• Accelerated shift from linear TV to streaming; at the same time, significant economic challenges in Germany
  
  
• Restructuring of corporate and cost structures with a focus on the rapidly growing streaming service RTL+
  
  
• Socially responsible reduction of a total of around 600 jobs (FTEs) across all areas of RTL Deutschland
  
  

Cologne, 2 December 2025 – As part of its overall strategy, RTL Deutschland is focusing even more strongly on the streaming business and is planning a comprehensive restructuring of its organisation. The goal is to future-proof RTL Deutschland amid the accelerated transformation of the media industry and the current economic challenges, and to position it for competition with the major US streaming services.

Background: Since 2019, the linear TV advertising market in Germany has decreased by more than 20 per cent. During the same period, RTL Deutschland has invested significantly in the expansion of its streaming service RTL+. The number of paying subscribers of RTL+ has grown from 0.8 million (at the end of 2019) to over 6.6 million (at the end of September 2025). With continued dynamic growth in all performance indicators – revenue, paying subscribers, viewing time – RTL+ is clearly on track to become profitable in the financial year 2026.

In light of the sustained success of RTL+ and given the accelerated shift away from linear TV viewing, the management team of RTL Deutschland has decided to restructure its corporate and cost structures with a focus on its streaming business. As part of this focus, around 600 jobs (FTEs) will be reduced across all locations of RTL Deutschland. These measures will be implemented as socially responsibly as possible within the framework of a special severance programme and with partial retirement arrangements. The measures will be carried out in close consultation with the relevant works councils.

Stephan Schmitter, CEO of RTL Deutschland, says: “The media industry is undergoing a profound transformation. In order to remain successful and competitive in the long term, we are aligning RTL Deutschland even more consistently with the streaming business. With the dynamic growth of RTL+ and the planned takeover of Sky Deutschland, we have a strong basis for future success. Our content and our journalistic responsibility will remain at the heart of our activities – with targeted investments in entertainment, sports and news, as well as new technologies for our audience of today and tomorrow. To create the necessary structures and resources, we have developed a programme together with the works councils that is designed to make the necessary staff reductions as fair and responsible as possible – with great respect and gratitude towards all colleagues affected. These measures are far-reaching but imperative and will sustainably strengthen RTL Deutschland's position in the long term in view of the structural and economic challenges.”