Buyers Move For German Crime Drama ‘SOKO’ As ZDF Studios Brings Classic & YA Series To Cannes — SkimNews
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- SOKO traveled to 12 broadcasters in 2026, including Walter Presents in the UK, RTL Croatia, Talpa in the Netherlands, and Canal+; its latest season premiered on ZDF on October 2.
- ZDF Studios has shopped over 500 hours of content to buyers in more than 20 territories so far in 2026, per the company's announcement as MIPCOM got underway.
- Mountain Medic and Alpine Rescue were licensed to TV2 Denmark, Prima TV in the Czech Republic, and TVS in Poland.
- Rosamunde Pilcher and Inga Lindström romance series sold to Mediaset Italy, Nova TV Bulgaria, and TV3 Baltics.
- Love Sucks, a vampire series, was licensed to Amazon, Apple, Disney Germany, Sky Switzerland, and France Télévisions.
- High Valley, a YA series, sits on ZDF Studios' MIPCOM scripted highlights after making the Deadline Dozen roster of hottest dramas at the Cannes market.
- Tim Gerhartz, ZDF Studios' Chief Commercial Officer, said established brands 'continue to perform exceptionally well internationally' while interest in younger-audience German series is growing.
Why it matters: For ZDF Studios, placing over 500 hours across 20-plus territories at MIPCOM confirms sustained global appetite for German scripted fare, with the SOKO franchise alone landing 12 broadcasters this year. The simultaneous push of younger-skewing titles like Love Sucks (sold to Amazon, Apple, Disney Germany) shows the seller diversifying beyond its traditional broad-audience crime/romance base.
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