What Polyphon does

Polyphon Film GmbH is a privately held German television and film production company headquartered in Hamburg, with additional offices in Berlin and Baden-Baden. Founded in 1965 (celebrating its 60th anniversary on July 9, 2025), the company traces its corporate lineage to the 1885 Polyphon-Werke mechanical-music enterprise in Leipzig-Wahren before pivoting to TV production in 1965. Polyphon operates as a B2B commissioned-content house, producing television series, recurring crime franchises, romantic comedies, medical and veterinary dramas, family programming, and television films on behalf of Germany's public broadcasters.

The company's core product portfolio is concentrated in long-running, award-recognized franchises. Flagship properties include the ARD Degeto/NDR crime series Der Usedom-Krimi (27+ films as of 2025), ARD medical drama Die Notärztin (Season 2 airing February 2025), ZDF travel series Das Traumschiff, the Stubbe franchise, ARD/SWR family series Tiere bis unters Dach, ZDF's Fritzie (fourth season), and the crime miniseries Die Toten von Marnow (winner of the 2021 Deutscher FernsehKrimi-Festival Best Crime Series and 2021 Deutscher Fernsehpreis acting awards). The company is also expanding into new series lanes such as the ZDF veterinary drama Die Maiwald (filmed in Austria) and the romantic comedy Herzklopfen im Gepäck (filmed in Crete).

Polyphon makes money through project-based production fees and co-production arrangements with German public broadcasters including ARD (Das Erste), ZDF, NDR, SWR, ARD Degeto, and MDR. Production is delivered broadcast-ready to the commissioning broadcaster and reaches audiences through both linear slots and broadcaster-operated streaming libraries (ARD Mediathek, ZDF Mediathek). The company maintains long-running co-production partnerships, most notably with win win Film (Valentin Holch), and operates two subsidiaries — Klingsor Media GmbH (Pirna) and DOKFILM GmbH (Potsdam) — that extend the group into adjacent production segments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and all commissions are negotiated bilaterally with broadcaster commissioning editors. Leadership consists of Dr. Beatrice Kramm (Chair of Management Board / Vors. Geschäftsführerin) and Christoph Bicker (Managing Director / Geschäftsführer).

Name

Polyphon

Legal name

Polyphon Film GmbH

Website

https://polyphon.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Polyphon Film GmbH is a Hamburg-based, privately held German television and film production company producing commissioned series, crime franchises, and TV movies for German public broadcasters ARD, ZDF, NDR, SWR, and ARD Degeto since 1965.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Television Production: Polyphon produces television content commissioned by German public broadcasters including ARD, ZDF, NDR, SWR, and ARD Degeto. Productions include TV movies, series, crime dramas, comedies, and family programming. Revenue is project-based, generated through production fees and co-production agreements.
2. Co-production Revenue: Polyphon enters co-production arrangements with partners such as win win Film, with shared production costs, rights, and revenue participation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Polyphon Film GmbH is a Hamburg-based German film and television production company, established in 1965, that develops and produces commissioned television content — including TV movies, TV series, crime dramas, comedies, and family programming — for German public broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF, NDR, SWR, and ARD Degeto. The company operates as a full-service commissioned production house delivering finished broadcast-ready programming under broadcaster commission and co-production agreements.

