Shaping the future of media

2025 is a transformational year for RTL Group with the growth of our streaming services, the acquisition of Sky Deutschland and the implementation of AI  across business processes in video production, marketing and operations. 

RTL Group is actively shaping the future of media. We believe that scale in national media markets is essential for long-term competitiveness, unlocking synergies and enabling investments in content and technology. 

The announced acquisition of Sky Deutschland is the largest transaction of RTL Group since its inception in 2000. RTL and Sky will bring together two of Europe’s strongest entertainment and sports brands, creating a unique proposition across free TV, pay TV and streaming. The combination will increase our streaming base to around 11.5 million paying subscribers in the DACH region, establishing RTL Group as a leading streaming provider. It will also further diversify our revenue streams and enhance our attractiveness for creative talent, rights holders and business partners. Thanks to our existing content partnership with Sky, we know the company, the team, and its culture well. 

Streaming is the strategic priority for RTL Group’s broadcasters and one of our main growth drivers. Paying subscribers grew by 15 per cent year on year to over 7.2 million at the end of June 2025, while revenues increased by 27 per cent. Combined with cost discipline, we halved streaming start-up losses compared to the first half of 2024, on track for profitability in 2026. Our renewed partnership with Deutsche Telekom, running until at least 2030, further strengthens reach and subscriber growth.

Fremantle continued to expand with acquisitions in Europe, the US, Asia and Australia. Its focus is now on developing IP, rapidly deploying AI across the content production value chain, and on targeted acquisitions. The financial goal is to reach an Adjusted EBITA margin of 9 per cent by 2026.

RTL Group invests in AI, trains its workforce and partners with leading technology firms such as OpenAI and Perplexity – but human creativity remains the foundation of our success. Fremantle launched Imaginae Studios for native AI production, while our broadcasters and streamers started to deploy AI across core processes.

Fostering alliances and partnerships across advertising, content and distribution is vital in a world in which scale and access to technology matter more than ever. RTL Group has forged numerous partnerships and significantly stepped up co-operation between Group companies in the last years. And there is more to come. 

Content drives our business. It connects us with our audiences and entertains, informs and engages people across the world. Freedom of expression is deeply rooted at RTL. We respect the independence of our newsrooms, invest in diverse journalism, and fight against restrictions on free speech. We also recognise technology’s growing role and take a responsible, ethical approach to AI. In an era of growing misinformation and synthetic content, we strive to foster trust by upholding responsible journalism.

Our focus over the next 12 to 18 months is clear: reaching streaming subscriber and profitability targets, implementing AI, completing the Sky Deutschland acquisition and starting its integration. All this shows our commitment to shaping the future of media with scale, creativity and responsibility.