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RTL's Stefan Raab Comeback Loses Momentum

RTL's high-profile return of entertainer Stefan Raab nearly two years ago initially boosted the Cologne broadcaster, but the article reports growing disenchantment and programmatic decline. Raab's weekly show is described as likely beyond rescue, while some of his other formats (notably a Saturday pairing with Barbara Schöneberger and a game show with 'Bully') have performed better. RTL has nevertheless maintained strong overall primetime reach thanks to long-running staples (e.g., Ich bin ein Star, Wer wird Millionär, Let's Dance) and daytime magazines, soaps and news. The network leans more on sports (Europa League, 2. Bundesliga, NFL) and sees selective successes (national team matches, tennis finals). RTL is also deepening production synergies with Sky and sharing morning programming with ntv, while younger reality formats are increasingly produced for streaming arm RTL+.

DF1 Anton Stach Doc and Disney+ Messi Short Released

DWDL reports multiple sports-media updates: DF1 will air a documentary about German national footballer Anton Stach titled "Anton Stach - Ganz normal nach oben," produced by Sportworx TV Productions, with premières scheduled for 29 June and additional repeats on later dates. Disney+ premiered an ESPN Films short documentary, "Messi: The Forgotten Tape," which examines a VHS tape that influenced Lionel Messi's international career decision. RTL Deutschland will provide comprehensive coverage of the Special Olympics National Games in Saarland across RTL, Vox, ntv and digital platforms including RTL+. Sky Sport will broadcast the opening ceremony live and produce the international worldfeed for 3x3 basketball, and several broadcasters reported strong motorsport audience figures: Sky’s Barcelona F1 feed averaged 630,000 viewers (17.7% market share), Nitro’s Le Mans coverage averaged 150,000 viewers (5.6% market share), and Eurosport 1 averaged 90,000 viewers (2.0% market share).

ntv launches dedicated 'ntv Sport' online vertical

RTL Deutschland has launched a dedicated sports news vertical called "ntv Sport" as part of a push to strengthen ntv's sports coverage. Announced on 8 June 2026, the new vertical will be rolled out across ntv platforms and the ntv website and is positioned to run alongside breaking news and business coverage. RTL says ntv Sport will emphasize a strong free video offering — including highlights, expert analysis and selected live broadcasts — by leveraging sport rights within the RTL group, including content from Sky after the Sky acquisition. RTL executives said the launch aims to grow audience reach and create additional distribution opportunities for RTL+ and Sky Sport, timed ahead of the football World Cup.