international markets (UK, France, USA, Japan, Canada). Its principal commercial assets are the SPIEGEL editorial brand, multi-decade broadcaster relationships, a recurring commission slot structure, and the proprietary 1988-present archive.

Name

SPIEGEL TV

Legal name

SPIEGEL TV GmbH

Website

https://tv.spiegel.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SPIEGEL TV is a Hamburg-based German documentary and television production company, founded in 1988 as the TV arm of DER SPIEGEL, producing and co-producing documentaries, reportages, and formats for German public and private broadcasters and international networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Distribution (51212), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

News Magazine & Investigative Journalism Channels (MPABAIAG)

Keywords

• Documentary production services
• Television journalism
• Factual programming
• Pay-TV channels
• Post-production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commissioned and Co-Production Fees: SPIEGEL TV produces documentaries, reportages, and magazines on commission and co-production basis for German and international broadcasters (ARD, ARTE, ZDF, BBC, Discovery Channel, 3sat, RTL, SAT.1, RTL ZWEI, SRF, ORF). Revenue is earned through production fees, co-production contributions, and format licensing.
2. Program Sales and Licensing: SPIEGEL TV Distribution handles national and international sales of SPIEGEL TV's own productions. The company also licenses complete programs and provides an excerpt/clip service (Ausschnittsienst) to broadcasters, production companies, and agencies from its extensive archive.
3. Pay-TV Channel Subscriptions: SPIEGEL TV operates and co-owns subscription pay-TV channels including SPIEGEL Geschichte (HD history channel broadcasting since 2009) and Curiosity Channel (joint venture with Autentic and CuriosityStream), generating subscription revenue from platform distribution deals with Deutsche Telekom, Sunrise (Switzerland), T-Mobile Austria, Waipu.tv, and Zattoo.
4. Post-Production Services: SPIEGEL TV Produktion GmbH provides technical post-production services including video editing, audio mixing, and technical support to external clients, generating service revenue from broadcast and production industry clients.
5. Advertising and Digital Content: SPIEGEL TV generates advertising revenue through its broadcast content on free-to-air and pay-TV channels, as well as through its digital platforms including YouTube (premium exclusives for subscribers) and SPIEGEL+ (digital subscription for exclusive content).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SPIEGEL TV produces documentary, investigative journalism, and factual entertainment content for German and international broadcasters, streaming platforms, and digital channels. Core offerings include flagship magazine programs (SPIEGEL TV magazine on RTL since 1988 and SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE on SAT.1 since 1990), two pay-TV channels (SPIEGEL Geschichte and Curiosity Channel), commissioned documentaries and co-productions for ARD, ZDF, ARTE, BBC, and Discovery Channel, and an archive spanning thousands of hours of footage dating back to 1988.

Product overview

SPIEGEL TV is a German television production company and content provider operating a multi-platform media portfolio. The core offering consists of two flagship television programs: 'SPIEGEL TV' (magazine on RTL since 1988) and 'SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE' (documentary series on SAT.1 since 1990). The company operates two pay-TV channels—'SPIEGEL Geschichte' (history-focused) and 'Curiosity Channel' (science/adventure documentaries)—through joint ventures with Autentic and Curiosity Inc. Supporting services include an extensive video archive dating to 1988, a production subsidiary offering post-production facilities, and international distribution of documentary content. The company also produces commissioned documentaries for major German and international broadcasters including ARD, ZDF, ARTE, BBC, and Discovery Channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPIEGEL TV Magazin: The flagship magazine show broadcast on RTL, covering crime, extremism, politics, and society.
• SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE
• SPIEGEL Geschichte
• Curiosity Channel
• SPIEGEL TV Digital

