August 5, 2023, 12:33 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
There will soon be one less TV channel on linear television. The Austrian private broadcaster ServusTV has confirmed that it will cease operations in Germany by the end of the year.
It is not uncommon for TV channels to occasionally disappear from linear television. However, this time it affects a fairly well-known offering with ServusTV. After initial reports of a possible end in April, the broadcaster has now officially confirmed its closure.
ServusTV’s Programming Not Without Controversy
ServusTV justifies the move by stating that it wants to focus on its home country and digital distribution in the future. In Austria, ServusTV achieved a market share of 4.3 percent last year, according to Statista, behind the two leaders ORF 2 and ORF 1. The private broadcaster is part of Red Bull Media House and has been broadcasting under the name ServusTV since October 1, 2009. In Germany, it launched on September 1, 2010—with different content compared to Austria. Due to various rights, ServusTV in Germany focuses primarily on entertainment programming.
ServusTV’s programming is not without controversy. In particular, talk shows and documentaries have repeatedly drawn criticism in the past. The broadcaster has been accused of spreading right-wing populism and misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
End of 2023 Marks the End of Broadcasting in Germany
Initial reports about a possible end for ServusTV in Germany emerged as early as 2016 due to the difficult economic situation. A deficit of between 40 and 50 million euros was mentioned. The broadcaster then sought investments. According to Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of Red Bull Media House, the goal was to “be sustainably successful in the long term.” Before his death in October 2022, he approved a new major project that launched in early 2023. Specifically for Germany, “Servus Deutschland Nachrichten” and “Guten Abend Deutschland,” a news program and a magazine in collaboration with WELT N24, were established.
However, the new programming could not save the broadcaster. After ServusTV had already ceased operations in Switzerland at the end of 2021, the broadcaster has now announced the end of broadcasting in Germany at the end of the year, a move that some partners regret. A spokesperson for WELT told TECHBOOK: “WELT was pleased to accompany the ServusTV Germany project and therefore regrets ServusTV’s strategic decision to cease its linear broadcasting operations in Germany and to focus more on its home market in Austria from next year.”
In the future, ServusTV will focus on the digital program “ServusTV On” in Germany. In Austria, however, the channel will continue to be available on linear TV.