Product overview

Polyphon Film GmbH is a German television and film production company offering a diverse portfolio of productions across multiple formats and genres. The company produces TV series (including 'Die Notärztin', 'WaPo Elbe', 'Fritzie', 'Tiere bis unters Dach'), crime series and films (such as the long-running 'Der Usedom-Krimi' series with over 27 films, 'Die Toten von Marnow', 'Stubbe' series, 'Der Lissabon-Krimi'), romantic comedies and dramas ('Rosen und Reis', 'Herzklopfen im Gepäck', 'Ein Tisch in der Provence'), the flagship ZDF series 'Das Traumschiff', and various other television films and miniseries. Polyphon operates as a production company producing content for German public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, NDR, SWR, MDR) and private networks, functioning as a unified production services provider rather than a modular platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TV Series Production Commissioned scripted television series production delivered to German public broadcasters; covers drama, multi-episode serial formats, and recurring returning series for public-service broadcast schedules.
• Crime Drama (Krimi) Production Commissioned German-language crime drama ('Krimi') production for public-broadcaster prime-time slots, a high-volume and signature format in German public broadcasting.
• TV Movie Production Commissioned television movie production for German public broadcasters, covering single-event scripted feature-length programming.
• Comedy Production Commissioned comedy programming production for German public-broadcaster entertainment slots.
• Family Programming Production Commissioned family-oriented television programming production for German public-broadcaster family and daytime schedules.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 years of continuous operation producing content for German television
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• win win Film (Valentin Holch)coreStrategic or Co-development Partnerwin win Film is a key co-production partner for Polyphon, working together on numerous productions including Rosen und Reis, Usedom-Krimi films, and various TV movies. Valentin Holch serves as a freelance producer for joint projects.
• Klingsor Media GmbHcoreOthersKlingsor Media GmbH is a subsidiary company of Polyphon based in Pirna, Germany. Part of the Polyphon group of companies.
• DOKFILM GmbHcoreOthersDOKFILM GmbH is a subsidiary company of Polyphon based in Potsdam, Germany. Part of the Polyphon group of companies for documentary and documentary-related productions.
• ARD DegetocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorARD Degeto serves as the central program procurement and co-production entity for ARD, commissioning numerous Polyphon productions including the Der Usedom-Krimi series, WaPo Elbe, and various TV movies.
• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNDR is a regional public broadcaster that commissions and co-produces content with Polyphon, including Neues aus Büttenwarder and various productions for the NDR schedule.
• nordmedia - Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/BremenminorOthersnordmedia provides film funding support for Polyphon productions, particularly for Die Toten von Marnow and Reisen mit Muddi.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Beta Film: Major German media company combining content production, distribution, and licensing across scripted series and TV movies. Adjacent to Polyphon as both a co-production counterparty and a competitor for international commissions.

Direct peers

• Zeitsprung Pictures: Cologne-based German TV and film producer focused on event TV movies and series for ARD and ZDF. Comparable in scale, genre mix (crime, drama, romance), and broadcaster-driven revenue model.
• Studio Hamburg Production: Hamburg-based production company producing TV series, TV movies, and streaming content for German broadcasters. Geographic and format overlap with Polyphon, including regional broadcaster commissions for NDR.
• UFA Fiction: One of Germany's largest fiction TV/film producers, producing prime-time series, event TV movies, and streaming content for German public broadcasters and RTL. Directly comparable to Polyphon in the B2B commissioned-production model targeting ARD and ZDF.
• Filmpool Fiction: Cologne/Hamburg-based German production company producing TV series, TV movies, and daily formats for ARD, ZDF, and RTL. Comparable in commissioned broadcaster business model and recurring long-running crime and family formats.
• Wiedemann & Berg Film: German production company behind cinema and television projects including crime thrillers and series for German public broadcasters and streaming platforms. Comparable in B2B commissioning model and crime/drama format mix.
• Bavaria Fiction: Munich-based fiction production arm of Bavaria Film, producing prime-time series, TV movies, and event productions for German public broadcasters. Closely matches Polyphon's ARD/ZDF commissioning profile and crime/drama focus.
• Constantin Film: Major German production and distribution company producing cinema films, TV series, and streaming content for ARD, ZDF, Sky, and Amazon. Overlaps with Polyphon in long-running crime series and event TV movies.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion: Hamburg-based German TV and film production company producing event TV movies and series for ARD Degeto and ZDF. Strong overlap with Polyphon in commissioned broadcaster model and recurring event-movie franchises.
• ndF: neue deutsche Filmgesellschaft: Berlin-based German TV and film producer with a portfolio of crime, family, and event TV movies for ARD and ZDF. Directly comparable B2B commissioned-production model and broadcaster client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/polyphon-film--und-fernsehgesellschaft-mbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/polyphonfilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Polyphon