Kobalt Productions
Kobalt Productions is a Berlin-based independent television production house developing and producing premium cultural, documentary, and concert programming for German-language public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Arte, 3sat) and select European public-broadcaster co-producers, with ~60 staff across production, documentary, design, and post-production subsidiaries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kobalt Productions does
Kobalt Productions GmbH is a Berlin-based independent television production company founded in 1997 by Stefan Mathieu, Tita von Hardenberg, and Michael Khano, operating today with approximately 60 staff including editors, cameramen, cutters, designers, directors, and online specialists. The company develops and produces television formats, documentaries, cultural magazines, reportages, and live concert programming, primarily for German-language public broadcasters (ARD/Das Erste, ZDF, Arte, 3sat) and several ARD regional members (rbb, NDR, WDR, SWR, MDR). Its portfolio includes recurring cultural formats such as aspekte, Terra X, Tracks East, Arte Re, 3sat Kulturdoku, BERLIN live, Hope@Home, Lebenslieder, and the YouTube documentary series 'Masha On Russia'. Kobalt is organized as a group with three operating subsidiaries: Kobalt Kreation (corporate films, on-air graphics, advertising, and VFX/high-end design for clients such as Deutsche Bahn and ARD Themenwochen), Kobalt Documentary (documentary films and international co-productions, spun off in 2015), and Kobalt Images (filming and post-production services). Revenue is generated project-by-project on a professional-services basis from broadcaster commissions and corporate clients; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is exclusively through public-broadcaster linear slots and digital platforms (ARD Mediathek, ZDF Mediathek, Arte Concert, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok). The firm is privately held under the Kobalt Konzept GmbH holding company, with no external equity investment disclosed.
Kobalt Productions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kobalt Productions
- Legal name
- Kobalt Productions GmbH
- Website
- https://kobalt.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kobalt Productions is a Berlin-based independent television production house developing and producing premium cultural, documentary, and concert programming for German-language public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Arte, 3sat) and select European public-broadcaster co-producers, with ~60 staff across production, documentary, design, and post-production subsidiaries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kobalt Productions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Television Production
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action) (MPADABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Commercial Production Companies (Live-Action) (MPAAAMAA)
Keywords
Where Kobalt Productions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kobalt Productions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Television Production Services: Kobalt generates revenue by producing original television programming for public broadcasting partners including ARD, ZDF, Arte, and 3sat. Revenue is project-based, earned through development, production, and delivery of documentary series, cultural magazines, concert events, and current affairs programming.
- Design and Advertising Services: Through subsidiary Kobalt Kreation, the company produces corporate films, on-air graphics, and advertising campaigns for clients including ARD Themenwochen, Deutsche Bahn, and other institutional advertisers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kobalt Productions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kobalt Productions is a Berlin-based independent production house that develops and produces television formats, documentary and reportage series, live concert programming, and broadcast designs (on-air graphics, VFX) for German-speaking public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Arte, 3sat). It also produces corporate films, image campaigns, and advertising through subsidiary Kobalt Kreation, and documentary films and international co-productions through subsidiary Kobalt Documentary.
Product overview
Kobalt Productions is a leading independent German television production company offering a portfolio of distinct products: the core TV production business handles television formats, documentaries, and reportages; Kobalt Kreation provides corporate films, advertising, and VFX/high-end design services; Kobalt Documentary specializes in documentary films and international co-productions; and the concert division produces live music programming (BERLIN live, Hope@Home, Hauskonzerte, Introducing). The company produces cultural magazine series (Tracks East, aspekte, Terra X, 3sat Kulturdoku), documentary formats (Arte Re:, Masha On Russia), and social media content. The portfolio spans Polylux (historic flagship format 1997-2009), documentary films, and online video content for platforms including ARD, ZDF, Arte, 3sat, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kobalt Kreation: Focuses on corporate films, on-air graphics, and advertising
- Kobalt Documentary
- Kobalt Images
Products and services
- Tracks East Cultural magazine series produced for Arte featuring Eastern European cultural practitioners, exploring cultural identities and conflict lines in the post-socialist space.
- Arte Re: Half-hour daily documentary report series produced for Arte, telling major current European stories through compelling protagonists.
- aspekte Cultural magazine produced for ZDF featuring interviews with cultural figures from literature, art, music, theater, and cinema, and exploring societal debates.
- Terra X Documentary series produced for ZDF exploring mysterious cultures of the Orient through ruins of fallen empires, hosted by Orientalist Daniel Gerlach.
- 3sat Kulturdoku Cultural documentary series produced for 3sat covering music, art, literature, and politics.
- Masha On Russia YouTube documentary series exposing Kremlin propaganda, self-described as 'Russian Propaganda for Advanced Viewers'.
- BERLIN live Concert series featuring world-famous musicians performing bi-weekly at a Neukölln venue, broadcast on Arte.
- Hope@Home Living room concert series by violinist Daniel Hope, launched during COVID-19 lockdowns to support the live music scene.
- Lebenslieder Cultural format where singer Max Mutzke explores the songs that have shaped the lives of invited guests.
- Hauskonzerte Concert series sending bands to perform at fans' homes for emotional and intimate performances.
- Introducing Monthly event showcasing promising music newcomers performing live before an audience.
- Kobalt Documentary Wholly-owned subsidiary specializing in documentary film production and international co-productions, founded in 2015.
