Sky UK Among Broadcasters to Come On Board Babylon Berlin

BERLIN: Sky UK, Sky Italy and Scandi broadcasters SVT, NRK and DR are some of the channels to have snapped up the German period drama Babylon Berlin.

The 16-hour series is produced by X Filme Creative Pool, ARD, Sky and Beta Film. From the author/director trio Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten and Achim von Borries, Babylon Berlin was commissioned to air on Sky Germany starting on October 13 and by ARD later in 2018. Sales have now been secured to Sky UK, Sky Italy, Spain’s Movistar +/Telefónica and Belgium’s Telenet, as well as with SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, YLE in Finland and RUV in Iceland. A U.S. deal is also close to being finalized.

Babylon Berlin is based on the best-selling series of novels by Volker Kutscher and tells the story of police inspector Gereon Rath, who conducts his investigations in 1920s Berlin.

Jan Mojto, CEO of Beta Film, said: “We are very pleased that the distinctiveness and quality of Babylon Berlin, on which we counted on from the start, was equally convincing to others now as it was to us then. SVT Sweden, NRK Norway, DR Denmark, YLE Finland and RUV Iceland already decided to buy on a script basis and are now to be joined by Sky Italy, Sky UK, the Spanish premium subscription platform Movistar +/Telefónica and the Belgium pay-TV partner Telenet. In the U.S.A., France and other European territories and in Latin America, negotiations are about to be completed shortly.”