German Media Platforms Launch New Series and Subscription Bundle

The ARD Mediathek will add fresh episodes of three series to its on‑demand catalogue on 19 July 2026, introducing a stronger recommendation system that uses genre tags, age‑rating labels and user scores to improve content discovery. The new episodes include four installments of the animated series *Fritzi & Sophie – Grenzenlose Freundschaft*, three of the historical drama *Paris Police 1900*, and a new episode of *Trio – Odins Gold*.

At the same time, Axel Springer and RTL Deutschland are expanding their digital‑media partnership by offering a bundled subscription that combines BILDplus and RTL+ Premium for €9.99 a month, roughly a 45 % discount compared with purchasing the services separately. BILDplus provides exclusive reporting, live reality shows and sports entertainment, while RTL+ reports over 7 million paying users. The bundle aims to increase perceived value for German consumers and deepen cooperation between the two major media houses.