Kinowelt Television
A German-language pay-TV channel focused on classic Hollywood and European cinema.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Kinowelt Television, commonly presented on air as Kinowelt TV or Kinowelt.TV, is a German-language pay-TV channel devoted primarily to feature films. Its programming combines classic Hollywood productions with European cinema spanning genres such as drama, romance, comedy, action, thriller, horror and western. The channel was established in the early 2000s as part of the wider Kinowelt film business and launched on 12 May 2004. The channel was founded by Achim Apell, a former associate of Hessischer Rundfunk and Taunus Film, together with MK Medienbeteiligungs GmbH, a Leipzig-based investment company. MK Medien was associated with Michael Kölmel and the Kinowelt film-distribution business, which had been founded in 1984 and later became StudioCanal GmbH. Apell was related to Kölmel's family, connecting the television operation to the broader Kinowelt corporate and film-distribution network. Kinowelt TV operates through Kinowelt Television GmbH, whose base is in Bad Soden am Taunus. Its distribution model has relied on pay-TV platforms rather than terrestrial broadcasting. In Germany, the channel has been carried by cable and IPTV providers including Kabel Deutschland, Kabelkiosk, Tele Columbus, Primacom, Unitymedia, Vodafone and Telekom Entertain. It has also been distributed through the Sky satellite platform. Availability in Austria and Switzerland has included operators such as UPC Austria, UPC Cablecom and Swisscable. A high-definition version, Kinowelt TV HD, was introduced through cable distribution beginning in 2012. The HD service became available through Unitymedia on 29 May 2012, followed by Kabel Deutschland on 15 October 2012 and UPC Austria in 2013. On 5 February 2013, the service introduced a redesigned on-air and off-air identity, including new logos for both Kinowelt.TV and Kinowelt TV HD. Although principally a film channel, the Kinowelt operation also moved into cinema production. Since 2009, it has been associated with three feature productions: the nature film The Last Giants, the horror film Die Präsenz, also known in English as The Presence, and the horror/science-fiction film UFO. These productions broadened the brand's role from film exhibition and channel programming into content production. AMC Networks announced in April 2014 that it had acquired Kinowelt TV. The announcement indicated that AMC Networks did not plan to change the channel's name. Publicly available reference material establishes the acquisition and the channel's distribution history, but does not provide sufficient current information to confirm its present ownership structure, operational status, or current carriage footprint. Kinowelt TV is therefore best characterized as a German-language premium film-channel brand with historical distribution in German-speaking European markets and an association with the Kinowelt and AMC Networks businesses.
History
Kinowelt TV was created within the orbit of the Kinowelt film-distribution business and launched on 12 May 2004 as a German-language pay-TV station. Its founding group included Achim Apell, who had previously been associated with Hessischer Rundfunk and Taunus Film, and MK Medienbeteiligungs GmbH of Leipzig. MK Medien was linked to Michael Kölmel and to Kinowelt, the film company founded in 1984 that later became StudioCanal GmbH. The channel's editorial proposition was based on film breadth rather than a single genre. Its schedule drew on classic Hollywood titles and European films, including drama, romance, comedy, action, thriller, horror and western productions. The service was operated by Kinowelt Television GmbH from Bad Soden am Taunus and was distributed through pay-TV infrastructure in German-speaking Europe. German distribution included cable operators such as Kabel Deutschland, Kabelkiosk, Tele Columbus, Primacom and Unitymedia, as well as IPTV services from Vodafone and Telekom Entertain. The channel was also available through Sky satellite distribution. In Austria and Switzerland, reported distribution included UPC Austria, UPC Cablecom and Swisscable. Kinowelt TV developed an HD extension as pay-TV platforms upgraded their technical offerings. Kinowelt TV HD became available through Unitymedia on 29 May 2012, followed by Kabel Deutschland on 15 October 2012 and UPC Austria in 2013. The service subsequently refreshed its brand identity on 5 February 2013, introducing a new on-air and off-air design and revised logos for both Kinowelt.TV and Kinowelt TV HD. The Kinowelt operation also became involved in cinema production. Three productions are identified in the available reference material: The Last Giants, a 2009 nature film; Die Präsenz, an internationally rendered title of The Presence, a 2015 horror film; and UFO, a 2016 horror/science-fiction film. These projects gave the business a role in producing content in addition to licensing and scheduling films for television. In April 2014, AMC Networks announced that it had acquired Kinowelt TV. The announcement stated that AMC Networks did not intend to rename the channel. The available material does not establish the precise legal structure following the transaction, the current management team, or whether the channel remains active under the same distribution arrangements. Consequently, later corporate and operational details require verification.
