Beta Film is expanding the international reach of “Rex – Vienna Calling” just as production begins on the crime series’ second season. The latest incarnation of the 30-year-old “Rex – A Cop’s Best Friend” franchise has secured buyers across Europe, Asia and Australia, with additional sales still under negotiation.
SBS has acquired the series in Australia, while Rai is on board in Italy and TV 2 has taken it for Denmark. The European sales roster also includes Alpha TV in Greece, HRT in Croatia, Planet TV in Slovenia, STVR in Slovakia, Nova in Bulgaria and TVR in Romania.
In the Baltic region, deals have been completed with Duo Media Networks in Estonia, SIA Tet in Latvia and LNK in Lithuania. Action Channel will carry the series in Japan, while SHANT TV has acquired it in Armenia.
Rex and Max Return to the Streets of Vienna
Maximilian Brückner, whose credits include “War Horse” and “Cherry Blossoms,” stars as detective Max Steiner. His crime-solving partner is Rex, a German Shepherd who joins him in taking on cases around Vienna.
For the second season, six new feature-length episodes are now shooting at some of the Austrian capital’s most recognizable locations. The production continues a franchise that has generated multiple local adaptations over its three-decade history.
Another Beta Film title from the same franchise, the Canadian remake “Hudson & Rex,” was recently renewed for a tenth season. Together with the latest international sales for “Rex – Vienna Calling,” that renewal underscores the continuing reach of the police-dog property across different markets.
The franchise’s longevity also arrives at a time when established programming can maintain a place in increasingly on-demand viewing environments. Audience analytics company PlumResearch has characterized the movement in mature streaming markets as a shift “from hits to habits,” with a significant portion of viewing spread across the long tail instead of focusing only on newly released titles.
Season One Delivered Strong Audience Results
“Rex – Vienna Calling” established a sizable audience during its first season. Its debut on Germany’s SAT.1 attracted almost 1.6 million viewers, recording a 7% overall audience share and a 9.9% share among viewers ages 14 to 49.
In Austria, the first season’s six feature-length episodes averaged 701,000 viewers on ORF, along with a 27% share. The Italian premiere on Rai 2 reached more than 750,000 viewers and posted a 5.6% share.
The Italian audience later climbed above one million when on-demand and catch-up viewing were added to the total, further demonstrating how delayed viewing contributed to the show’s reach beyond its initial broadcast.
MR Film produces “Rex – Vienna Calling” in co-production with SAT.1 and ORF. The series is backed by FISAplus, the Austrian Television Fund and the state of Lower Austria. Beta Film handles worldwide distribution.
What Happens Next?
Production is continuing on the six feature-length installments that make up the new season, while Beta Film pursues further international agreements. With buyers already confirmed across a broad group of territories and more negotiations underway, “Rex – Vienna Calling” is extending the global footprint of a franchise that has remained active for 30 years.