Products and services

• SPIEGEL TV Magazine Flagship investigative TV magazine broadcast on RTL Monday late evenings since 1988, covering crime, extremism, politics, and society. The longest-running current affairs magazine in German private television, commissioned and produced by SPIEGEL TV for RTL.
• SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE Documentary series on SAT.1 focusing on human stories and social issues rather than breaking news. Airs Monday primetime since 1990, featuring authentic, in-depth coverage of German society including social services, emergency responders, and social hotspots.
• SPIEGEL Geschichte HD pay-TV channel offering comprehensive history programming in German-speaking countries. Broadcast since 2009 on Deutsche Telekom, Sunrise (Switzerland), T-Mobile Austria, Waipu.tv, and Zattoo, covering events, people, and moments of the 20th century.
• Curiosity Channel Pay-TV channel with live-action documentaries about science, technology, environment, adventure, and wildlife. Joint venture of Autentic GmbH, Curiosity Inc., and SPIEGEL TV, distributed globally as part of the CuriosityStream ecosystem.
• SPIEGEL TV Reportagen & Dokumentationen Commissioned documentary and report production service for broadcasters including ARD, ARTE, BBC, Discovery Channel, ZDF, 3sat, ORF, and SRF. Produces documentary dramas, history films, science programs, and current affairs content on a commissioned and co-production basis.
• SPIEGEL TV Infotainment Wholly-owned subsidiary SPIEGEL TV Infotainment & Fiction GmbH producing shows, talk shows, and factual entertainment formats. Notable productions include 'Gottschalks große 68er/80er Show' for ZDF and 'GESPIEGELT' for YouTube.
• SPIEGEL TV Distribution National and international distribution service handling sales of SPIEGEL TV's own productions and program licensing. Manages licensing acquisition for SPIEGEL Geschichte, SPIEGEL TV Wissen, and various SPIEGEL TV formats across genres including history, science, discoveries, and society.
• SPIEGEL TV Archiv Content library service containing thousands of hours of footage dating back to first broadcast in spring 1988, including news reports, documentaries, historical coverage, and raw materials. Offers clip licensing (Ausschnittsdienst) and full program sales to broadcasters, production companies, and agencies.
• SPIEGEL TV Produktion (Post-Production) Technical production subsidiary providing video editing suites, audio studios, and technical support. Operates 12 identically equipped Avid Media Composer editing suites with shared storage, two Pro Tools-equipped sound studios, and remote editing capabilities via Microsoft Teams. Provides post-production services to external broadcast and production industry clients.
• SPIEGEL TV Podcast: Im Verhör Investigative podcast series featuring interviews with subjects of documentary investigations. Notable seasons include 'Die Macht der Clans' and 'Im Verhör SPEZIAL – Die bösen Jungs vom Kiez'. Distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and SPIEGEL.de.