- 2016
UFO released
[1]UFO, described as a horror and science-fiction film, became the third identified cinema production associated with the operation.
- 2015
The Presence released
[1]Die Präsenz, also known as The Presence, was identified as a Kinowelt cinema production in the horror genre.
- 2014
AMC Networks announces acquisition
[1]AMC Networks announced its acquisition of Kinowelt TV and said that the channel name would remain unchanged.
- 2013
Brand identity redesigned
[1]Kinowelt TV introduced revised on-air and off-air branding and new logos for its standard and HD services.
- 2012
Kinowelt TV HD begins cable distribution
[1]The HD version was made available through Unitymedia on 29 May and later through Kabel Deutschland on 15 October.
- 2009
Kinowelt enters cinema production
[1]The operation became associated with its first identified cinema production, the nature film The Last Giants.
- 2004
Kinowelt TV launches
[1]Kinowelt TV began broadcasting as a German-language pay-TV film channel on 12 May 2004.
- 1984
Kinowelt film business founded
[1]The broader Kinowelt film-distribution business associated with the channel was founded by Michael Kölmel and later became StudioCanal GmbH.
Products and positioning
A premium German-language film channel centered on curated classic Hollywood and European cinema across multiple genres.
Pay-TV channel · 2004
Kinowelt TV
The core German-language pay-TV service, Kinowelt TV broadcasts feature films from classic Hollywood and European cinema. Its programming covers a broad range of genres, including drama, romance, comedy, action, thriller, horror and western. The channel has historically been distributed through cable, satellite and IPTV platforms in Germany and other German-speaking European markets.
HD pay-TV channel · 2012
Kinowelt TV HD
Kinowelt TV HD is the high-definition version of the channel. It was introduced through cable distribution in 2012, first becoming available via Unitymedia on 29 May, with Kabel Deutschland following on 15 October. The HD service later reached UPC Austria in 2013 and received its own updated logo as part of the 2013 brand redesign.
Cinema film · 2009
The Last Giants
The Last Giants is a nature-oriented cinema film identified as the first of three productions associated with the Kinowelt operation. Its inclusion reflects the company's expansion beyond television-channel programming into film production.
Horror film · 2015
Die Präsenz (The Presence)
Die Präsenz, also known by the English title The Presence, is a horror cinema film associated with Kinowelt's production activities. It forms the second identified feature in the company's small cinema-production portfolio.
Horror and science-fiction film · 2016
UFO
UFO is a cinema film described in the available reference material as combining horror and science-fiction elements. It is the third identified feature production connected with the Kinowelt operation.
Brand decisions
2014
AMC Networks acquisitionM&ABackground
Kinowelt TV was operating as a German-language film channel connected to the Kinowelt media business.
Action taken
AMC Networks announced that it had acquired Kinowelt TV in April 2014.
Aftermath
AMC Networks stated that it did not plan to change the channel's name. The available source does not specify transaction value or later operating arrangements.
2013
Refresh of channel identityStrategyBackground
Kinowelt TV operated both standard-definition and HD services and sought a unified contemporary presentation.
Action taken
On 5 February 2013, the channel introduced new on-air and off-air design elements and updated logos for Kinowelt.TV and Kinowelt TV HD.
Aftermath
The refresh established a revised visual identity for the two services; no audience or financial outcome is provided in the reference material.
2012
Launch of Kinowelt TV HDOtherBackground
The channel expanded its technical offering as German-speaking pay-TV distribution moved toward high-definition services.
Action taken
Kinowelt TV HD was introduced through Unitymedia and subsequently distributed by Kabel Deutschland and UPC Austria.
Aftermath
The HD service became part of the Kinowelt brand portfolio and received separate visual treatment in the following year's identity redesign.
Recent events
- 2014
AMC Networks announces acquisition of Kinowelt TV[1]
M&A
AMC Networks announced in April 2014 that it had acquired Kinowelt TV and would retain the channel's name.
- 2013
Kinowelt TV introduces a redesigned visual identity[1]
Other
On 5 February 2013, Kinowelt TV introduced a new on-air and off-air design with updated logos for its standard-definition and HD services.
- 2012
Kinowelt TV expands into HD distribution[1]
Product generation
The channel's HD service became available through Unitymedia on 29 May 2012 and later expanded to other cable platforms.
- 2004
Kinowelt TV launches in Germany[1]
Product launch
Kinowelt TV began broadcasting as a German-language pay-TV film channel on 12 May 2004.
Sources2 sources
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