Little Dot Studios and ZDF Studios Expand Long-Term Content Partnership
London and Mainz, 3 March 2026: Little Dot Studios, the social media agency, digital media network and multi-platform production company, announced the renewal and expansion of its strategic content partnership with ZDF Studios, the commercial subsidiary of ZDF, Germany’s leading public-service broadcaster. The multi-year agreement scales the distribution and monetisation of ZDF Studios’ extensive factual catalogue across global digital platforms.
Under the agreement, Little Dot Studios, an All3Media company, will licence over 600 hours of high end programming from the ZDF Studios library, covering both German-language content for the GAS region and English-language titles for the UK and international markets. Key distribution platforms include Little Dot Studios’ owned-and-operated YouTube channels, FAST, History Hit SVOD, and Germany’s Waipu and Joyn. The content strategy prioritises high-performing genres such as science, engineering and natural history, alongside historical biographics.
Publishing content is already underway across Little Dot Studios' genre-based YouTube Channels, including Timeline, Spark, Real Wild, Wild Waters and Real Royalty, as well as German channels Real Stories Germany, Real Crime Germany and Timeline Germany. Featured titles include the immersive documentary Great White Shark: Beyond the Cage of Fear, The Trojan Horse: On the Trail of a Myth and the acclaimed series Women Who Made History, profiling era-defining figures like Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great and Joan of Arc.
Connie Hodson, Director of Content Acquisitions & Partnerships at Little Dot Studios, says: “This expansion marks a pivotal development in our relationship with ZDF Studios. Since our initial collaboration in 2021, which successfully utilised premium content to bolster our network presence in both the UK and Germany, the partnership has matured into a comprehensive international, multi-platform remit. With this latest renewal and the addition of new hours, our total acquired volume from ZDF Studios now reaches over 1,000 hours of premium content. We are committed to ensuring ZDF Studios’ world-class factual portfolio continues to resonate with and monetise across new global audiences, directly supporting their strategic objectives for digital growth.”
Linette Zaulich, Head of B2C for ZDF, says: "ZDF Studios’ factual catalogue is defined by high-quality storytelling, and Little Dot Studios has consistently demonstrated their ability to bring such programming to life on digital platforms. This extended agreement strengthens our shared commitment to making exceptional documentaries and factual series accessible to global audiences, wherever and however they choose to watch.”
Little Dot Studios’ Digital Media Network is the UK’s second largest streamer by catalogue size (Catalogue Size Source: Just Watch January 2025). It is currently home to over 135 actively managed digital broadcast channels (and growing), as well as a suite of seven FAST brands streaming across 130+ channels. Licensing over 27,000 hours of hand-picked long-form content from distributors, producers and studios. This expanded content partnership with ZDF Studios is the latest in a string of deals secured for Little Dot Channels.
---
About Little Dot Studios
Little Dot Studios is a social media agency, digital media network and multi-platform production company. As the world’s leading YouTube specialist, it partners with top entertainment, sports, and consumer brands to deliver strategy, audience growth, content production, monetisation, and digital rights management.
Its multi-format production studio creates everything from premium TV and film to award-winning podcasts, live streams, and short-form social content that build communities and drive performance. Through its owned network, Little Dot Channels, the company operates 135+ social channels and seven FAST brands streaming across 130+ channels, reaching over 125 million unique viewers monthly and offering one of the largest premium ad inventories across YouTube and CTV.
Little Dot Studios also includes specialist sports agency WING and owns broadcaster Dan Snow’s History Hit network. A certified B Corp™ and verified carbon neutral since launch, it is committed to reaching net zero by 2030. Founded in 2013, Little Dot Studios has offices in the UK, US, Germany, and ANZ, and is part of All3Media.
About ZDF Studios
ZDF Studios is a commercial subsidiary of ZDF, one of the largest TV broadcasters in Europe. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, the ZDF Studios Group operates more than 30 direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliates spanning TV production, distribution and services. The parent company, ZDF Studios, is responsible for global programme distribution, realisation of international co-productions, acquisition of licences and merchandising of successful programme brands under its own name, for ZDF and third parties. ZDF Studios has the largest German-language programme inventory in the world and a constantly growing range of international productions, consisting of series and mini-series, television films, documentaries and children's programmes.
The companies of the ZDF Studios Group cover the entire value chain from the development of scripted and unscripted TV content to production, marketing and monetizing, including TV and streaming licences as well as merchandising and online rights. The positioning of ZDF Studios as an integrated media company enables the development of innovative, outstanding and high-quality programmes and makes the Group an attractive workplace for German and international talent to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment.
Contact ZDF Studios
Christine Denilauler (VP Marketing and Corporate Communications), ZDF Studios GmbH, Erich-Dombrowski-Str. 1, 55127 Mainz/Germany, tel.: +49 6131-9911130, email: christine.denilauler@zdf-studios.com, www.zdf-studios.com