Observed Signal · Jul 2, 2026 · Programming Update · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Tele 5 marks Star Trek 60th; DMAX expands 'Bluelight'
Warner Bros. Discovery showcased programming plans at the Screenforce Festival: Tele 5 will mark Star Trek's 60th anniversary with a 60-hour special programming block from 8–13 September 2026 including full seasons, films and an exclusive documentary featuring Star Trek figures such as William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes. Non-fiction channels DMAX, TLC and HGTV were positioned as WBD's factual portfolio, with DMAX set to expand its core genres ('Bluelight', 'Epic Jobs', 'Adventures') by commissioning new formats and seasons. DMAX launches the new blue-light format 'Feuerwache 1 – Alarm in Ingolstadt' in October, adds new episodes of '112: Feuerwehr im Einsatz', 'Speed Cops' and '110 Hannover', returns 'Der Germinator' at year-end and debuts 'Die Helgoländer' on 6 October. Eurosport reported a record day following Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam win and will cover the Tour de France from 4 July with extensive live coverage and analysis shows.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Tele 5 will air a 60-hour Star Trek special from 8 to 13 September 2026, including series seasons, films and an exclusive documentary featuring William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes.
- DMAX will expand its three core programming genres (Bluelight, Epic Jobs, Adventures) with new formats and seasons, including the new Blaulicht-format 'Feuerwache 1 – Alarm in Ingolstadt' launching in October.
- DMAX will add new episodes of '112: Feuerwehr im Einsatz', 'Speed Cops' and '110 Hannover'; 'Der Germinator' returns at year-end; 'Die Helgoländer' starts on 6 October.
- Warner Bros. Discovery executives Matthias Heinze and Marion Rathmann presented the channel positioning for Tele 5, DMAX, TLC and HGTV at the Screenforce Festival and noted a joint TV marketing activity with RTLzwei around El Cartel Brothers for linear channels.
- Eurosport reported its most successful broadcast day tied to Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam win (6.9% daily market share) and will provide over 100 hours of live Tour de France coverage from 4 July, complemented by the analysis show 'Velo Club' hosted by Holger Speckhahn and guest Jan Ullrich on select dates.
Connected Companies & Entities
5 Entities mapped“Während Tele 5 der Fiction-Sender von Warner Bros. Discovery im Free-TV ist, stehen DMAX, TLC und HGTV für non-fiktionale Unterhaltung. "Mac...”
“Warner Bros. Discovery hat sich in Sachen TV-Vermarktung bekanntlich mit RTLzwei bei den El Cartel Brothers zusammengetan - zumindest was di...”
“Warner Bros. Discovery hat sich in Sachen TV-Vermarktung bekanntlich mit RTLzwei bei den El Cartel Brothers zusammengetan - zumindest was di...”
“Matthias Heinze (SVP Commercial bei WBD) und Marion Rathmann (Group VP Content & Programming bei WBD) dementsprechend beim Screenforce Festi...”
“Eurosport wiederum hat gerade sehr erfolgreiche Wochen hinter sich: Der Grand-Slam-Sieg von Alexander Zverev bescherte dem Sender seinen bis...”
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Warner Bros. Discovery Focuses on Brands, Local Productions, Star Trek
At the Screenforce Festival 2026, Warner Bros. Discovery outlined its programming strategy emphasizing sendermark positioning, local original productions, major franchises and live sports. TELE 5 will brand itself as a 'Home of Sci‑Fi' and mark Star Trek's 60th anniversary (Sept 8–13) with special programming including an exclusive documentary featuring William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes. DMAX plans to expand genres such as Bluelight, Epic Jobs and Adventure with new formats like 'Feuerwache 1 – Alarm in Ingolstadt' and 'Die Helgoländer'; programming chief Marion Rathmann called local originals the channel's backbone. TLC and HGTV will roll out new seasons and formats (including 'Life of Baylen – Ich ticke anders!', 'Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service' and 'Unser Traum vom Schloss'). In sports, WBD is leveraging Eurosport after a strong French Open broadcast and will air around 100 hours live of the Tour de France (July 4–26) on Eurosport 1.
Weigel Marks Star Trek 60th with Network Marathons
Weigel Broadcasting is celebrating Star Trek’s 60th anniversary with month-long themed programming across its networks MeTV, Heroes & Icons (H&I), and MeTV Toons, plus streaming availability on services such as Frndly TV and Philo. Highlights include William Shatner guesting on MeTV’s Toon In With Me on September 8, a complete six-day marathon of all 79 episodes of the original series on H&I (Sept. 6–11), and a Star Trek: The Animated Series block on MeTV Toons. MeTV will also run themed late-night Star Trek blocks on Saturdays in September, and the programming is accessible via Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and live-TV services that carry the networks.
Tele 5 Posts Decade-High Day Market Share
Tele 5 recorded a 2.4% daily market share among viewers aged 14–49 on Tuesday, its strongest value since at least 2016 and roughly three times its May average. Programming that contributed included the film Die Noobs, a late-prime showing of The Call (which reached 4.5% in the 14–49 demo), Doctor Who (3.8%) and Star Trek: The Next Generation (up to 2.9% in the target group). The result gave Tele 5 ninth place in the channel ranking for the day. ProSieben Maxx also had a strong day (2.2% in 14–49), while ZDFneo delivered high overall reach with 1.12 million viewers for a Helen Dorn crime drama. All audience figures are based on AGF SCOPE (AGF Videoforschung) preliminary weighted data. The article was published by DWDL.de on 2026-06-17 and written by Uwe Mantel.
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