Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH

What Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH does

Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH is a Berlin-based German television production company founded in 2015 by Managing Director/Producer Moritz von der Groeben in partnership with Beta Film GmbH, which functions as co-founder and worldwide distribution partner. The company develops and produces German-language fiction — crime, comedy, and drama series and standalone TV films — on a project-commission basis for German and Austrian public broadcasters (ARD Degeto, ZDF, ServusTV), telecom-owned streamers (MagentaTV/Deutsche Telekom, Joyn), pay-TV (Warner TV Comedy), and global SVODs (Netflix, HBO Max). Its core product portfolio is built around recurring franchises: the ARD-Degeto Irish Crime series (14+ episodes since 2019 starring Désirée Nosbusch), the MagentaTV/Warner TV Comedy Oh Hell dramedy created by Johannes Boss, the ZDF Commissioner Brühl crime films, the ServusTV/ZDF Camorra trilogy (The Winemaker, The Hunted), and award-winning standalone productions such as Arthur's Law (TNT Comedy Original, HBO Max, US remake option sold to TBS) and Forever Pool Party (ZDF, Eisvogel 2025 sustainability award, Fair Film Award 2024).

The technology layer is conventional broadcast/streaming production: scripted fiction produced under commission, distributed via broadcaster linear channels and licensed to streaming platforms, with worldwide rights commercialized by Beta Film. International reach comes from co-productions with Belgian (De Mensen, Undercover for ZDFneo/Netflix) and Austrian (Satel Film, Camorra franchise) partners, plus a global sales agent relationship. The company has no disclosed proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML capabilities, and no patents; value is created through creative talent, IP ownership, and broadcaster access rather than technology differentiation.

Revenue mechanics are project-based and primarily B2B: production fees paid by commissioning broadcasters, co-production equity contributions from international partners, and post-production licensing income (e.g., Netflix, HBO Max, TBS remake rights). Pricing is negotiated per project and not publicly disclosed. The company holds minority/joint-venture interests via its March 2024 co-founding of Vjllage Filmproduktion with Johannes Boss and the associated Storytelling Academy. Customer segments are horizontal — German public broadcasters, private/telco streamers, and international platforms — with no disclosed SMB or consumer-facing revenue.

Name

Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH

Legal name

good friends Filmproduktions GmbH

Website

https://good-friends.tv

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH is a Berlin-based German television production company developing and producing fiction series and films for German and Austrian broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, ServusTV) and streaming platforms (MagentaTV, Netflix, Joyn, Warner TV Comedy).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. TV Production Commissions: The company produces TV films, series, and miniseries commissioned by broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF, ZDFneo, ServusTV, MagentaTV, and Warner TV Comedy. Revenue comes from production fees, co-production investments, and licensing of finished productions.
2. International Co-productions: Good Friends participates in international co-productions with partners such as Beta Film (for worldwide distribution), De Mensen (Belgian co-productions), and Satel Film (Austrian co-productions), sharing production costs and rights.
3. Content Licensing: Productions are licensed to international platforms (Netflix, HBO Max, Warner TV) and distributed worldwide through Beta Film. Arthur's Law was available on HBO Max in the US.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Good Friends Filmproduktions develops and produces premium German-language scripted television content - TV films, series, and miniseries spanning crime, drama, comedy, and thriller genres. The company secures broadcast and streaming commissions from major German-language broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, ServusTV) and streaming platforms (MagentaTV, Netflix, Joyn, Warner TV Comedy), executes productions with established showrunners and directors, and distributes finished content internationally through partner Beta Film.

Product overview

Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH is a German television production company founded in 2015 by Moritz von der Groeben with Beta Film GmbH, producing high-quality TV fiction for German and international markets. The company's portfolio consists of multiple distinct TV series and films organized around recurring brands: the Irish Crime (Der Irland-Krimi) franchise on ARD-Degeto starring Désirée Nosbusch as criminal psychologist Cathrin Blake; the Oh Hell dramedy series on MagentaTV/Warner TV Comedy created by Johannes Boss; the Commissioner series (Der Kommissar und...) crime films on ZDF starring Roeland Wiesnekker; the Camorra trilogy (The Winemaker/The Hunted/In the Camorra's Web) on ZDF/Servus TV; the Arthur's Law comedy-noir on TNT Comedy; and standalone comedies like Forever Pool Party (ZDF) and Slavik (Joyn), along with co-productions such as Undercover (ZDFneo/Netflix) and The Bonusfamily (ARD). Distribution partners include ARD, ZDF, MagentaTV, Warner TV Comedy, Netflix, HBO Max, Joyn, ServusTV, and ARTE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Irish Crime (Der Irland-Krimi) Ongoing ARD Degeto crime series starring Désirée Nosbusch as criminal psychologist Cathrin Blake solving crimes set in Ireland. Produced in episodic pairs as 90-minute films, with 14+ episodes produced since 2019 and additional episodes in production. Reaches consistently high viewership of 5-6 million viewers per episode with 18-25% market share.
• Oh Hell Comedy-drama (dramedy) series following the chaotic life of 24-year-old Helene (Hell), who drifts from one disaster to another. Created and written by Johannes Boss. Originally commissioned as a MagentaTV original, later available on Warner TV Comedy and max streaming platforms.
• Oh Hell 2 Second season of the Oh Hell dramedy series continuing Helene's chaotic life story. Directed by Sarah Blaßkiewitz, with author/creator Johannes Boss returning. Nominated for multiple awards including German Television Award and Quotenmeter Television Award.
• Arthur's Law (Arthurs Gesetz) Six-part comedy-noir miniseries about Arthur, an unemployed man who plans to kill his wife and inherit her life insurance, only for Murphy's Law to ensure catastrophic consequences. Won Rockie Award for Best Non-English Comedy Series. First German series to be available on HBO Max in the US.
• The Winemaker (Im Netz der Camorra / Il Pastore) ZDF/Servus TV crime mini-series about winemaker Matteo whose dark past in Naples resurfaces when a murder investigation targets him. Part of a franchise alongside The Hunted, exploring Camorra crime themes. Co-produced with Satel Film.
• The Hunted (Der Gejagte) Servus TV thriller about Matteo DeCanin who must find his escaped daughter Laura while under police protection, as his testimony against the Camorra is awaited. Continuation of The Winemaker storyline within the Camorra franchise.
• The Commissioner Series (Der Kommissar und...) Ongoing ZDF crime series starring Roeland Wiesnekker as Berlin Inspector Martin Brühl and Meike Droste as LKA psychologist Susanne. Multiple standalone 90-minute films covering distinct cases. Achieved 5.84 million viewers and 23.2% market share with The Fear episode.
• Undercover Belgian-German co-production with De Mensen, aired on ZDFneo and Netflix. 10-part series following two undercover agents infiltrating the life of Ferry Bouman, one of the world's largest ecstasy producers.
• Forever Pool Party (Für immer Freibad) ZDF comedy film set in summer 1999 about a young man who takes a job at a public pool to be near his crush. Directed by Laura Fischer, written by Will Evans and Christof Ritter. Recognized for sustainable production practices (Eisvogel 2025) and fair filmmaking (Fair Film Award 2024).
• Slavik - On the State's Pocket (Slavik auf Staats-Nacken) Joyn original comedy series about social media star Slavik Junge who continues collecting welfare benefits despite having one million subscribers. Won German Comedy Award for Best Comedy Series in 2020.
• The Bonusfamily (Die Bonusfamilie / Bonusfamilie)