Quantifiable outcome

• International Emmy Award 2023 nomination (only German production in the 'Documentary' category)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland) – Member Broadcasters: NDR, WDR, MDR, BR, SWR, rbb, HRcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARD and its nine regional member broadcasters are among SPIEGEL TV's most important commissioning and co-production partners. SPIEGEL TV regularly produces documentaries, docu-dramas, and reportages for ARD's various channels, including 'Schabowskis Zettel', 'Der Traum von Olympia', and major ARD History productions. ARD is the largest public broadcaster consortium in Germany, reaching the majority of German TV households.
• ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZDF is a primary commissioning partner for SPIEGEL TV, producing content for numerous ZDF programming slots including Terra X, ZDFzeit, 37 Grad, plan b, WISO, ZDF.reportage, and ZDFinfo. Notable productions include 'Rätselhafte Phänomene' with Dirk Steffens, 'UNANTASTBAR – Der Kampf für Menschenrechte' with Claus Kleber, and 'Arctic Blue – Machtpoker im schmelzenden Eis'. ZDF Studios handles international distribution of SPIEGEL TV co-productions.
• ARTE (Association Relative à la Télévision Européenne)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARTE is a core co-production partner producing regular documentaries, ARTE Re: reportages, science programs, and history documentaries. Notable SPIEGEL TV/ARTE co-productions include 'Welt auf Abstand – Reise durch ein besonderes Jahr', 'NAKED – Männer, Frauen und noch viel mehr' (Grand Award winner), and 'Theresienstadt und das Lager'.
• RTL Television / RTL DeutschlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRTL is the home of the flagship SPIEGEL TV magazine show, airing on Monday late-evening slots. The SPIEGEL TV magazine is one of Germany's most successful current affairs TV shows and has been a cornerstone of SPIEGEL TV's output since 1988. RTL+ streaming platform also carries SPIEGEL TV original productions.
• SAT.1 (ProSiebenSat.1 Media)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAT.1 is the home of the SPIEGEL TV REPORTAGE, a primetime documentary strand on Monday evenings featuring in-depth social documentaries and society reports. The format has been running since 1990 and is one of Germany's most successful private TV documentary series.
• RTL ZWEIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRTL ZWEI commissions the social documentary series 'Hartes Deutschland – Leben im Brennpunkt' from SPIEGEL TV, covering poverty, homelessness, and drug addiction in German cities including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Leipzig, Bochum, Dortmund, Köln, and München.
• 3satcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor3sat commissions science and current affairs documentaries from SPIEGEL TV, including the Willi-Bleicher-Preis-winning 'Gesünder leben, besser arbeiten: Teilzeit für alle?' and other 3sat Wissenschaft productions.
• VOXcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVOX commissions large documentary features for Saturday prime-time slots from SPIEGEL TV. The four-hour factual programs have been nominated for the Grimme-Preis and Deutscher Fernsehpreis.
• BBCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe BBC is mentioned as an international co-production partner for documentary commissions, alongside Discovery Channel and other international networks. Co-productions broaden SPIEGEL TV's reach and content portfolio.
• Discovery ChannelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiscovery Channel is an international co-production partner for SPIEGEL TV documentaries, notably for the global co-production 'Äquator 360 – Die Linie des Lebens' alongside ARTE, Discovery Channel Canada, NHK Japan, and ZDF Enterprises.
• Autentic GmbH / CuriosityStreamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPIEGEL TV Geschichte+Wissen GmbH & Co. KG is a joint venture of SPIEGEL TV GmbH, Autentic GmbH, and Curiosity Inc. (parent of CuriosityStream). The venture operates the SPIEGEL Geschichte pay-TV channel (German history programming) and the Curiosity Channel (global science/adventure/wildlife programming). Autentic handles channel operations and global distribution through CuriosityStream's platform ecosystem.
• Kabel Eins, ORF (Austria), SRF (Switzerland), WDR, NDR, MDR, BR, SWR, rbb, ZDFinfocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional German and international broadcast partners include Kabel Eins (commissioned productions like 'Bundespolizei LIVE'), ORF and SRF for Swiss and Austrian broadcasting, and regional ARD members (WDR, NDR, MDR, BR, SWR, rbb) as co-production partners for various regional and national productions. ZDFinfo is the commissioning platform for documentary series like 'Die Kinder von Lügde'.
• YouTube / GooglecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYouTube is a primary digital distribution channel for SPIEGEL TV, hosting exclusive premium digital productions (SPIEGEL TV Digital series), the @derspiegel channel, and podcast content. Premium content is available to YouTube subscribers and SPIEGEL+ subscribers. Digital history productions include 'Kriegsende in Farbe', 'Das Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs – Schlachtfeld Deutschland', and 'Kein Kinderspiel – Trauma Drittes Reich'.
• SpotifyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpotify is a distribution platform for SPIEGEL TV's podcast 'Im Verhör', alongside Apple Podcasts and Amazon Music. Episodes include 'Die bösen Jungs vom Kiez' and 'Die Macht der Clans' (7-part investigative podcast).
• RTL+, ARD Mediathek (Streaming Platforms)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRTL+ (RTL Deutschland's streaming platform) and ARD Mediathek (ARD's streaming platform) are key streaming distribution channels for SPIEGEL TV premium originals, including 'Das Geheimnis der Weimar Morde – Eine neue Spur' on RTL+ and 'Me, Myself, Mallorca' on the ARD Mediathek.
• Deutsche Telekom, Sunrise (Switzerland), T-Mobile Austria, Waipu.tv, Zattoo (Pay-TV/Streaming Platforms)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSPIEGEL TV's pay-TV channels SPIEGEL Geschichte and Curiosity Channel are distributed via multiple platform partners including Deutsche Telekom (Germany's largest telco), Sunrise (Switzerland), T-Mobile Austria, and streaming services Waipu.tv and Zattoo, extending reach to subscribers across the DACH region.
• Primitive Entertainment (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPIEGEL TV co-produced the documentary series 'NAKED – Männer, Frauen und noch viel mehr' with Canadian production company Primitive Entertainment (PRIMITIVE) for ZDF and ARTE. The 6-part series won the Grand Award at the 2023 New York Festivals and was sold to National Geographic internationally.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bavaria Film: Bavaria Film is a major German film and TV production company and studio operator, producing documentaries, drama, and entertainment content for German and international broadcasters. It competes with SPIEGEL TV for documentary commissions while also offering production-facility services similar to SPIEGEL TV Produktion GmbH.
• Endemol Shine Germany: Endemol Shine Germany is the local arm of a global production giant producing entertainment, factual, and scripted content for German broadcasters including RTL and SAT.1, where SPIEGEL TV also places key formats. It overlaps with SPIEGEL TV particularly in factual entertainment and reportage commissions.
• ITV Studios Germany: ITV Studios Germany is a major international production group operating in the German market with factual and entertainment content for ARD, ZDF, RTL, and SAT.1. It competes with SPIEGEL TV for prime-time factual and documentary commissions and offers similar international co-production leverage.
• ZDF Studios: ZDF Studios is the international distribution and co-production arm of ZDF, distributing German-language programming worldwide and co-financing co-productions including many SPIEGEL TV titles (e.g., 'Äquator 360'). It is comparable to SPIEGEL TV Distribution in international sales function and is both a partner and a competitor for German factual content globally.

