Observed Signal · Jul 21, 2026 · Partnership · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Thorsten Sievert pivots Smile Producing to live tours
Thorsten Sievert’s production company Smile Producing shifted from TV production to live entertainment during the COVID lockdown and now runs numerous creator-led tours and live projects. About five and a half years after the pivot, the company manages 18 active tour projects and has put 30 artists on stage. Smile Producing operates an 11-person team from a Cologne office and studio, develops live shows with social creators (selection based on follower count and engagement), splits rights 50/50 with creators, and scales ticketing from small venues using social Reels and paid ads. The company has renewed collaborations with broadcasters and partners (Vox, ProSieben, Joyn, Spin TV, Constantin Entertainment, SWR/ARD) and is converting some live formats into TV/streaming content while expanding into branded content, podcasts and a small-production studio concept called the “Bühnchen.”
Company-level business pivot and creator-to-live pipeline with broadcaster partnerships; relevant to live-events and content monetization but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Smile Producing pivoted from TV production to live entertainment during the COVID lockdown and now runs 18 active tour projects.
- Smile Producing has brought 30 artists to the stage and operates an 11-person team from a Cologne office and studio (moved in November 2025).
- Smile Producing hires creative and production leads: Daniel Hettinger (Head of Creative), Sofie Zimmer (Head of Live Production & Booking), Alexia Pavlidis (Head of Production Management), and Verena Märzke (Head of Marketing).
- Smile Producing and creators split rights to live formats 50/50; initial runs typically start with ~6 dates in ~100-seat venues and scale using social Reels and paid social ads.
- Some live shows are being recorded for TV/streaming: Doc Caro's show was recorded with Spin TV and will air in primetime on Vox; Smile produces 'Comedy Clash' S5 for SWR/ARD digital channels.
Connected Companies & Entities
11 Entities mapped“Wenn etwa 'Der Vadda' Clemens Brock ... sind ProSieben und Joyn als Partner dabei und unterstützen mit gelegentlichen TV-Spots....”
“Wenn etwa 'Der Vadda' Clemens Brock ... sind ProSieben und Joyn als Partner dabei und unterstützen mit gelegentlichen TV-Spots....”
“Smile Producing hat die Show im März in der Mülheimer Stadthalle in Zusammenarbeit mit Spin TV aufgezeichnet, Vox strahlt sie zur Primetime ...”
“'Doc Caro live - Lebe jetzt!', am Dienstag um 20:15 Uhr bei Vox und auf RTL+...”
“für den ARD-Twitch-Kanal und die ARD-Mediathek produziert....”
“Seit Mai läuft zudem die fünfte Staffel des Stand-up-Turniers 'Comedy Clash', das Smile zusammen mit Endgame Entertainment im Auftrag des SW...”
“Ex-Banijay-Media-Managerin Anna-Lena Pittelkow...”
“Dem einstigen Comedy-Central-Boss und Endemol-Comedy-Chef geht es nicht mehr um die großen Namen der Comedy-Szene......”
“© RTL Via Bühne zurück ins TV: Vox zeigt das Live-Programm von Doc Caro...”
“© RTL Via Bühne zurück ins TV: Vox zeigt das Live-Programm von Doc Caro...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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