RTL Deutschland secures DFB Cup and Warner Bros. deals!

RTL Deutschland secures DFB Cup and Warner Bros. deals!

What's happening at RTL Deutschland? An exciting announcement is drawing attention: In January 2025, the company entered into two significant partnerships to significantly expand its content offering. These deals could revolutionize the television and streaming experience in Germany. The first partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery takes content to new levels and ensures fans don't miss any of the big blockbusters.

Under the terms of the new volume deal, RTL has received exclusive live broadcast rights for 15 top games of the DFB Cup, which will be broadcast live on RTL and RTL+ from the 2026/27 season. The DFB Cup, an exciting tournament with teams from the first and second divisions, ensures that spectators are thoroughly entertained. RTL also receives extensive rights to current films and US series, including spectacular franchises such as the DC Extended Universe, Harry Potter and The Matrix. Popular titles such as *The Big Bang Theory* will also be part of the offering, which should significantly increase RTL's reach. Andreas Fischer, COO of RTL Deutschland, emphasizes: “We have a good knack for increasing the reach and frequency of our film and series highlights on our own channels and RTL+.”

New sales channels and advertising projects

The collaboration between RTL and Warner Bros. Discovery is not just about content, but also includes a new advertising collaboration. From 2026, RTL Zwei and Warner Bros. Discovery Deutschland will jointly market their TV and digital assets via the new El Cartel Brothers advertising house in Munich. This measure shows that RTL wants to actively approach the advertising market, while TV advertising revenue fell by 6.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024. So there is a lot of movement in the industry.

Another impressive detail is that RTL Deutschland acquired Sky Deutschland for 150 million euros in June 2025. This acquisition positions the company strongly in the streaming and advertising market. Video streaming has even overtaken traditional television in Germany, and 87 percent of Germans aged 16 and over use these services. This is a clear sign that RTL is aware of the change and is reacting to it.

Financial insights and future prospects

Despite the challenges in the advertising market, RTL Group's total revenue remained stable at 6,254 million euros. RTL+'s streaming revenue increased by 42.4 percent to 403 million euros in 2024. By the end of 2024, RTL+ had a total of six million subscribers in Germany. The importance of these numbers is underlined by the forecasts: by the end of 2026, the number of subscribers could increase to around nine million, while program investments for streaming are to be increased from 338 million euros in 2024 to around 500 million euros.

Overall, these developments show that RTL Deutschland is ready to start the future with fresh ideas and strong partnerships. The acquisition and the strategic steps make it clear: There is definitely something in the air here. RTL Deutschland is firmly committed to further consolidating its position in the media market and asserting itself against international streaming platforms. A timetable that looks extremely promising for spectators in Cologne and throughout Germany.

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