Autentic Distribution
Mirjam Strasser, director of sales and acquisitions at Autentic, explains what the German company’s acquisition of fellow German distributor Albatross World Sales will mean, how its FAST strategy is evolving and what’s on its slate for Sunny Side of the Doc this month.
What is the rationale behind Autentic’s acquisition of Albatross World Sales?
At the core, it comes down to a commitment to quality and scale. For us it is about joining forces to become bigger, stronger and better positioned for the future. With the rise of streaming, FAST channels and data-driven distribution, the market has evolved significantly. Scale has become critical. Staying competitive now requires greater volume.
A larger catalogue enables sustained investment in systems and data infrastructure, which are capabilities that today’s market increasingly expects. [Albatross MD] Anne Olzmann, who we’ve known closely for more than 10 years, has built Albatross into a strong, carefully curated catalogue of more than 600 hours of high-end factual content with particularly strong focus on wildlife, which is an excellent fit with Autentic’s positioning.
What will this acquisition mean for your portfolio and market position?
We have already built a very strong position in the wildlife genre through our partnership with Terra Mater Studios. Their continuous output of premium blue-chip originals is truly unique on a global scale. Natural history has long been a strategic focus for us. It is one of the most sought-after genres worldwide yet remains undersupplied due to high production costs and long development cycles.
As an international boutique distributor, Albatross brings a carefully curated, award-winning factual slate built around compelling storytelling to our portfolio. Albatross’s focus on nature and wildlife strengthens Autentic’s market position as one of the world’s leading distributors of wildlife documentaries.
Will the move take Autentic into new genres, new territories or business sectors?
The acquisition doesn’t change our focus in terms of genres or sales territories. It’s much more about strengthening what we already do well. The Albatross catalogue is a very strong fit with our existing genres, not only wildlife but also science, people and places and history. At the same time, the acquisition expands our network of producers, including partners from new territories, which is a valuable added benefit.
The additional scale also strongly supports our digital channels business. With a larger catalogue, we can better support and grow our channel brands such as Adventure Earth and Terra Mater Wild. We are already operating three dedicated nature feeds, with more in development.
How will this takeover change the leadership of both companies?
Anne Olzmann will continue to lead Albatross World Sales from Leipzig as MD and continues to work in acquisitions as the contact for producers. What changes is the distribution side – the international sales of the Albatross catalogue will now be handled by Autentic.
What will this mean for your content acquisition strategy for distribution and FAST?
The acquisition of Albatross World Sales does not change our overall acquisition strategy. We will continue to focus on identifying and acquiring the strongest programmes across wildlife, history, ancient history and major science and engineering topics, genres that are highly relevant for us, while remaining open for promising opportunities in other genres and/or strong single IPs.
How is your FAST and YouTube business changing?
Our FAST and YouTube business is definitely growing, but the market is also becoming more nuanced. In some genres and territories, we are already seeing a certain level of saturation. That means you need to stand out, either through quality and exclusivity, or by identifying clear gaps in the market. That’s really how we look at both FAST and YouTube right now.
The opportunities are still very strong, but success increasingly depends on smart positioning, strong brands and the right content-market fit. Another key area for us is language expansion. There’s still significant potential in bringing strong factual brands into new language territories and thereby reaching new audiences.
What new content or platform partnerships are you forging in the FAST space?
Today, our channels are available across 23 platforms in 16 countries, and we continue to expand our footprint by onboarding new platforms while strengthening relationships with existing partners. A key focus is scaling what we know works. We are extending our most successful channel brands into additional territories and languages. For example, Wheels & Steel launched in English last year and is now also available in German, with further roll-outs planned for our other successful brands to new territories and in new languages.
On the content side, we’re constantly working with partners across the market to bring the strongest possible programming into our FAST offering. The Albatross catalogue is a valuable addition in this context, but it is part of a broader effort. We have recently expanded our portfolio with a number of high-quality programming, including content from Borealés, Saint Thomas Productions, PBS and Welt.
How is AI dubbing changing the growth potential for your FAST and YouTube offerings?
AI dubbing definitely increases the growth potential for FAST and YouTube because it allows you to reach new language markets faster and more cost-effectively. For us, quality comes first, so we are using it very selectively. Especially with premium factual content, viewer experience matters a lot, so traditional dubbing still plays an important role for us. AI is a great tool to explore new opportunities, but only where it really makes sense for the content and the audience.
What are some programme highlights for your Sunny Side slate?
We have a really strong summer releases slate this year. From Terra Mater Studios, we’re proud to present three outstanding new titles. India – Monsoon Kingdom is a spectacular two-part documentary that explores India’s incredible biodiversity. For the first time, wildlife filmmakers have captured footage of the extremely endangered fishing cat, offering a rare and compelling glimpse into this elusive species.
