Major German broadcaster RTL Deutschland takes over Sky Deutschland in significant media convergence
RTL Deutschland Strengthens Market Position with Acquisition of Sky Deutschland
In a strategic move to bolster its presence in the German-speaking market, RTL Deutschland has agreed to acquire Sky Deutschland's operations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and South Tyrol. The deal, announced on June 27, 2025, is expected to close next year, subject to regulatory approval.
This acquisition positions RTL Deutschland as the third-largest streaming provider in the German-speaking market, with a combined subscriber base of approximately 11.5 million subscribers. This figure trails only Netflix (approximately 16.5 million) and Amazon Prime (about 15 million), while surpassing Disney+ (around 4.6 million).
The deal, valued at €150 million upfront with an additional €377 million based on share performance, underpins RTL Deutschland’s projected revenues of around €4.6 billion. The company expects to generate synergies of about €250 million over three years and plans to invest approximately €2.5 billion annually in content.
With this acquisition, RTL Deutschland will expand its market reach across the DACH region, offering a more compelling German-language content portfolio. The combined entity will unite the two fastest-growing German streaming offers: RTL+ (Germany’s largest streaming service with over 6 million subscribers prior to the deal) and Sky’s streaming-only service WOW.
The deal also brings premium sports rights, including Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Premier League, Formula 1, and more, to RTL Deutschland. This combination with RTL’s entertainment and news offerings will increase RTL's appeal to advertisers, content creators, and audiences. The merged company will also have stronger negotiating power for content acquisition and improved options for distributing content across ad-supported and subscription models.
RTL Deutschland, a leading European broadcaster and streaming group, will have dual headquarters (RTL in Cologne and Sky in Munich), with Stephan Schmitter leading the merged company post-closing. Schmitter described the acquisition as a "unique opportunity" to combine two influential European media brands.
In summary, RTL Deutschland’s acquisition of Sky Deutschland markedly improves its market footprint, content breadth, and competitive position, establishing it as a leading entertainment brand and third-largest streaming player in the German-speaking media landscape behind Netflix and Amazon Prime.
- The acquisition of Sky Deutschland by RTL Deutschland will broaden the company's lifestyle, technology, education-and-self-development, entertainment, general-news, and sports content offerings, providing a more comprehensive media experience for its subscribers.
- With the addition of premium sports rights such as Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, Premier League, Formula 1, and more, RTL Deutschland is expected to increase its appeal to advertisers, content creators, and audiences, ultimately reinforcing its negotiating power for content acquisition.
- The merger between RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland will allow the combined entity to optimize its content distribution across ad-supported and subscription models, tapping into broader markets both regionally and internationally.
