Endemol Expands German Presence

LONDON/MUNICH/HAMBURG: Endemol Germany has picked up a majority stake in the production company set up by the co-producer and presenter of the local version of The Money Drop.

Endemol has taken an undisclosed stake in Herr P, the venture founded by Jörg Pilawa. The two companies will pool their creative and production resources to create new entertainment formats for both the local market and for international rollout. With the deal, Marcus Wolter, managing director of Endemol Germany, becomes joint MD of Herr P alongside Pilawa. Endemol has already been working with the producer on the ZDF version of The Money Drop, Rette die Million! Pilawa’s other credits include Star Quiz, Pilawas großes Geschichts-Quiz (Pilawa’s Big History Quiz) and Pilawas große Weltreise (Pilawa’s Big Journey Around the World).

"Jörg’s popularity with audiences and his creativity as a producer speaks for itself," commented Wolter. "The aim of our partnership is to further grow Herr P into a leading producer in Germany, bringing a whole new line up of formats to both the national and international markets.”

Pilawa added, “I’m very much looking forward to joining forces with a world leader like Endemol and to be working alongside Marcus. We all share a passion for creativity and ideas that make great television and in the fast-paced world of TV long-term partnerships are half the battle. Together with Endemol we have the scale and leverage to take Herr P to an entirely new level in the marketplace.”