Kathrein Broadcast Gmbh

What Kathrein Broadcast Gmbh does

Kathrein Broadcast GmbH is a privately held German specialty manufacturer of professional broadcast antenna systems, headquartered in Rohrdorf (Traunstein district) and operating as an independent GmbH since its June 2019 spin-off from the broader KATHREIN group, which itself carries over 100 years of company history and more than 75 years in broadcast technology. The company designs, manufactures, and services high-power transmission antennas and antenna line products across FM, DAB/DAB+, DVB-T2, UHF-TV, VHF-TV, 5G Broadcast (FeMBMS, High Power High Tower), ground-to-air communications, and specialized frequency ranges, with products engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions and meet critical-infrastructure reliability requirements. Its offering is anchored on the SCALA product line (acquired via the Kathrein USA/Scala relationship), proprietary designs including elliptical-polarization UHF antennas and dual-polarized UHF omni antennas, the KATHREIN Signal Analyzer (KSA) measurement platform developed with PrecisionWave AG, and the KATHREIN Retrofit Programme for lifecycle extension of installed systems.

The business model is project-based enterprise sales of hardware plus full-lifecycle services (planning, installation, commissioning, maintenance). Revenue is generated through direct sales from the Rohrdorf headquarters, covering Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, alongside channel coverage through SIRA Radio Systems S.r.l. (Italy) for Southern Europe, the UK, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada, and a wholly owned APAC sales office in Melbourne opened in March 2021. Customer segments include public and private broadcasters (primary), mobile network operators (secondary, for 5G Broadcast offload), aviation authorities such as Deutsche Flugsicherung, and media technology companies. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified (Germany) and ISO 9001/14001 certified at SIRA (Italy), maintains trade-show presence across IBC, NAB Show, Broadcast Asia, and CABSAT, and participates in 5G Today and 5G Media2Go research consortia to position for emerging 5G Broadcast standards. No public pricing, revenue, or funding data is disclosed.

Name

Kathrein Broadcast Gmbh

Legal name

KATHREIN Broadcast GmbH

Website

https://kathrein-bca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kathrein Broadcast GmbH is a German specialist manufacturer of professional broadcast antenna systems for FM, DAB/DAB+, DVB-T2, UHF/VHF-TV, and 5G Broadcast, serving public and private broadcasters, mobile network operators, and aviation authorities globally from its Rohrdorf headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Antenna Systems

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33422), Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAEAJ

Broadcast Transmission & Operations Services (Transmitters, Towers, Playout, Engineering)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYMPAIAEAD

Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

Keywords

• Broadcast antenna systems
• Professional broadcast equipment
• FM radio antennas
• Digital TV broadcasting
• 5G broadcast infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Rohrdorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Antenna Hardware Sales: Sale of technically perfected broadcast antenna components including FM, DAB/DAB+, DVB-T2, UHF-TV, VHF-TV, and specialized frequency antennas. Products range from individual antennas to complete antenna systems.
2. Broadcast Services: Complete project services from planning to implementation, including antenna replacement, new installations, and maintenance. Services cover the entire lifecycle of broadcast transmission systems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kathrein Broadcast GmbH designs, manufactures, and supplies professional broadcast antenna systems for FM radio, DAB/DAB+, DVB-T2, UHF-TV, and VHF-TV broadcasting. The company also produces 5G broadcast (FeMBMS) antennas under the SCALA product line and offers the KATHREIN Signal Analyzer (KSA) measurement solution. It complements hardware with engineering services covering planning, implementation, maintenance, and the KATHREIN Retrofit Programme for modernizing installed antenna infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KSA (KATHREIN Signal Analyzer): Universal measurement platform for signal analysis including 5G broadcast, developed in cooperation with PrecisionWave AG.
• SCALA Products

Products and services

• Professional FM/DAB/DAB+ Broadcast Antennas Professional broadcast antenna systems for FM radio and DAB/DAB+ digital audio broadcasting, designed for public and commercial radio network operators.
• UHF-TV/VHF-TV/DVB-T2 Broadcast Antennas Professional broadcast antennas covering UHF-TV, VHF-TV, and DVB-T2 digital terrestrial television transmission, serving TV network operators and broadcasters.
• 5G Broadcast Antennas (FeMBMS) Next-generation broadcast antennas supporting 5G FeMBMS (Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) for hybrid broadcast and broadband delivery, designed for network operators and broadcasters deploying 5G broadcast.
• SCALA Broadcast Antenna Product Line SCALA-branded broadcast antennas covering frequencies 30-512 MHz, 746-806 MHz, and 790-960 MHz, including RPU, FM, VHF-TV, and UHF-TV models, serving professional broadcast and wireless infrastructure customers.
• KATHREIN Signal Analyzer (KSA) A signal analysis and measurement tool for evaluating broadcast antenna performance, used by broadcast engineers and network operators to assess transmission quality.
• KATHREIN Retrofit Programme A programme for modernizing and upgrading existing installed broadcast antenna infrastructure, including filter and combiner upgrades, to extend operational life and meet current broadcast standards.
• Broadcast Engineering Services Professional services covering broadcast antenna planning, system implementation, on-site installation, and maintenance support for broadcasters and network operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5G Broadcast can deliver 5,200 Gbps data rate (ZDF World Cup streaming reference)

