ZDFneo

ZDFneo

Logo used since 2017
Country	Germany
Headquarters	Mainz, Germany
Programming
Picture format	720p (1080p (DVB-T2 only)) (HDTV)
Ownership
Owner	ZDF
Key people	Markus Schächter
Sister channels	ZDF ZDFinfo
History
Launched	1 November 2009; 16 years ago (2009-11-01) (SD) 30 April 2012; 14 years ago (2012-04-30) (HD)
Replaced	ZDFdokukanal
Links
Website	www.zdfneo.de
Availability
Terrestrial
Digital terrestrial television	Region dependent
Streaming media
ZDF.de	Watch live (Germany only)

ZDFneo is a German free-to-air television channel, programmed for an audience aged 25 to 49^[1] to complement the primarily older-skewing main channels of public broadcasters ZDF and ARD. It replaced ZDF's documentary channel ZDFdokukanal on 1 November 2009.

History

On 1 October 2017, the channel was to receive a new on-air design and a new broadcasting logo;^[2] this was brought forward to 26 September 2017. The logo and on-air design was created by Julia David.^[3]

In March 2026, it was announced that ZDFneo would merge its operations with ARD's similar channel One in 2027, with the channel rebranding as simply Neo and becoming a joint venture between the two public broadcasters.^[4][5]

Distribution

ZDFneo is broadcast (along with the rest of ZDFvision) via DVB-T digital terrestrial television, receivable in most areas of Germany. It is also transmitted in DVB-C through German cable networks, and in DVB-S from the Astra 1H satellite.

Since 30 April 2012, ZDFneo has been broadcast in HD (720p).^[6] The channel was initially only scaled up by 576i, since ZDFneo had no HD-capable playout at this time. Since mid-May 2015, the channel is broadcast in native HD quality.

Programmes

Source:^[7]

ZDFneo's broadcasts mostly consists of comedy and drama series produced in-house. Shows imported from America and the United Kingdom plus a few documentaries, music shows, and movies round out the schedule.

Repeats of ZDF programming

• Die Deutschen ("The Germans"; history)
• Alisa – Folge deinem Herzen ("Follow your heart"; soap opera)
• Bianca – Wege zum Glück ("The way to happiness"; soap opera)
• Der letzte Zeuge (2009–present)
• Lafer! Lichter! Lecker! ("Lafer, Lichter, delicious!"; talk, cooking)
• Terra X (history)
• Abenteuer Wissen ("Knowledge Adventure"; science, history)
• Neues aus der Anstalt ("News from the (mental) institution"; cabaret)
• Helen Dorn (2014–present)
• Heute Show (satire)
• Lena: Liebe meines Lebens ("Lena: Love of my Life"; soap opera)
• Neo Magazin Royale (late-night satire talk show; continuation of NeoMagazin mit Jan Böhmermann which was aired on ZDFneo)

Original programming

• Bambule (culture/current affairs)
• Comedy Lab (comedy)
• Crystal Wall (romance-crime drama)^[8]
• Hochzeitsfieber! ("Wedding Fever!"; living)
• Iss oder quizz (game show)
• neoLeben (living)
• Neo Magazin (Talk show)
• neoMusik (music)
• Schulz & Böhmermann (talk show)
• Der Straßenchor ("The Street Choir"; music)
• Süper Tiger Show (comedy)

