Berliner Fernseh Gruppe

What Berliner Fernseh Gruppe does

Berliner Fernseh Gruppe is the unified umbrella brand for five specialized German-language television channels operated by Deutsches Musik Fernsehen GmbH & Co.KG, headquartered at Axel-Springer-Straße 52 in Berlin. The channel portfolio spans German pop music (DMF), traditional Volksmusik (Volksmusik.TV), gold-era entertainment (Telegold), lifestyle (Lilo.TV), and documentary programming (Dokusat). The group claims a combined reach of approximately 60 million monthly direct contacts across its distribution footprint, which spans Astra satellite (SDTV), traditional cable networks, and IPTV platforms Zattoo, Ocilion, and Deutsche Telekom's MagentaTV (the latter carrying three channels in HDTV).

Name

Berliner Fernseh Gruppe

Legal name

Deutsches Musik Fernsehen GmbH & Co.KG

Website

https://berliner-fernseh-gruppe.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Berliner Fernseh Gruppe operates five niche German TV channels — DMF, Volksmusik.TV, Telegold, Lilo.TV, and Dokusat — distributing music, lifestyle, and documentary programming via satellite, cable, and IPTV, monetized through VISOON advertising sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (516120)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

Niche/Genre Streaming Channels (e.g., Horror, Anime, Faith, Kids) (MPABAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Satellite Video & Media Distribution (DTH, Contribution/Distribution, Occasional Use) (HDAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Music television broadcasting
• Television channel portfolio
• Satellite cable IPTV distribution
• TV advertising sales
• Music video programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising Sales: VISOON Video Impact, a joint venture between Axel Springer and Paramount, handles all TV and Big Screen advertising sales for the Berliner Fernseh Gruppe. VISOON manages the marketing portfolio which includes WELT, N24 Doku, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Pluto TV, and the Berliner Fernseh Gruppe channels.
2. Content Licensing: The group operates five TV channels (DMF, Telegold, Volksmusik TV, Lilo TV, Dokusat) providing programming content to viewers. Revenue is generated through advertising during programming broadcasts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Berliner Fernseh Gruppe is the umbrella brand for five specialized free-to-air television channels — DMF (German popular music), Volksmusik.TV (folk music), Telegold (gold-era music), Lilo.TV (lifestyle), and DOKUSAT (documentaries) — operated by Deutsches Musik Fernsehen GmbH & Co.KG. The channels are distributed via Astra satellite, traditional cable, and IPTV (Zattoo, Ocilion, MagentaTV), reaching an aggregate of roughly 60 million monthly direct contacts, with advertising sales handled by partner VISOON.

Product overview

Berliner Fernseh Gruppe is a television broadcasting group consisting of five distinct television channels operated by Deutsches Musik Fernsehen GmbH & Co.KG based in Berlin. The portfolio includes DMF (Deutsches Musik Fernsehen), a music television channel; Volksmusik.TV, focused on traditional German folk music; Telegold, featuring gold-era entertainment; DOKUSAT, offering documentary programming; and Lilo.TV, providing lifestyle content. The group collectively reaches approximately 60 million monthly direct contacts and distributes its channels via Astra satellite, various cable networks, and IPTV platforms including Zattoo, Ocilion, and MagentaTV. Marketing and advertising sales are handled by partner VISOON Video Impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DMF: Music television channel, formerly known as Deutsches Musik Fernsehen
• Telegold
• Dokusat
• Lilo.TV
• Volksmusik.TV

Products and services

• DMF (Deutsches Musik Fernsehen)
• Telegold A television channel dedicated to gold-era entertainment and music programming, distributed via satellite, cable, and IPTV.
• Volksmusik.TV A television channel focused on traditional German folk and popular music (Volksmusik) content, distributed via satellite, cable, and IPTV.
• Lilo.TV A television channel offering lifestyle and entertainment programming, distributed via satellite, cable, and IPTV.
• DOKUSAT A documentary and factual programming television channel, distributed via satellite, cable, and IPTV.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60 million monthly direct contacts across five channels

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VISOON Video ImpactcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016VISOON Video Impact is the TV and Big Screen advertising sales partner for Berliner Fernseh Gruppe. Founded in 2016 as a joint venture between Axel Springer and Paramount, VISOON manages advertising portfolios including WELT, N24 Doku, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Pluto TV, and all Berliner Fernseh Gruppe channels. Contact: Martin Michel - [email protected]
• Axel SpringerminorOthersParent company/owner through VISOON joint venture (50% stake in VISOON Video Impact). VISOON manages all TV and Big Screen advertising offerings from Axel Springer.
• ParamountminorOthersJoint venture partner in VISOON Video Impact (50% stake). VISOON manages all TV and Big Screen advertising offerings from Paramount.
• ZattoominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIPTV platform where all Berliner Fernseh Gruppe channels are distributed in HDTV format.
• OcilionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIPTV provider distributing all Berliner Fernseh Gruppe channels in HDTV.
• MagentaTV (Deutsche Telekom)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeutsche Telekom IPTV platform carrying DMF, volksmusik.tv, and Lilo.TV in HDTV.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RTL Group: Leading European broadcaster operating RTL, n-tv, NITRO and other German TV channels plus streaming services. Competes for the same German linear-TV advertising budgets that flow to BFG channels via VISOON.
• ProSiebenSat.1 Media: Major German commercial broadcaster operating free-TV channels (SAT.1, ProSieben, VOX, kabel eins, sixx). A broad incumbent operating general-entertainment channels in the same German TV advertising market served by Berliner Fernseh Gruppe's five niche channels.
• Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA (DMAX, TLC, HGTV): Operates genre-focused German free-TV channels (DMAX, TLC, HGTV, Eurosport) covering documentaries and lifestyle — direct thematic overlap with DOKUSAT and Lilo.TV, and competes for ad spend via separate sales houses.

Direct peers

• MTV Germany (Paramount): Music-focused TV channel in Germany operated by Paramount, which also co-owns VISOON (BFG's ad sales partner). MTV Germany directly overlaps with DMF on music-video broadcasting and competes for similar advertiser categories.
• WELT (Axel Springer): News/documentary channel operated by Axel Springer, sold via the same VISOON partnership. Sibling channel in the VISOON portfolio; competes directly for advertising against BFG's DOKUSAT in factual programming.
• Comedy Central Germany (Paramount): Entertainment channel from the same Paramount portfolio sold through VISOON. Operates as a sibling genre channel in the VISOON bundle alongside BFG's Telegold and Lilo.TV, sharing advertiser sales infrastructure.
• Pluto TV (Paramount): FAST streaming platform operated by Paramount and also part of the VISOON portfolio. Represents the FAST/OTT distribution alternative that is reshaping German TV viewing and a potential expansion target for BFG channels.

Peers

• N24 Doku (Axel Springer):

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berliner-fernseh-gruppe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Berliner Fernseh Gruppe