Commercial Television Networks & SVOD · Publisher & Media Owner · B2C Consumer App / Platform
RTL+
German streaming service combining RTL video, live TV, sport and audio.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- RTL interactive GmbH
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Market cluster / sector
- Commercial Television Networks & SVOD
- Market role
- Publisher & Media Owner · B2C Consumer App / Platform
- Official website
- plus.rtl.de
What RTL+ does
RTL+ aggregates, licenses and distributes video, live television, sport and audio entertainment through a proprietary multi-device streaming platform. It converts consumer demand into recurring subscription revenue, advertising inventory and partner-distribution revenue. RTL Deutschland’s programming catalogue, broadcaster reach and group-level content portfolio support audience acquisition and retention.
Category differentiation
RTL+ is RTL Deutschland’s German consumer streaming service operated by RTL interactive GmbH. It is not RTL AdAlliance’s B2B AdManager advertising platform and is not the separate WOW streaming brand acquired with Sky Deutschland.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
RTL interactive GmbH operates RTL+, a German direct-to-consumer streaming service within RTL Deutschland. The service distributes on-demand films, series, reality programming, live television, selected sports, podcasts, audiobooks, music, radio and digital magazines across browsers, mobile devices and smart televisions. RTL+ serves consumers in Germany and combines RTL Deutschland programming with licensed and selected partner content. RTL+ generates revenue from recurring consumer subscriptions, advertising-supported access and distribution partnerships. RTL Group reported 7.006 million RTL+ paying subscribers in Germany at the end of 2025, while RTL+ reached 7.60 million subscribers after its platform migration in April 2026. The service is a core component of RTL Group’s DACH streaming strategy following the June 2026 acquisition of Sky Deutschland.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
RTL+ continues to expand its streaming footprint within the DACH media landscape, driven by robust platform usage and profitable growth strategies. AGF Videoforschung data highlights steady audience engagement, with monthly streaming hours climbing from 55.6 million in July to 64.6 million in September, outperforming key commercial competitors.
Business model & monetisation
RTL+ monetises through recurring monthly subscriptions, including RTL+ Max at €9.99 per month, advertising-supported subscription access and advertising-free tiers. It also earns distribution revenue through platform partnerships, including Prime Video access to the RTL+ streaming portfolio for €12.99 per month. Advertising income is generated from commercial access tiers and streamed inventory; AdManager revenue belongs to RTL AdAlliance rather than being evidenced as RTL interactive GmbH revenue.
- Consumer streaming subscriptions
- Content Subscription
- Advertising-supported streaming
- Ad-Supported
- Platform and distribution partnerships
- Service Fee
Products & capabilities
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Competitors & alternatives
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Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
RTL+ launches reality shows with celebrities and creators
Streaming · Recorded impact score: 1/5
RTL+ is expanding its streaming content with two new reality formats. Starting November 10, the streaming service will premiere 'Prominent verwandt', a show where celebrity parent-child duos move into a villa in South Africa to confront personal issues and compete in games. The show is produced by Seapoint Productions and will consist of ten regular episodes plus a reunion special. Additionally, RTL+ has already released all four episodes of 'Closed!', hosted by Marc Eggers, where he and various creators visit locations closed to the public at night, such as an abandoned hospital, an arcade center, an amusement park, and an outdoor store. 'Closed!' is produced by Banijay Productions Germany.
- RTL+ will premiere 'Prominent verwandt' on November 10, 2026.
- The show features celebrity parent-child duos in a South African villa.
Bavarian TV Awards: Joko, Klaas, Olivia Honored
Entertainment · Recorded impact score: 1/5
The 5th Blue Panther (Blauer Panther) awards ceremony took place in Munich's BMW Welt, honoring German television productions. Notable winners included Johannes Hegemann for his role as Olivia Jones in the ZDF film 'Olivia', Derya Akyol for the RTL+ series 'Euphorie', and the producers of the docudrama 'Nürnberg 45'. Joko Winterscheidt and Klaas Heufer-Umlauf won the audience award for best family show with 'Ein sehr gutes Quiz'. Johannes B. Kerner received the honorary award from Bavaria's Minister-President. Several winners used their speeches to criticize right-wing extremism, referencing recent AfD electoral successes.
