Kino Lorber’s MHz Choice and Topic will merge into one streaming service, the company announced.
The combined product will become the exclusive U.S. streaming home of hit German series “Babylon Berlin” starting in April. As of Feb. 29, the series is no longer available in the country on Netflix, which previously held the U.S. streaming rights.
Co-created, written and directed by Tom Twyker, Achim von Borries and Hendrik Handloegten, “Babylon Berlin” is based on the novels by Volker Kutscher and distributed by Beta Film. The fourth season of the drama, which has not been available for streaming in North America before, will land on the new service June 25.
Along with “Babylon Berlin,” MHz Choice and Topic’s combined lineup will include “The Killing,” “The Bridge,” “Detective Montalbano,” “The Sea Beyond,” “Pagan Peak,” “A French Village,” “Spiral,” “Beck” and “Murder In.”
Current MHz Choice and Topic subscribers will be moved over to the new service over the next few months. The price for the combined offering will be $7.99 per month, the cost of an MHz Choice subscription.
The merged MHz Choice-Topic streamer will be overseen by Kino Lorber chief operating officer Martha Benyam. Chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz will lead distribution and partnerships. Lance Schwulst, head of content strategy, will remain in charge of programming. Monica Bloom will continue as chief marketing officer.
“MHz Choice is now the ultimate destination for those who love international series, and especially European mysteries and Nordic noir,” said Ed Carroll, president of Kino Lorber Media Group. “‘Babylon Berlin’ is one of the crown jewels of television, a period drama whose timeless themes transcend geography and language in the way shows like ‘A French Village,’ ‘Downton Abbey’ or ‘Mad Men’ have all around the world. We anticipate our subscribers will enjoy the early seasons of ‘Babylon Berlin’ as well as the premiere of season four.”