Programming Profile

Christiane Wittich of Studio Hamburg Enterprises showcases the Hamburg-, Berlin- and Munich-based distributor’s cross-genre playlist on C21 Digital Screenings and discusses the importance of being open to investment in compelling content.

Studio Hamburg Enterprises (SHE), part of Studio Hamburg Group, a subsidiary of German public radio and TV broadcaster NDR, has curated a playlist that covers multiple genres. The aim, says director of international sales Christiane Wittich, is to tap into the industry trend for variety.

“There’s a high demand for drama and comedy, factual and entertainment programming,” says the 30-year industry veteran. “The demand for all types of programmes is because there are so many thematic channels and on-demand platforms.”

Wittich has also seen an increase in demand for non-English-language content, fuelled by the emerging platforms. “There’s a much higher demand in English-speaking countries for subtitled fiction for SVoD,” she says. The increase in buyers has created a boom in German programming, which is “produced differently to the mainstream American or British one-offs and series, and a larger variety of platforms is emerging to serve other groups of viewers.”