ZDF Studios and Castalia Communications to launch FAST channel “Crimen ZDF” on Samsung TV Plus for Spanish-speaking audiences in the U.S. and Latin America
Mainz, Germany and Atlanta, GA, USA - April 30, 2025
ZDF Studios and international media development company Castalia Communications Corporation announce the April 30 launch of Crimen ZDF, a FAST channel for Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States and Latin America. Crimen ZDF will feature the finest procedural crime, thriller, and mystery series from Europe and will be available on Samsung TV Plus Mexico staring on April 30, 2025.
The partnership between ZDF Studios and Castalia Communications to develop this FAST service was first announced in October 2023. The venture makes quality programming from the ZDF Studios catalogue available to Spanish-speaking end-users in the Hispanic market in the U.S. and Latin America.
"We are delighted to be able to offer our most successful European procedural dramas on a FAST channel to audiences across the Americas, and for the first time, dubbed into Latin American Spanish.,” said Susanne Frank, Director Drama, ZDF Studios, adding that the new channel “is a product of a partnership with Castalia Communications,” a U.S.-based company with a long history of content distribution in the region.
“We have selected captivating and iconic series full of intrigue, of course all filmed in a European settings and authentic atmosphere, different than the usual offerings in the U.S. and Latin America,” said Luis Torres-Bohl, president of Castalia Communications. “The channel will attract viewers who are already familiar with European content and are hungrier than ever to enjoy this programming now in their own language, as well as new viewers who are seeking similar premium content,” he added.
The quality of the content that viewers expect includes high quality in-language dubbing. This is why Caaliope, one of the leaders in Spanish language dubbing and subtitling, was chosen to dub all of the channel's content. "In-language dialogue is a key component of the viewer experience and having it in Latin American Spanish enhances the quality of the content," said Carlos Sánchez, CEO of Caaliope.
The channel will have a total of 300 hours of content available, with an initial package of 190 hours, including the acclaimed series “The Crimson Rivers,” about complex murder case solved by a detective and his best student, based on the best-selling French novel written by Jean-Christophe Grangé; “The Bridge,” an original award-winning Danish-Swedish crime series with several international adaptations; “SOKO,” a popular and current show in Germany that follows the investigations of Special Crime Units (SOKO) across the country; and “The Old Fox,” a long-running German series that is still very popular today about a chief inspector who leads his team through the dark underbelly of crime to unravel murder mysteries.
---
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 in Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom spanning TV production, distribution and services. The parent company, ZDF Studios, is responsible for global programming distribution, realization of international co-productions, acquisition of licenses and merchandising of successful programming brands under its own name, for ZDF and third parties. ZDF Studios has the largest German-language programming inventory in the world and a constantly growing range of international productions, consisting of series and mini-series, television films, documentaries and children's programming.
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 licenses 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 programming and makes the Group an attractive workplace for German and international talent to flourish in a very inspiring and creative environment.
About Caaliope
Caaliope is Kalliópê: the muse of poetry, epic and eloquence, “the one with the beautiful voice.” For the last twenty years, Caaliope has provided the highest-quality dubbing and subtitling services for the most important studios and companies in the film, television, and new technology industries.
Caaliope produces dubbing from every language into Latin American Spanish (LAS), and subtitling and production of audio-visual materials. With headquarters in Mexico City, the company provides service to clients in the USA, South America, and Europe. Asian markets are served by their commercial office in Seoul, South Korea. For more information and to learn more visit https://www.caaliope.com/en/
About Castalia Communications
Castalia Communications is a respected partner in the field of development and distribution. With a solid foundation in distribution, sales, and marketing, the company has a wealth of industry connections throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Castalia has been instrumental in the development of media businesses, expertly guiding them from their inception through funding, operational management, and support. Operating from its offices in the U.S., Mexico, and Peru, Castalia is strategically positioned to identify and leverage market opportunities, successfully achieving its objectives with a blend of expertise and practical insight.
About Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus is the go-to service for free, premium entertainment that allows content owners and advertisers to engage consumers at scale. As a leader in free ad-supported TV (FAST) and video-on-demand (AVOD), Samsung TV Plus is the #1 free ad-supported app on Samsung Smart TVs, with over 3,000 ad-supported linear channels available across 30 territories and over 630M active devices, Samsung TV Plus is exclusively available across Samsung TV, Galaxy, Smart Monitor, and Family Hub lineups.
Contact
Website: castaliacommunications.com
Phone: +1 201-207-7823
Mail: betti@castaliacom.com