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PrecisionWave AGcoreTechnology or Integration · 11 January 2021KATHREIN BROADCAST strengthens its position in signal analysis through cooperation with PrecisionWave AG for the development and distribution of the KATHREIN Signal Analyzer (KSA), a universal measurement platform including 5G broadcast support.
• 5G Media2Go ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020KATHREIN Broadcast GmbH participates as a cooperation partner in the '5G Media2Go' pilot project, contributing broadcast antenna expertise for the development of 5G Broadcast technology.
• SIRA Sistemi Radio S.r.l. / KATHREIN Broadcast Italia S.r.l.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2019SIRA Sistemi Radio S.r.l. transferred its operations to KATHREIN Broadcast Italia S.r.l., establishing a direct presence in Italy. SIRA Radio Systems continues as a sales affiliate for regional markets.
• 5G Today Research Project (IRT Munich consortium)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019KATHREIN participates in the 5G Today research project led by IRT Munich, deploying powerful broadcast antennas for 5G Broadcast field trials using FeMBMS technology. Partners include Rohde & Schwarz and other industry participants.
• American Amplifier Technologies (AAT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAT strengthened international partnership with KATHREIN Broadcast by taking 100% of the shares in Kathrein Broadcast USA, indicating a deeper strategic alliance in the North American market.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Jampro Antennas: Jampro is a US-based manufacturer of broadcast antennas and combiners for FM, VHF, and UHF TV, as well as DAB and DVB systems. It is a direct specialty peer in broadcast antenna hardware serving similar broadcasters worldwide.
• Radio Frequency Systems (RFS): RFS designs and manufactures broadcast antennas, transmission line, and filters for FM, DAB/DAB+, DVB-T/DVB-T2, and DTV networks. It serves the same broadcaster customers globally with a comparable specialized broadcast portfolio.
• Electronics Research, Inc. (ERI): ERI manufactures broadcast antennas, transmission line, and structural systems for AM, FM, VHF, and UHF television broadcasting. It is a direct competitor serving North American and international broadcasters with similar specialized products.
• Dielectric (Communications Equipment): Dielectric is a leading US-based manufacturer of broadcast antennas, transmission line, and RF systems for FM, TV, and DAB. It is the most direct competitor to Kathrein Broadcast across the same product categories (FM, UHF, VHF antennas and combiners) and customer base (US and global broadcasters).
• Shively Labs: Shively Labs designs and manufactures FM broadcast antennas, combiners, and related RF components. It is a direct peer in the FM broadcast antenna niche, serving similar public and commercial radio broadcasters.

Broad incumbents

• Ericsson: Ericsson is a global telecom incumbent with a stated focus on 5G Broadcast and network solutions for media delivery. It overlaps with Kathrein's emerging 5G Broadcast opportunities at the infrastructure and standards level despite not selling dedicated high-power broadcast antennas.
• Amphenol Antenna Solutions: Amphenol (formerly part of Kathrein) is a diversified antenna and RF connectivity supplier covering broadcast, wireless, and telecom segments. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Kathrein's specialty broadcast antennas as part of a much larger portfolio.
• Rohde & Schwarz: Rohde & Schwarz is a major broadcast technology incumbent offering transmitters, measurement equipment, and 5G Broadcast solutions. It collaborated with Kathrein and IRT on 5G Broadcast trials and provides adjacent broadcast infrastructure across a much broader portfolio.

Others

• PrecisionWave AG: PrecisionWave AG is a signal analysis specialist that co-developed the KATHREIN Signal Analyzer (KSA) with Kathrein Broadcast. It is a technology/integration partner rather than a competitor, providing the RF measurement platform underlying KSA's 5G broadcast capabilities.

Emerging players

• Galtronics (Baylin Technologies): Galtronics designs antennas for wireless, broadband, and broadcast applications. It is an emerging niche player with partial overlap in broadcast/DAB antenna solutions and competes in adjacent fixed and mobile network antenna categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7dF8X_Mkos2C3Y5iNqKCrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kathrein-broadcast

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Kathrein Broadcast Gmbh