The grand live finale of the 17th season of „Dein Song“ was once again successfully produced from Studio 8 at EMG / Gravity Media’s Hürth location this year. On behalf of MB-TV Produktions GmbH, Studio 8 provided the perfect setting for the emotional highlight of the popular young talent music show.
As always, the focus was on the young singer-songwriters, who captivated the audience and the celebrity jury with their self-composed songs. The large LED sign of the show was once again an essential part of the stage design, creating a high level of recognition among fans and viewers of KiKA (the children’s and youth channel of ZDF).
The experienced team at EMG / Gravity Media ensured a smooth and expert execution of the finale.
Credits: © EMG
Weeks of intensive preparation lay behind us before the three RTL live shows of “Chefsache ESC 2025 – Wer singt für Deutschland?” kicked off on February 14, 2025. In these live shows, each act was individually and impressively staged. Hand in hand, our colleagues at EMG / Gravity Media worked closely every day with all departments and our client Raab ENTERTAINMENT GmbH to make this great project in our Studio 8 truly special. The fourth and decisive live show finally took place on March 2, 2025. Live on ARD, Abor & Tynna were crowned winners and thus sent to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 finale in Basel.
With this highlight, an exciting chapter came to an end at the German location. Behind the EMG / Gravity Media team lay intensive but also impressive weeks.
Credits: © NDR, Raab ENTERTAINMENT/Willi Weber
Under the title “EMG Germany and Raab Entertainment Set New Standards for Studio Productions in Hürth!”, mebucom has published an insightful interview with EMG Germany CEO René Steinbusch. Topics included current projects with Stefan Raab’s team, the already full-speed preparations for this year’s ESC national selection show formats, as well as the company’s ambitious goals for 2025.
The article, including a video interview with René Steinbusch, can be found here (GER): https://lnkd.in/eaETU_m5
On December 21, 2024, Raab Entertainment GmbH celebrated a spectacular prime-time highlight on RTL with the game show “Stefan und Bully gegen irgendson Schnulli.” Following the formats “EM Studio” and the weekly show “Du Gewinnst Hier Nicht Die Million,” this was the production company’s first major event show – and it delighted both fans and critics alike.
The show was produced in Studio 8 and on the outdoor grounds of EMG / Gravity Media at the Hürth location.
Starring: Stefan Raab and Michael “Bully” Herbig, who teamed up to take on the humorously dubbed challenger, the “Schnulli.” The show scored with a mix of creative games and a spirited battle of wits in nostalgic show charm.
Credits: © RTL, Markus Hertrich
At the 2024 RTL Charity Marathon, EMG / Gravity Media’s Hürth location was once again dedicated to a good cause: On behalf of MB-TV Produktions GmbH, the 24-hour live broadcast was produced from Studio 8 – with full commitment and well-known precision.
Operating around the clock in shifts, the experienced EMG / Gravity Media team ensured the smooth running of the marathon-like production. With proven live expertise, they created an impressive stage for the good cause – live and nonstop for millions of viewers.
Numerous celebrities, including athletes, actors, and public figures, as well as renowned companies and committed sponsors, supported the campaign. Together, they raised donations for aid projects benefiting children in need – in Germany and worldwide.
The RTL Charity Marathon is Germany’s longest charity live broadcast on television – and EMG / Gravity Media is proud to have been part of it again in 2024.
Credits: © RTL, Stefan Gregorowius
A quarter-century of television history: The successful format “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” celebrates its 25th anniversary this year – and we are proud to have been part of it from the very beginning.
Since the first broadcast in 1999, the quiz show with host Günther Jauch has been produced in Studio 7 at the EMG / Gravity Media site in Germany. It is not only one of the country’s most successful TV formats but also a true legend on our grounds.
As a long-standing production partner, we warmly congratulate our client Endemol Shine Germany (a company of the Banijay Group) on this special milestone.
We say: 25 years of excitement, knowledge, emotions – congratulations, WWM! Here’s to many more years in Studio 7!
Credits: © RTL/Stefan Gregorowius
The provision includes TOCs, host broadcasting services, wireless technology, and fan TV zones.
Following UEFA EURO 2024, EMG / Gravity Media, on behalf of UEFA, highlighted the advanced broadcast infrastructure that the merged group built globally for UEFA and a number of international broadcasters such as the UK’s commercial broadcaster ITV, the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, and Australian broadcaster Optus Sport.
For UEFA, EMG / Gravity Media leveraged extensive experience from years of EURO coverage to deliver the Technical Operations Centres (TOCs) and the FanTV solution at each of the ten venues across Germany. In collaboration with the team in Italy, the group’s French staff also provided the giant LED screens for the matches in Munich and Stuttgart on behalf of UEFA.
EMG / Gravity Media not only supplied the technical equipment for the giant LED screens in the stadiums before, during, and after the matches but also provided four OB vans and wireless equipment (host steadicam and RF handheld camera) for the ten games at the Cologne stadium and Düsseldorf arena.
The group also delivered 1080p HDR live aerial broadcasts for all matches, from the opening to the final in Berlin, through the specialized wireless and camera divisions of the group, EMG Connectivity, and ACS. The six helicopters, all equipped with the latest UHD HDR stabilized camera gimbals, were sourced regionally to minimize flight time and aligned with the EMG / Gravity Media sustainability initiative to reduce flight hours required for tournament coverage.
The same care and commitment to sustainability were evident in the extensive collaboration with the British broadcaster ITV, which was able to reduce its workforce for covering this major tournament from 300–400 to just 90 employees.
