Sky Deutschland will no longer make scripted shows from next year and is closing its scripted arm.
The Das Boot, Babylon Berlin and Munich Games network will “halt production of new scripted Sky Originals from 2024 onwards,” according to a note from Sky Deutschland boss Devesh Raj this morning, which said shows in production will be completed.
The Sky Deutschland scripted originals team is expected to be closed once these shows have been delivered.
Raj’s note said “the cost of producing scripted content has continued to rise, in part driven by the emergence of myriad new streaming providers, making it harder for drama series to cut through.”
He added that the decision had “not been taken lightly and does not come without an impact to our people and, today, all colleagues in Sky Studios Deutschland who are impacted were informed.”
Sky will continue making shows in other markets such as the UK and Italy.
Rumors of a sale of Sky Deutschland have long abound and the news comes at a tricky time for the Comcast-owned pay-TV giant, which is responding to both macroeconomic shocks and internal strife.
A Deadline investigation in May revealed confusion and power struggles within Sky Studios, which was opened several years ago and is run by CEO Cécile Frot-Coutaz.
A Sky Deutschland spokesperson said: “Since the launch of Sky Originals in DACH, the entertainment industry and content landscape have rapidly changed, coupled with ever-evolving consumer behaviour. We know our customers well and are confident that our position as the best provider of premium, acquired content, an unmissable range of sports and all the best entertainment apps. With this in mind, we have chosen to focus our investment in these areas, and we will not continue the production of new scripted Sky Originals from 2024 onwards. We’d like to thank all our partners and colleagues for their significant contribution to producing Sky Originals over the past few years.”
Variety was first to report the news.