Then there’s Wild Boreal, set in the boreal forest, one of the last great wildernesses on Earth. It tells the story of a young female wolverine, which gives the film a very immersive and emotional perspective. And then we have Christmas in the Alps, which combines the magic of the Alpine winter landscape with intimate animal stories featuring the Alps’ so-called Big Five: the ibex, chamois, golden eagle, marmot and bearded vulture. We’re also very excited about The Archipelago by Borealés, a two-part series that looks at tropical island ecosystems from a completely fresh angle. What makes it stand out is the geological perspective, it shows how different island formations have shaped very different forms of life.
How is global demand for history and science factual changing in 2026?
Demand is very strong in both history and science. These are genres where buyers are still actively looking for new, premium titles, especially when they combine strong storytelling with clear audience appeal. That’s why we’re also actively commissioning new programmes in both areas, very much tailored to what the international market is looking for right now.
Two great examples from our current summer slate are Ancient Pompeii – The Secrets of Villa Oplontis and Milestones of the Solar System, produced by Go Button Media. Ancient Pompeii offers exclusive access to groundbreaking excavations and the latest discoveries, combined with cinematic re-enactments featuring Emperor Nero, while Milestones of the Solar System stands out through its strong visual approach. Each episode is built around a single, high-impact cosmic event. AI-supported CGI helps translate complex science into clear, emotionally engaging storytelling.
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Julian Althaus, recently appointed director of channels and digital sales at Germany’s Autentic, outlines how he’s planning for the transformation of the company now that digital sales have overtaken traditional broadcasting for the first time.
What can you tell us about your new position at Autentic?
For many years, I’ve overseen the digital distribution of our catalogue and the FAST business of our four channels outside German-speaking Europe since their launch. Now I’m excited to take the next step: leading Autentic’s channel division globally, also including our three German-speaking FAST Channels, with more to follow next year. My focus will be on strengthening the company’s channel strategy and partnerships, while building on the strong foundation we’ve established in digital distribution and FAST in the last few years with our great team.
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Mirjam Strasser, head of sales and acquisitions at Germany’s Autentic Distribution, puts the spotlight on new ways of financing documentaries, plus renewed demand for current affairs and natural history content.
How is the role of distributors changing in the factual space?
It is evolving significantly. In the past, distributors primarily came into action after a project was completed, but now our involvement begins much earlier in the process. For example, we have recently acquired the worldwide distribution rights to The Sum of All Cities, produced by the acclaimed Canadian production company DBcom Media. Our decision was made solely based on a treatment and a teaser.
The eight-episode series isn’t expected to be completed until fall 2025. Early involvement allows distributors to provide strategic input that shapes the content to ensure it resonates with as many international markets as possible. We can bring invaluable insights into what works in different markets, helping tailor projects to maximise global reach and appeal. And we are there early enough to secure the content for our catalogue and outlets, as the fight for content is still going strong.
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Mirjam Strasser, head of sales and acquisitions at Germany’s Autentic Distribution, discusses the state of the market and outlines the company’s distribution, production and FAST strategies, as well as the highlights from her Mipcom slate.
How would you describe the state of the factual content market?
There is a continued high demand for factual content across all platforms and channels. The popularity started with the pandemic, when channels filled up their schedules with factual content to replace the programmes that could not be produced during lockdown, like sporting events, for example. Broadcasters and streamers’ search for premium content has not decreased since. Producers have become very creative with using archives in innovative ways, cooperating with remote filming crews, and are coming up with globally relevant stories and engaging narratives.
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Mirjam Strasser, head of sales and acquisitions at Autentic Distribution, explores how the market is changing for factual content and discusses the new shows the German company is showcasing via C21’s Digital Screenings this week.
What are the big trends in the factual sector right now, in particular the rise of ‘premium factual’?
First of all, blue-chip nature programmes are still the content that can achieve the highest licence fees. Lots of clients are eagerly looking for the next big natural history hit. Climate programmes and conservation topics are getting more and more popular. Apart from that, ancient history is working well for a broad range of clients that are looking for more programmes about Ancient Egypt, the pyramids and the Romans.
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Mirjam Strasser, head of sales and acquisitions at Germany’s Autentic Distribution, showcases the new factual titles on the company’s playlist for C21’s Digital Screenings this week, and gives her views on the changing market for documentaries.
Can you tell us about the shows on Autentic’s playlist this week?
Our selection of programmes actually reflects our whole catalogue very well. We are very diversified, whether that’s in terms of genre or production style, or whether it’s a series, a one-off or a feature documentary. With our current highlights The Apennine Mountains and Europe’s Forgotten Pilgrim Routes, we provide lightweight travel content that everyone is looking for. Stone Men II and Heroes of the Deep are our new male-oriented factual entertainment series, and Wildlife Diaries Australia and Rewilding: Back to Nature are destined for our clients looking for wildlife conservation programming.
A special programme is The History of Camping, which traces this popular form of travel back to its origins. The documentary is visually great; we see archive footage of a VW Bulli in the African savannah fighting its way through mud – hardly imaginable travelling today with such an old car. Meanwhile, the three Empire Builders miniseries in our playlist are looking at the empires of China, Greece and the Netherlands, respectively, from their inception to their impact on the world until today. High-quality CGI brings these past empires back to life.
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