Imported series

• 100 Code (2016-2017)
• 30 Rock (2009-2015)
• Agatha Raisin (2017–present)
• Being Erica (Being Erica - Alles auf Anfang) (2011)
• Candice Renoir (2016–present)
• Clan (2015)^[9]
• Code 37 (2014)^[10]
• Dawson's Creek (2011-2012)
• Death in Paradise (2012–present)
• Dicte (2014–present)
• Dirty Sexy Money (2011-2012)
• Endeavour (Der junge Inspektor Morse) (2017–present)
• Fargo (2016–present)
• Father Brown (2014–present)
• Free Agents (comedy; titled Free Agents – Zweisam einsam, engl. Free Agents – Twosome lonesome) (2010-2011)
• From Darkness (2017)
• George Gently (George Gently - Der Unbestechliche) (2011)
• Gidseltagningen (Countdown Copenhagen/Below the Surface) (2017–present)
• Hart to Hart (drama; titled Hart aber herzlich)
• Hooten & the Lady (2017–present)
• How Not to Live Your Life (comedy) (2010-2011)
• Huff (drama)
• Hustle (drama; titled Hustle – Unehrlich währt am längsten, engl. Hustle – Dishonest it works much longer )
• In Plain Sight (drama)
• In Treatment (drama)
• Jack Taylor (2015-2016, 2018–present)
• Line of Duty (2015–present)
• Luther (psychological crime drama)
• Mad Men (drama)
• Magic City (2013-2015)
• Magnum, P.I. (Magnum) (2011-2015)
• Miami Vice (drama)
• Midsomer Murders (detective drama; titled Inspector Barnaby)
• Mr Selfridge (2014-2016)
• New Tricks (New Tricks - Die Krimispezialisten) (2017–present)
• No Offence (2016–present)
• Orange Is the New Black (2017–present)
• Outcast (2017–present)
• Ray Donovan (2016–present)
• Safe House (2016–present)
• Scott & Bailey (2012–present)
• Seinfeld (2009-2012)
• Spooks (drama; titled Spooks – Im Visier des MI5, engl. Spooks – In sight of the MI5)
• Star Trek (Sci Fi; titled Raumschiff Enterprise, engl. Spaceship Enterprise)
• Taking the Flak (dramedy; titled Taking the Flak – Reporter auf Kriegsfuß, engl. Taking the Flak – Reporters at war)
• The Aliens (2016, 2018)
• The Big C (The Big C ... und jetzt ich!) (2011-2014)
• The Fades (2012-2014)
• The Fall (The Fall – Tod in Belfast) (2016-2017)
• The Fear (2012) (2014–present)
• The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (mystery)
• The Missing (2017–present)
• Wayward Pines (2017–present)
• Weeds (Weeds - Kleine Deals unter Nachbarn) (2010-2012)

Logos

• 
  ZDFneo (2009–2017)
• 
  ZDFneo HD (2012–2017)
• 
  ZDFneo (since 26 September 2017)

Audience share

Germany

	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Annual average
2009[11]	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2010[12]	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2011[13]	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.3%	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%	0.4%	0.5%	0.4%
2012[14]	0.5%	0.5%	0.5%	0.6%	0.7%	0.7%	0.7%	0.6%	0.7%	0.7%	0.7%	0.8%	0.6%
2013[15]	0.8%	0.8%	0.9%	1.0%	0.9%	1.0%	1.0%	0.9%	1.1%	1.1%	1.2%	1.2%	1.0%
2014[16]	1.2%	1.2%	1.1%	1.2%	1.3%	1.2%	1.3%	1.4%	1.5%	1.4%	1.3%	1.4%	1.3%
2015[17]	1.4%	1.5%	1.6%	1.6%	1.6%	1.7%	1.7%	1.7%	1.7%	1.5%	1.6%	1.8%	1.6%
2016[18]	1.5%	1.6%	1.5%	1.7%	2.0%	2.0%	2.3%	2.5%	2.4%	2.4%	2.6%	2.4%	2.1%
2017[19]	2.5%	2.7%	2.9%	2.5%	3.0%	3.0%	2.8%	3.2%	3.3%	2.9%

References

1. Jan Freitag: Ungesehen sehenswert. In: zeit.de. ZEIT ONLINE, 15 June 2012, accessed on 22 November 2018.
2. DWDL.de: "ZDFneo bekommt völlig neuen Markenauftritt verpasst", retrieved 26 August 2017.
3. "ZDF NEO". Julia David. Retrieved 7 March 2025. As the lead Art Director at FEEDMEE Design at the time, I had the great pleasure of developing not only the new on-air channel identity, but the new logo and off-air concept as well.
4. "ARD and ZDF to close linear TV channels under reform treaty". Broadband TV News. 2026-03-04. Retrieved 2026-03-17.
5. "ARD stellt „Tagesschau24" ein – zwei weitere TV-Kanäle werden gestrichen". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 2026-03-17.
6. Astra-Transponderdaten für neue ZDF HD-Sender ab 30 April 2012 stehen fest infosat.de 6 December 2011 retrieved 24 January 2013.
7. "Wunschliste". wunschliste.de. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
8. Trautmann, Marie-Sofia (15 April 2025). "ZDFneo-Serie "Crystal Wall" kommt nicht ohne genretypische Klischees aus". Die Tageszeitung (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
9. Hanfeld, Michael (19 May 2015). "Fünf Frauen und ein Todesfall". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 13 April 2023.
10. "ZDFneo: Krimi-Serie "Code 37" in deutscher Erstausstrahlung". Presseportal (in German). 3 March 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
11. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2009" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
12. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2010" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
13. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2011" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
14. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2012" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
15. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2013" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
16. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2014" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
17. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2015" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
18. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2016" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
19. "KEK/Zuschaueranteile 2017" (PDF). kek-online.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.

External links

• Official website (in German)