From 1 September 2025, travellers on Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed ICE trains will be able to watch selected programmes from public broadcaster ZDF and children’s channel KiKA free of charge via the ICE portal.
The move follows a new agreement between ZDF Studios, the commercial subsidiary of ZDF, and national railway company Deutsche Bahn.
The deal will see the on-board platform expanded with content spanning fiction, documentaries and children’s and youth programming. Highlights include popular series and films such as Wilsberg, Doppelhaushälfte (Duplex), Terra X, Der Bergdoktor (Mountain Medic), as well as KiKA favourites Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread), Kikaninchen and Die Brücke (The Bridge).
Special activities are also planned on social media to mark the 25th anniversary of the children’s character ‘Bernd das Brot’, with the grumpy loaf of bread taking centre stage in the celebrations.
The ICE portal is a free information and entertainment service available on all ICE trains. It provides access to a wide range of digital services, films and series independently of mobile phone reception or an internet connection, once passengers connect to the free train Wi-Fi.
Niko Chainopoulos, Sales & Acquisition Director Junior at ZDF Studios, welcomed the partnership. “We are very pleased about this agreement with Deutsche Bahn. It allows us to bring ZDF and KiKA’s great programmes closer to travellers via an exciting new touchpoint,” he said.
Markus Otte, DB Fernverkehr’s Director of Digital Content, added: “Thanks to our collaboration with ZDF Studios, the ICE portal will offer an extraordinary variety of entertainment from September onwards. No other company in Germany offers this combination of content and quality. We are delighted about this, as are we sure our passengers will be.”
