RTL Preps International Network

COLOGNE: RTL Germany has set a mid-January launch for RTL International, a brand-new pay-TV channel that will roll out worldwide in HD.

RTL International will mark the first German TV station with general-interest entertainment content that targets German-speaking expats and travelers globally. The network is set for a January 18 debut in countries such as Canada, Australia, Southern Africa (with South Africa and Namibia), Israel and Georgia. In February, the service will extend to the U.S. and a host of other platforms, continuing its rollout through the second quarter of 2016 for apps and online.

Program offerings for RTL International will include shows from Germany’s RTL on an almost exclusive basis. The channel will feature programming in such genres as live news, magazines, soaps, series and more.

Stefan Sporn, the general manager of international distribution for RTL International, said: “There is a lot of interest in RTL International being expressed by the platforms all over the world because the station offers a unique opportunity to reach German expats with its premium German content. We look forward to this launch but also to the enormous potential opening up to us over the next few months to target even more platform partners so that we can reach even more people with our unique TV brands.”