- The Blue Panther Awards took place in Munich's BMW Welt on Wednesday evening.
- Johannes Hegemann won Best Actor for his role in the ZDF film 'Olivia'.
BDA Creative: AI reshapes entertainment marketing
AI in Advertising · Recorded impact score: 2/5
In an interview with DWDL.de, Marc Strotmann and Benjamin Kerneck, Managing Partners of BDA Creative, discuss the evolving landscape of on-air promotion for TV and streaming content. They note increased market consolidation, such as the RTL-Sky merger, and the normalization of AI in creative workflows. AI now handles routine tasks like production scheduling and rights management, saving days of preparation time. However, they caution about the risk of homogenized content and 'AI fatigue' among audiences, where even genuine content may be questioned. They emphasize the ongoing importance of strong concepts and the 'thumbstopper' effect in trailers, and predict a shift towards more targeted, single-highlight promotions with increased transparency demands.
- BDA Creative was named Agency of the Year at the Eyes & Ears Awards one year ago.
- Marc Strotmann and Benjamin Kerneck discuss AI integration in creative processes and market volatility.
RTLzwei moves 'Love Island VIP' to late night slot
Media Channel · Recorded impact score: 2/5
German broadcaster RTLzwei is moving the reality show 'Love Island VIP' from its 20:15 prime time slot to a late-night slot on Wednesdays at 22:15 starting October 22. The move follows disappointing linear ratings, with only 150,000 viewers tuning in this week and market shares of 1.9% and 2.6% among 14-49 year-olds. The show, produced by ITV Studios Germany, has been successful on the RTL+ streaming platform but underperformed on linear TV. RTLzwei is replacing it with the classic docu-soap 'Zuhause im Glück'. Other affected shows include 'Maison Tabou' (now after midnight) and 'Stranger Sins' (now at 1:30). This decision aligns with RTLzwei's strategy to plan streaming and linear programming independently, as articulated by managing director Thorsten Braun. The move reflects a broader trend of separating content performance across distribution channels.
- 'Love Island VIP' moves from 20:15 to 22:15 on Wednesdays starting October 22.
- Only 150,000 viewers watched the show this week in linear TV.
ARD Mediathek tops ZDF, RTL+ grows in September streaming
Streaming · Recorded impact score: 2/5
In September 2026, the ARD Mediathek regained the 100 million monthly streaming hours mark, reaching 106.2 million hours, a 16.1% increase from August. This growth was driven by content like the final season of 'Babylon Berlin' and live football. Meanwhile, the ZDF streaming portal saw only minimal growth of 0.8% to 77.4 million hours, lagging behind ARD and other platforms. RTL+ experienced significant growth of 10.9% overall and 18.8% among 14-49 year-olds, reaching 64.6 million hours. DAZN's streaming hours more than tripled to 14.6 million, likely boosted by Champions League content. In contrast, Wow saw a decline of 5.8% to 8.3 million hours, while Sky grew by 11.8%. Amazon remained the leading platform with 125.8 million hours. The data comes from AGF Videoforschung.
- ARD Mediathek reached 106.2 million streaming hours in September 2026, up 16.1% from August.
- ZDF streaming portal grew only 0.8% to 77.4 million hours in September 2026.
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Questions about RTL+
What is RTL+?
RTL+ is a German consumer streaming service offering on-demand video, live TV, selected sport and bundled audio content.
Who uses RTL+?
Consumers in Germany use RTL+ to watch RTL programming, films, series, live channels, sports and listen to audio content across connected devices.
How does RTL+ make money?
RTL+ earns recurring subscription revenue, advertising-supported streaming revenue and distribution-partnership revenue.
Sources & coverage
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