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Got a great idea? “We want to see it all,” says Frank Dietz, head of acquisitions and co-productions at Super RTL.
While the German kids channel—which targets preschoolers to teens based on the time of day—is open to any and all brilliant pitches, Dietz does offer some of-the-moment guidance for those looking to sell series.
Overall, the goal for the channel is balance: enough content for preschoolers versus kids, boys versus girls.
“We’re a general, mainstream market leader,” he says. “There’s no definite style for animation or flavor we want to embrace. We want to bring as much choice and possibility [to our audience] as possible.”
The bulk of Super RTL’s programming lineup is spread across its preschool block Toggolino and its six-to-13 block Toggo.
Dietz sees a continued focus on the channel’s current slate (which is heavy on animated comedy-adventure), though there are some opportunities to break out of that mold. Pure-play comedy, for example, is a big white space as there are few options out there at the moment. “Not too spoofy, but where kids can have a really good laugh,” he says.
Kerstin Viehbach, commissioning lead (kids fiction), says that animated shows can be character-, comedy- or adventure-driven. “We need relatable topics, like school or family, because having kids relate to the content is a core characteristic [od kids]. We also need serialized programs that appeal to a very broad audience,” says Viehbach.
While animation makes up the bulk of its programming and acquisitions, Super RTL is open to live-action series—something it hasn’t had much of in the past few years, Dietz says. “We want interesting and compelling storytelling, which can come out of live action. If the right show comes up, we’d evaluate it,” he says. To draw his attention, he’d consider mixed-media in the vein of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
The channel aims to be gender balanced, and Dietz admits that, at the moment, the content skews a bit more toward boys. As such, the team isn’t looking for any heavy boy-skewing content and will likely steer clear from superheroes unless there’s a strong female hero character that girls can connect with. Two recent Super RTL pickups, ON Kids & Family’s Petronix Defenders and 41 Entertainment’s S.M.A.S.H.!, both feature strong female superheroes among their diverse casts.
Ultimately, however, Dietz doesn’t want to exclude any great ideas, particularly if there are series with strong merchandising and marketing appeal.
On the acquisitions and co-productions side of its business, the channel is seeking animation for preschoolers or the six-to-nine demo, according to Marion Winter, senior manager of acquisitions and co-productions. Ideally, it wants series that are 52 x 11 minutes, but needs at least 26 x 11-minute episodes before it will launch a show. The channel still primarily gravitates toward longer episode counts across multiple seasons, though it likes to supplement the linear content with digital add-ons such as shorts and compilations it can pulse out online.
Super RTL also prefers to acquire as many rights to a property as it can to make sure it’s able to launch the brand across platforms, including linear, VOD, apps and music on the radio, says Winter.
Dietz says there’s an expectation for SVOD and AVOD rights for series it boards early and helps develop from the ground up. “In the increasing competitive market, if we build a brand from scratch we also have to make sure we can control the destiny and future of the show.”
Team
Frank Dietz Head of Acquisitions and Co-Productions
Kerstin Viehbach Commissioning Lead (Kids Fiction)
Marion Winter Senior Manager, Acquisitions and Co-Productions
Demographic
Super RTL is a mainstream broadcaster and programs for boys and girls, three to 13.
Format
2D Animation
3D Animation
CG Animation
Live Action
Mixed Media
Scripted
How to Pitch
The best way to approach Super RTL is via email (lektorat@superrtl.de). Projects can be at concept stage, further developed or already produced.
