Provobis Society for Film and Television

What Provobis Society for Film and Television does

Provobis Gesellschaft für Film und Fernsehen mbH is a Berlin-based German film and television production company founded in 1961 and operating as an affiliated company of the Tellux Gruppe media conglomerate. The company develops and produces fictional and non-fictional films and series for German public broadcasters, with its core product portfolio centered on three recurring franchise pillars: the Tatort crime drama series for ARD/RBB (featuring Berlin-based investigators), the Polizeiruf 110 series for BR/ARD, and the ZDF-Märchenperlen family fairy-tale television movies for ZDF (including titles such as Rapunzel, Schneewittchen, Dornröschen, and Das Märchen vom Frosch und der goldenen Kugel). Beyond these flagship franchises, Provobis produces standalone drama feature films for NDR, ARD Degeto, and ARTE (e.g., Hanne, Mein Falke, Mein Altweibersommer), maintains a film-heritage restoration initiative (digitally reissuing Sohrab Shahid Saless works), and releases supplementary audio drama (Hörspiel) adaptations of fairy-tale titles.

The company's underlying technology is conventional film and television production rather than a software platform: it coordinates creative talent (directors, cast), physical production across four regional offices (Berlin headquarters, Cologne, Munich, Hamburg), and post-production workflows that result in broadcast-ready television films and theatrical features. International distribution is handled through ZDF Studios as world-sales agent, and selected co-productions are executed with MIA Film (Czech Republic) and co-financed by the Czech State Cinematography Fund, Polish Film Institute, and regional German funds such as nordmedia.

Provobis earns revenue through professional-services production fees, broadcaster co-production agreements, and broadcast/public-mediathek licensing with German public broadcasters (ARD network, ZDF, ARTE) and international licensees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set in commissioned production deals rather than through consumer pricing. Management is led by Managing Directors (Geschäftsführer) Martin Choroba and Philipp Schall, and the company is a member of Produzentenallianz, Charta der Vielfalt, and Deutsche Akademie für Fernsehen.

Name

Provobis Society for Film and Television

Legal name

PROVOBIS Gesellschaft für Film und Fernsehen mbH

Website

https://provobis.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Provobis is a Berlin-based German film and TV production company (founded 1961) producing Tatort and Polizeiruf 110 crime series, ZDF fairy-tale films, and dramatic features primarily for German public broadcasters, operating as a subsidiary of Tellux Gruppe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV Production Co-productions: Co-productions with major German broadcasters including ZDF, ARD, rbb, NDR, BR, and ARTE for television films, crime series, and fairy tale productions

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PROVOBIS Gesellschaft für Film und Fernsehen mbH is a Berlin-based production company that develops and produces fictional and non-fictional films and television series for German public broadcasters. Its core output includes flagship crime drama episodes for the Tatort (ARD/rbb) and Polizeiruf 110 (BR/ARD) franchises, family fairy tale TV movies under the ZDF-Märchenperlen label, dramatic feature films for ARD Degeto/NDR/ARTE, and digitally restored classic films as part of a film heritage initiative.

