German commercial broadcast group Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will launch its international pay-TV channel for viewers outside German-language countries on January 18, 2016.
RTL International will offer news and information programmes, series and other original productions from the group’s domestic channels RTL, VOX, RTL Nitro and n-tv.
The schedule will comprise breakfast show Guten Morgen Deutschland, news broadcasts RTL aktuell and Punkt 12, tabloid shows Explosiv and Exclusiv, the current episodes of soap operas Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten, Unter uns and Alles was zählt, series like Alarm für Cobra 11, Der Lehrer and Doctor’s Diary as well as expat documentary Goodbye Deutschland! Die Auswanderer and car show auto mobil.
In addition to German expats, the channel also targets German holiday-makers abroad and people learning the German language.
RTL International which will be offered as a 24-hour service in HD quality will initially be available in Canada (Bell), South Africa (Deukom, Satelio), Israel (Hot, Yes), Georgia (Caucasus) and Australia (FlipTV), according to RTL. The USA (Charter Communications) will follow in February 2016. The channel will gradually expand to further countries and platforms including, for example, Brazil.
RTL International received the green light from the German media authorities last year. Competing broadcast group ProSiebenSat.1 has been operating an international pay-TV channel for German-speaking viewers around the world for many years dubbed ProSiebenSat.1 Welt.