- Kobalt Kreation Wholly-owned subsidiary offering corporate films, on-air graphics, advertising campaigns, and high-end editing for commercial and institutional clients.
- Social Media Content Production Social media content production service producing targeted short-form video, explainers, and creative concepts for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, including Arte social media content.
- VFX & High-End Design Visual effects and high-end design services for broadcast campaigns (e.g., ARD Themenwochen) and corporate branding projects such as Deutsche Bahn, delivered through Kobalt Kreation.
Companies that use Kobalt Productions
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kobalt Productions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kobalt Productions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Eco MediaminorPartnership with Eco Media and Spiegel TV for the pan-European documentary 'Flucht nach Europa – Der Winter' examining the refugee crisis in Europe.
- Spiegel TVminorThree-way production partnership with Eco Media and Spiegel TV for the European perspective on the refugee crisis documentary series.
- rbb/Rundfunk Berlin-BrandenburgcoreRegional broadcaster partner co-producing content including Lebenslieder cultural format and Becoming Nawalny documentary for ARD/Arte distribution.
- NDR/Norddeutscher RundfunkcoreCo-producer of Grönemeyer documentary 'Alles bleibt anders' alongside WDR and ARD.
- WDR/Westdeutscher RundfunkcoreCo-producer of Grönemeyer documentary 'Alles bleibt anders' alongside NDR and ARD.
- SWR/SüdwestrundfunkcoreCo-producer of TTT Reportage 'Mama, Bossbabe, Office Girl' alongside MDR, RBB, and ARD.
- MDR/Mitteldeutscher RundfunkcoreCo-producer of TTT Reportage 'Mama, Bossbabe, Office Girl' alongside SWR, RBB, and ARD.
- NDR/Norddeutscher RundfunkcoreCo-producer of Sobibor documentary 'Anatomie eines Vernichtungslagers' alongside Arte.
- SRF/Schweizer Radio und FernsehenminorSwiss broadcaster co-producer of Meret Oppenheim documentary alongside SRF, RTS, AVRO, and SVT.
- RTS/Radio Télévision SuisseminorSwiss French broadcaster co-producer of Meret Oppenheim documentary.
- ORF/Oesterreichischer RundfunkminorAustrian broadcaster co-producer of 'Wir sind Demokratie!' documentary.
- Daniel HopeminorStar violinist whose Hope@Home concert series was produced by Kobalt during the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring guest appearances and living room concerts.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kobalt Productions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Spiegel TV GmbH:
- Rat Pack Filmproduktion GmbH: Independent German production house based in Berlin/Hamburg producing TV movies, series, and documentary programming for ARD/ZDF. Comparable in size, customer base, and independent production model to Kobalt.
- Looks Filmproduktionen GmbH: German independent production company specializing in documentary features and high-end TV documentaries. Comparable to Kobalt Documentary in international co-production activity, festival positioning, and German-broadcaster client focus.
- Mega Film GmbH: Berlin-based independent German production house producing documentaries, features, and TV programming for German public broadcasters (ZDF, Arte). Closely comparable in scale, geography, and broadcaster client mix to Kobalt.
Broad incumbents
- Bavaria Film GmbH: Major Munich-based production and studio group producing films, series, and TV programs for public broadcasters. Overlaps with Kobalt in documentary and cultural programming commissions for ARD member stations.
- Endemol Shine Germany (Banijay Germany): German arm of global production group Banijay. Produces entertainment, factual, and scripted programming for German broadcasters; competes for the same unscripted factual/documentary commissions as Kobalt at a much larger scale.
- Studio Hamburg Produktion GmbH: Long-established Hamburg-based production group producing TV series, films, and documentaries for German broadcasters and streamers. Competes with Kobalt for documentary and cultural programming commissions, particularly with NDR and other ARD members.
- UFA GmbH: Germany's largest TV production company, owned by Bertelsmann/RTL Group. Produces scripted and unscripted programming for German broadcasters across a much broader portfolio than Kobalt, but competes head-to-head for the same public-broadcaster commissions (ARD, ZDF, RTL).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kobalt Productions social profiles
Digital presenceKobalt Productions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kobalt Productions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kobalt Productions subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Kobalt Productions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kobalt Productions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kobalt Productions
What does Kobalt Productions do?
Kobalt Productions is a Berlin-based independent production house that develops and produces television formats, documentary and reportage series, live concert programming, and broadcast designs (on-air graphics, VFX) for German-speaking public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, Arte, 3sat). It also produces corporate films, image campaigns, and advertising through subsidiary Kobalt Kreation, and documentary films and international co-productions through subsidiary Kobalt Documentary.
Is Kobalt Productions a public or private company?
Kobalt Productions is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Kobalt Productions founded?
Kobalt Productions was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kobalt Productions based?
Kobalt Productions is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Kobalt Productions make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Television Production Services are the primary driver. The others are design and Advertising Services.
Who are Kobalt Productions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Spiegel TV GmbH, Rat Pack Filmproduktion GmbH, Looks Filmproduktionen GmbH and Mega Film GmbH. Broad incumbents are Bavaria Film GmbH, Endemol Shine Germany (Banijay Germany), Studio Hamburg Produktion GmbH and UFA GmbH.
Does Kobalt Productions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kobalt Productions.
What industry is Kobalt Productions in?
Kobalt Productions's product category is Television Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADABAC, Unscripted/Reality TV Production (Live-Action), with a secondary code of MPAAAMAA, Commercial Production Companies (Live-Action). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.