Observed Signal · May 21, 2026 · Hiring · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Caterina Preti to Lead Sky Austria; Brings Wow Service
Caterina Preti, previously Senior Vice President in charge of the Wow streaming service at Sky Deutschland, will become Managing Director of Sky Österreich on 2026-06-01. The appointment follows Michael Radelsberger’s promotion to Chief Consumer Officer of RTL Deutschland; Radelsberger will be Preti’s direct superior. RTL also announced plans to launch the Wow streaming service in Austria in autumn 2026. Sky currently offers Sky X in Austria; the move is positioned within the joint growth and transformation strategy between RTL and Sky and aims to deepen integration between the two companies, expand streaming, and develop sport and entertainment offerings in the Austrian market.
Leadership change at Sky Austria combined with the announced launch of Wow in Austria may affect local streaming competition and CTV ad inventory, but it is regionally focused and not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Caterina Preti will assume the role of Managing Director of Sky Österreich on 2026-06-01.
- Preti previously served as Senior Vice President responsible for the Wow streaming service at Sky Deutschland and joined Sky Deutschland in 2021.
- RTL announced it will introduce the Wow streaming service in Austria in autumn 2026.
- Michael Radelsberger was promoted to Chief Consumer Officer of RTL Deutschland and will be the direct report for Preti.
- Sky currently operates the Sky X streaming offering in Austria.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
RTL appoints Walthelm & Radelsberger; Schwecke, Heisserer leave
Following RTL Deutschland’s approved takeover of Sky Deutschland, RTL Group announced a new management team combining executives from both companies. Stephan Schmitter will serve as CEO of RTL Deutschland. Elke Walthelm (from Sky Deutschland) will join as Chief Human Resources Officer and Michael Radelsberger (from Sky Austria/Sky Media) will join as Chief Consumer Officer responsible for the combined pay business (about 12.3 million paying subscribers across RTL+, Sky and Wow). Carsten Schwecke (formerly head of monetization, IT, Data & Technology) and Ingrid Heisserer (former CFO and CHRO) will leave. Julia Kloke (from Riverty) will become CFO on May 1. The reshuffle emphasizes streaming and integration while moving marketing leadership outside the executive board.
RTL Germany Reorganizes Consumer Division
Following the acquisition of Sky Deutschland, RTL Deutschland has reorganized its consumer organisation under Chief Consumer Officer Michael Radelsberger. Radelsberger will oversee the combined consumer and subscription business covering RTL+, Wow, Sky and the distribution of RTL Deutschland's linear channels. Senior leadership appointments include Henning Nieslony as EVP Streaming, Kris Peffers as EVP Premium TV (overseeing Sky products including Sky Stream), Andre Prahl as EVP Distribution, Jill Harkness as SVP Consumer Strategy & Growth, and Daniel Durst as SVP Brand & Media. All five report directly to Radelsberger. RTL's CEO Stephan Schmitter framed the move as part of a strategy to reach more than 100 million people across the German-speaking region via unified streaming and distribution capabilities.
RTL Germany names leadership after Sky takeover
Following EU approval of RTL Group’s acquisition of Sky Deutschland, RTL Deutschland has announced a new management team for the combined business. Stephan Schmitter will remain CEO of RTL Deutschland. Julia Kloke will join as chief financial officer on May 1, moving from Riverty (a Bertelsmann subsidiary). Elke Walthelm and Michael Radelsberger, both from Sky Deutschland, are slated to join RTL Deutschland’s executive management when the takeover is completed (the transaction is expected to close on June 1, 2026). Ingrid Heisserer and Carsten Schwecke will leave the company. The new leadership will include representatives from both organisations to drive integration and expand streaming and subscription businesses.
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