Funk is a Germanvideo-on-demand service, operated by the public broadcastersARD andZDF.SWR, a regional ARD member, is responsible for the service.[1] Funk describes itself as a "content network". The target group is people between the age of 14 and 29.[2]
The director ofSWR, Peter Boudgoust, advocated for a public service offer for the target audience in 2011.[3] On 27 November 2012,SWR expressed a wish to mergeEinsPlus withZDFkultur. The new station created by this merger would be produced jointly by ARD and ZDF and primarily target a young audience.[4] ZDF expressed caution, pointing out that this would require a decision by politicians. However, ZDF had already made a similar statement in advance and did not rule out, for example, a discontinuation of ZDFkultur in favor of a joint youth channel.
Funk is aimed at people between the ages of 14 and 29, who rarely access thetraditional media used forpublic broadcasting. Two thirds of the project's funding is provided by ARD and one third by ZDF.[5]
Funk produces over 70 programs for social media platforms, such asYouTube,Facebook,Twitter,Instagram,TikTok,Spotify,Snapchat, and the funk.net web app, as well as publishingbrowser games such asBundesfighter II Turbo. These are distributed on their own channels or accounts.[2] The programs focus on information and entertainment.[6] In addition, some series are distributed under license, sometimes in their original English versions. Programs are produced by various private production companies, the company's own production companies or by the broadcasters themselves.
