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Sky eyes German originals

Sky in Germany is preparing to ramp up investment in its original productions as part of plans to expand in the territory.

Carsten Schmidt

Carsten Schmidt

Pay TV subscriptions remain lower in Germany than those in Sky’s other markets such as the UK, and the firm’s German chief Carsten Schmidt has said the company is “not satisfied” with current customer numbers.

Schmidt told weekly business magazine Wirtschafts Woche  the German arm of the business is now looking to invest around €100m (US$111m) in new series.

“We want to achieve up to eight productions in Germany over the next four years,” he said, adding that shows would typically consist of around eight episodes costing €1.5m each.

Gary Davey, MD of content at Sky, has previously said the country offers “fantastic growth potential” and admitted the company had nine dramas in development.

Sky in the UK has been ramping up its originals budget over recent years, with shows such as The Young Pope, which originated from its Italian division, being prepped for debut on the satcaster’s channels in the UK and Germany.

The firm’s German, Italian and UK arms are also developing crime series Diabolik, which has been in the works for several years. Sky has been bolstering its content slates by making the most of its enlarged size, agreeing pan-European deals with US networks including Showtime and HBO.

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