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.84 million viewers and 23.2% market share for 'Der Kommissar und die Angst' (April 2024)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beta Film GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Beta Film GmbH co-founded Good Friends Filmproduktions in 2015 alongside Moritz von der Groeben. Beta Film serves as the worldwide distributor for Good Friends productions and provides access to international co-production networks and financing.
• Satel Film GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustrian production company Satel Film co-produces Good Friends productions including The Winemaker (Il Pastore) and The Hunted (Der Gejagte) for ServusTV broadcast. Heinrich Ambrosch serves as co-producer on these projects.
• De MensenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian production company De Mensen co-produced the Undercover series with Good Friends for ZDFneo and Netflix distribution.
• Bratan ProductionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction partner for Slavik - On the State's Pocket (Joyn original series), handling local production support.
• Deutsche Telekom (MagentaTV)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeutsche Telekom's MagentaTV streaming platform commissioned Oh Hell as a MagentaTV original production. The series is co-produced with WarnerMedia and Good Friends, with Deutsche Telekom providing exclusive first-window streaming rights.
• WarnerMedia (Warner TV Comedy)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarnerMedia's TNT Comedy (now Warner TV Comedy) commissioned Arthur's Law as a TNT Comedy Original and co-produces Oh Hell. TBS acquired Arthur's Law for US market distribution.
• JoynminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStreaming platform Joyn commissioned Slavik - On the State's Pocket as an original production, with Good Friends handling production and Joyn providing streaming distribution in Germany.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UFA GmbH: Germany's largest TV production company (part of RTL Group/Bertelsmann), producing prime-time drama, comedy, and crime for German broadcasters including ARD, ZDF, and RTL. Direct competitor for prime-time commissions and talent, but operates at far larger scale and is integrated with a major broadcast group.
• Constantin Film AG: Major German production and distribution company producing feature films and high-end TV series for German and international markets. Comparable in producing crime/thriller and comedy series for ARD/ZDF, and also operates its own distribution infrastructure.
• Bavaria Film GmbH: One of Germany's largest film and TV production groups, producing drama, crime, and event programming for German public broadcasters. Comparable in that it produces comparable genre content (crime, drama) for ARD/ZDF and engages in co-productions.
• Studio Hamburg Production: Major German production group producing TV series, films, and event programming, with strong ties to NDR and other public broadcasters. Comparable in producing crime and drama for German public TV, though at a larger scale and with broadcaster ownership.

Direct peers

• Ziegler Film GmbH & Co. KG: Mid-sized German TV production company producing high-end drama, crime, and event series for German public broadcasters. Similar business model—commissioned productions for ARD/ZDF with recurring series formats and co-production partnerships.
• ndF: neue deutsche Filmgesellschaft: Berlin-based German TV production company producing crime and drama series (e.g., Tatort episodes) for ARD. Comparable as a mid-sized indie producing premium fiction for German public broadcasters, often in recurring franchise formats.
• Wiedemann & Berg Film GmbH: German production company producing feature films and high-end TV series, including crime and drama. Comparable in producing premium German-language fiction with broadcaster commissions and international distribution potential.
• Letterbox Filmproduktion GmbH: Berlin-based German TV and film production company producing drama and crime series for German public broadcasters. Closely comparable in size, geography, and business model—commission-based production of prime-time German TV.
• Moovie GmbH: Berlin-based production company producing TV series and films for German broadcasters and international partners. Comparable as a mid-sized German producer focusing on fiction content for ARD/ZDF and streaming platforms.
• Zeitsprung Pictures GmbH: German production company producing premium TV series and event films, including crime and historical drama, for German public broadcasters. Similar scale and business model focused on ARD/ZDF commissions with international co-production potential.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Good Friends Filmproduktions GmbH