Direct peers

• CuriosityStream: CuriosityStream is a global factual streaming platform and SPIEGEL TV's JV partner in the Curiosity Channel. It is directly comparable in factual-documentary distribution model and competes/collaborates with SPIEGEL TV for international factual content rights and audience reach.
• UFA Fiction (UFA GmbH): UFA is one of Germany's largest TV production companies, producing prime-time entertainment, drama, and factual programming for all major German broadcasters (RTL, SAT.1, ARD, ZDF). It directly competes with SPIEGEL TV for commissioning slots and produces both scripted and unscripted content at similar scale.
• ndF: neue deutsche Filmgesellschaft: ndF is a leading Berlin-based German TV production house producing documentaries, reportages, and factual entertainment for ARD, ZDF, ARTE, and private broadcasters. It is highly comparable to SPIEGEL TV in format mix, public-broadcaster dependence, and documentary specialization.
• Autentic GmbH: Autentic is a German factual-content production and distribution company that co-owns the Curiosity Channel JV with SPIEGEL TV and CuriosityStream. It is both a partner and a direct competitor for documentary co-productions and factual-format licensing internationally.

Emerging players

• MEMENTO Films International: MEMENTO is an international documentary sales and production company handling European documentary content for global distribution. It is comparable to SPIEGEL TV Distribution in international program-sales function and overlaps in documentary genre focus.
• Story House Productions (Germany): Story House Productions is a German factual-entertainment and documentary producer serving ARD, ZDF, RTL, and ProSiebenSat.1 channels. It is comparable to SPIEGEL TV as a focused factual-content producer competing for similar commissioning budgets and slots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SPIEGELTV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/spiegeltv
• Facebookfacebook.com/SPIEGEL.T
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spiegel-tv-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

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 SPIEGEL TV