The workflow for the 1080p50 production was designed around a “remote-inverse” model, with a remotely controlled production control room and a mini MCR in Berlin, alongside a studio and commentary positions. Both presentation areas were equipped with nine cameras each, while on-site staff included a vision mixer, director, sound system, producer, autocue operator, and a small technical and lighting team. Crucially, most of the equipment—including EVS replay, audio, and graphics—was based in London, with the sites connected via low-latency 10Gb links.
This allowed ITV to maintain a 30:70 staff split between Berlin and the UK, saving costs and reducing environmental impact from cross-border transport of personnel and equipment. In line with sustainability efforts, EMG / Gravity Media also provided ITV with new trucks for feed to production sites. These are equipped with solar-powered battery backups enabling overnight connection maintenance while minimizing power consumption.
Meanwhile, the EMG / Gravity Media team from the Netherlands successfully supported the Dutch national football team for the public broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) from the start of the tournament through to the semifinals. The fifteen-member team accompanied the squad from stadium to stadium with a six-camera OB van—three cameras for the studio and three for analysis footage.
Finally, the Australian team provided technical support for coverage of the UEFA European Championship for Optus Sport. The group had a full team of production staff, cameras, and technical and engineering support to deliver worldwide broadcasts, including live feeds to Germany and local communities. All this took place alongside pre-match hosting and broadcasts of the CONMEBOL 2024 Copa America tournament, also for Optus Sport channels.
Eamonn Curtin, Interim Chief Commercial Officer at EMG / Gravity Media, commented:
“After a successful European Football Championship, we are proud to announce that this event ranks among the largest live broadcasts we have undertaken since the merger of our two companies. The collaboration of our employees from various countries and backgrounds embodies the purpose of our merger: to harness our collective expertise and experience. Together, we created innovative and sustainable workflows to support UEFA and partners like ITV and Optus, ensuring their viewers receive the best possible Euro experience.”
On behalf of the Cologne production company i&u TV, the EMG / Gravity Media team was responsible for the complete live stream broadcast of the ceremonial award ceremony of the European Inventor Award 2024.
The live stream was broadcast worldwide across various digital platforms, enabling a global audience to participate in this prestigious event.
With their contribution to the successful execution, EMG / Gravity Media once again underlined their leading role in international broadcast and event production.
Credits: © EMG
René Steinbusch gave his summer interview to dwdl.de, discussing the current state of the industry in general and specifically addressing EMG Germany GmbH and the EMG / Gravity Media merger earlier this year.
Definitely worth reading on dwdl.de: EMG Germany setzt auf Raab, Jauch und Verlässlichkeit – DWDL.de
English version here.
Merger of Two Global TV Production Companies Lays Foundation for Unprecedented Range of Media Services and Solutions
(January 11, 2024) –EMG and Gravity Media will now operate under a single company name. The merger of the two providers of creative live production and media services was finalized today with an agreement approved by the respective boards of directors.
By merging their complementary business areas, one of the world’s largest companies for moving image technology and production is created. Customers benefit from an unprecedented range of media services and solutions through the combined resources.
The new company, whose official name will be announced soon, boasts significant capacities, including more than 100 OB vans and flypacks as well as 40 studios and production facilities across Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and Australia. In over 30 locations in 12 countries, the company will employ 2,000 permanent staff, supplemented by a comprehensive network of freelancers.
The company’s production and post-production services are used for globally sought-after live events and entertainment programs, including sports events such as UEFA EUROs, FIFA World Cups, Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Roland Garros, ATP Tour, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, Formula E, the V8 Supercar Championship, the Australian Open and US Open Tennis, as well as major entertainment series and their country-specific versions like “The Masked Singer,” “I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!,” “The Traitors,” and “Love Island.”
John Newton (L) from Gravity Media and Shaun Gregory (R) from EMG.
For further details about this merger, ownership information, and quotes from Shaun Gregory, CEO of EMG and now Global Chief Executive Officer, as well as John Newton, founder, CEO, and majority shareholder of Gravity Media, now Executive Chairman, please refer to the attached original English version of this announcement.
Today’s announcement follows the fulfillment of regulatory and other necessary conditions.
Click here for the full press realease
Over the weekend, RTL celebrated its 40th anniversary with a glamorous jubilee show in Studio 8 at EMG / Gravity Media. The evening was dedicated to reminiscing about four decades of television history — bringing together numerous prominent figures who have been part of the broadcaster’s journey for a special TV event.
In a festive atmosphere, RTL looked back on decades of TV highlights — from legendary shows and gripping news formats to unforgettable series and moments that captivated millions of viewers. The evening was hosted by an entertaining quiz, in which stars from the past and present demonstrated their knowledge about RTL and its eventful history.
Alongside former hosts and actors, current TV stars also graced the event, creating an emotional yet lively atmosphere together with the audience. Studio 8, known for its atmospheric setting, provided the perfect backdrop for this special anniversary.
With this celebration, RTL expressed its gratitude — to its viewers, its employees, and everyone who has accompanied and shaped the broadcaster over the past 40 years.
Credits: © EMG
The popular dating format from UFA Show & Factual has been making TV history for over a decade. After a pilot episode was produced in 2013, the first full season followed in 2014 — the starting signal for a successful series that is now in its 11th season and even delights audiences on RTL with XXL editions.
The show, produced in Studio 8 at EMG / Gravity Media’s German studios, was initially closely associated with entertainer Ralf Schmitz, who shaped the format. In 2021, a widely noted hosting change took place: Jan Köppen took over the reins and led the show into a new era.
Since then, the format has impressed with entertaining matches, humorous challenges, and genuine heartbeats. With consistently strong ratings and a loyal fan base, the dating format remains a staple of the German TV landscape.
Credits: © EMG
