[REVISION HISTORY]

RTL Group streaming growth and Sky Deutschland integration

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What changed

2026-08-24 13:38 UTC → 2026-08-25 15:30 UTC · added ~~removed~~

RTL Group reported strong first-half 2026 financial results, driven by a shift toward streaming and the acquisition of Sky Deutschland. Group revenue rose 3.9% to €2.89 billion, though organic growth remained flat at 0.1% when excluding the Sky Deutschland acquisition. While traditional linear television advertising revenue declined by 4%, digital advertising revenue increased by 10.9%. The company’s streaming business, including RTL+ and M6+, achieved profitability with an adjusted EBITA of €31 million, leading RTL Group to raise its full-year 2026 streaming profit target to approximately €100 million. Paid streaming subscriptions grew by 20.7% year-on-year to 8.73 million users. CEO Clément Schwebig noted the Sky Deutschland acquisition is a milestone, with the company aiming to realize €250 million in annual synergies within three years. Integration efforts are underway to bundle WOW and RTL+ in Germany and Austria in late 2026. By 2027, RTL+ will become a permanent component of the Sky offering, with RTL+ focusing on local entertainment and Sky prioritizing premium films, series, and sports. The merger is also reshaping sports broadcasting. For the 2026/27 season, RTL Deutschland will expand coverage to include live UEFA Europa League and Conference League matches on Sky Sport, while RTL+ will cover the DFB-Pokal. Additionally, the partnership will expand free-to-air Bundesliga coverage in Germany; reports indicate up to eleven matches per season could be broadcast for free, a more than 300 percent increase compared to previous offerings. This arrangement includes ten matches from Sky’s Pay-TV package for Friday and Saturday fixtures, plus one midweek match. Further developments in the German sports landscape indicate that 1. Bundesliga fans will also see expanded audio coverage through a new partnership with ARD, which will make live streams available on platforms such as kicker and the official Bundesliga website.

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