Product overview

PROVOBIS Gesellschaft für Film und Fernsehen mbH is a film and television production company founded in 1961 in Berlin, operating as part of the TELLUX Group. The company functions as a content creator and producer across multiple media formats, specializing in fictional and non-fictional films and series. Its core portfolio includes the Tatort crime drama series for ARD/RBB featuring Berlin investigators, the Polizeiruf 110 series for BR/ARD, and the ZDF-Märchenperlen (ZDF Fairy Tale Pearls) family fairy tale films produced for ZDF including Rapunzel und die Rückkehr der Falken, Dornröschen und der Fluch der siebten Fee, Schneewittchen und der Zauber der Zwerge, and Das Märchen vom Frosch und der goldenen Kugel. The company also produces dramatic feature films such as Hanne, Mein Falke, and Mein Altweibersommer for ARD/ARTE/NDR, and maintains a film heritage initiative restoring classic works by Sohrab Shahid Saless. Associated audio drama (Hörspiel) adaptations of fairy tale productions are distributed as supplementary content. PROVOBIS operates production offices in Berlin (headquarters), Cologne, Munich, and Hamburg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tatort Series Crime drama television series produced for ARD/Das Erste and RBB, with each episode featuring investigators (Nina Rubin, Robert Karow, and later Susanne Bonard) solving murder cases set in Berlin. Aimed at German prime-time public broadcast audiences.
• Polizeiruf 110 Series Crime investigation television series produced for ARD, featuring investigators Cris Blohm (Johanna Wokalek) and Dennis Eden (Stephan Zinner) solving criminal cases set primarily in Munich. Aimed at German prime-time public broadcast audiences.
• ZDF-Märchenperlen (Fairy Tale Films) Family fairy tale television movies produced for ZDF based on classic stories including Rapunzel und die Rückkehr der Falken, Dornröschen und der Fluch der siebten Fee, Schneewittchen und der Zauber der Zwerge, and Das Märchen vom Frosch und der goldenen Kugel. Distributed internationally as audio dramas and theatrical releases. Aimed at family audiences and holiday programming slots.
• Mein Falke (Feature Film) Drama feature film produced for NDR and ARTE, starring Anne Ratte-Polle as a forensic biologist who discovers family secrets while caring for a falcon. Targeted at European public broadcast and festival audiences.
• Mein Altweibersommer (Feature Film) Drama feature film produced for ARD Degeto, starring Iris Berben as a woman who embarks on a transformative journey after a vivid dream. Targeted at German prime-time public broadcast audiences.
• Hanne (Feature Film) Drama feature film produced for NDR and ARTE, starring Iris Berben as a newly retired woman confronting a medical diagnosis. Won the 56. Grimme-Preis in 2020 in the Fiktion category. Targeted at European public broadcast and festival audiences.
• Restored Classics (Sohrab Shahid Saless Films) Digitally restored classic German films by Sohrab Shahid Saless, including Reifezeit (1976) and In der Fremde (1975), preserved as part of a film heritage initiative. Targeted at cinema heritage audiences and festival programming.
• Audio Dramas / Hörspiele Audio drama (Hörspiel) adaptations of ZDF-Märchenperlen fairy tale films released on audio streaming platforms, narrated by actors such as Désirée Nosbusch. Distributed as supplementary content to the television fairy tale productions.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary broadcast partner for fairy tale productions (ZDF-Märchenperlen) and other TV movies. ZDF co-produces and broadcasts productions including Rapunzel und die Rückkehr der Falken and Dornröschen und der Fluch der siebten Fee.
• ARD Degeto / RBBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor production partner for Tatort series and other ARD productions. ARD Degeto commissions productions for Das Erste channel including Tatort: Das Mädchen, das allein nach Haus' geht.
• MIA Film (Czech Republic)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular co-production partner based in Prague/Czech Republic. Co-produces fairy tale adaptations and other productions. Supported by Czech State Cinematography Fund.
• NDRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth German broadcaster partner for productions including Mein Falke. Co-produces drama films for ARD network.
• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBavarian broadcaster partner for Polizeiruf 110 series including Jenseits des Rechts. commissions crime dramas for ARD.
• ZDF StudioscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution and world sales agent for productions. Handles global licensing and distribution of content including fairy tale adaptations.
• Tellux GruppecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and corporate group. Provobis is an affiliated company of the Tellux Group, a German media conglomerate.
• Polish Film InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-financier for productions including Mein Altweibersommer. Provides funding support for Polish-German co-productions.
• Tschechischer Staatsfonds der KinematografieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech State Cinematography Fund provides production funding for co-productions filmed in Czech Republic including fairy tale adaptations.
• ARTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean culture channel co-produces drama productions including Hanne and Mein Falke for German-French broadcaster.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UFA Fiction: UFA Fiction is one of Germany's largest TV production companies, producing prime-time series, crime dramas, and event television for ARD, ZDF, RTL, and streaming platforms. Directly comparable as a long-established, multi-format German TV production house serving the same public-broadcaster commissioners.
• Bavaria Film: Bavaria Film is a major Munich-based production and studio complex producing Tatort, Polizeiruf 110, and other prime-time content for German public broadcasters. Directly comparable given shared franchise work (Polizeiruf 110) and public-broadcaster dependence.
• Studio Hamburg: Studio Hamburg is a Hamburg-headquartered production group producing Tatort episodes and other premium content for NDR/ARD, alongside fiction, documentary, and animation. Comparable as a regional multi-format German production company with public-broadcaster anchor relationships.
• Constantin Film: Constantin Film produces theatrical films, TV movies, and series for German and international markets, including premium crime and family content. Comparable as a long-established German production company operating across TV and theatrical formats.
• Polyphon Film- und Fernsehgesellschaft: Polyphon produces Tatort, Polizeiruf 110, and other event programming for German public broadcasters from its Hamburg and Leipzig bases. Directly comparable given shared work on the same crime franchises.
• Wiedemann & Berg Film: Wiedemann & Berg produces high-end TV series, films, and event programming for German broadcasters and international platforms including Netflix. Comparable as a premium German TV/film producer working with public broadcasters and streamers.
• Rat Pack Filmproduktion: Rat Pack Filmproduktion produces event television, TV movies, and series for German broadcasters including Tatort commissions. Comparable as a mid-sized German independent production company with public-broadcaster dependence.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion: Letterbox produces prime-time TV movies, crime dramas, and family films for ARD, ZDF, and ARTE. Comparable given shared public-broadcaster clientele and similar fiction/crime/event-TV focus.

Broad incumbents

• ZDF Studios: ZDF Studios is the commercial distribution and co-production arm of ZDF, handling international sales of Provobis productions and operating a much larger global content business. Comparable as the partner/distributor of Provobis's content into global markets.

Emerging players

• MIA Film: MIA Film is a Czech production company that is Provobis's regular co-production partner on fairy tale and family content. Comparable as a cross-border co-production collaborator supporting Provobis's international shoots.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/provobisfilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/provobisfilm
• Instagraminstagram.com/provobisfilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Provobis Society for Film and Television