RTL Group Posts 3.8% Results Drop as Streaming Grows

Mar 12, 2026 2:03am PT RTL Group Posts 3.8% Results Drop as Streaming Side Grows And Fremantle Revenues Suffer By Nick Vivarelli Plus Icon Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent @NickVivarelli Latest Edward Norton to Be Honored by Los Angeles-Italia Festival 15 hours ago Benito Mussolini’s Granddaughter to Compete on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in Italy 20 hours ago NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Expands Partnership With Italy’s Apulia Film Commission (EXCLUSIVE) 2 days ago See All Courtesy Everett Collection European media conglomerate RTL on Thursday posted a 3.8% year-on-year drop in revenues to €6.018 billion ($6.9 billion) for the full 2024 fiscal year with strong growth on the streaming side and digital advertising while revenues at its Fremantle content business suffered. RTL’s adjusted EBTIDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Amortization) reached €661 million ($763 million), while total group profit rose to €1.03 billion, largely driven by the sale of Dutch media network RTL Nederland. Related Stories Stephen Colbert Roasts Kristi Noem After Trump Fires Her and Quips: 'She Is a Domestic Terrorist Who Deserves to Go' to Guantanamo Bay Rosie O'Donnell, Mark Ruffalo, Jack White and More Speak Out Against U.S. Attack on Iran: '"Department of War." They Weren't Kidding About That' Streaming revenue was up 26.3 per cent to €509 million ($587) driven by a significantly higher number of paying subscribers, increased subscription prices in Germany and rapidly growing advertising revenue on RTL+ in Germany and M6+ in France, according to an RTL statement. Popular on Variety The group is preparing to further strengthen its streaming business through the planned acquisition of pay-TV service Sky Germany that is expected to close in the first half of 2026 pending regulatory approval by the European Commission. RTL has also expanded partnerships with distribution and platform partners including Deutsche Telekom, Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery regarding HBO Max in Germany. Revenue at Fremantle, was down 9.4 per cent to €2,043 million ($2,359 million). This was mainly due to lower revenue from the entertainment business, especially in the U.S. and the U.K.. RTL in its previous results report noted that decrease in revenue from the U.S. was “largely expected,” as the first nine months of 2024 had benefitted from NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” spinoff “Fantasy League,” which ran for one eight-episode season. Fremantle scored several successes in 2025 with “Bugonia” from its Element Pictures shingle being nominated for four Oscars and several high-profile productions for international streaming platforms, including “Maxton Hall” and Hotel Costiera on Prime Video and “Sullivan’s Crossing,” “Evil Influencer” and “The Monster of Florence” on Netflix. In Septembe Fremantle announced the greenlight of a “Baywatch” reboot by Fox Television Network. The show will be co-produced by Fremantle North America and Fox Entertainment with a straight-to-series order for 12 episodes in the first season. Commented RTL Group CEO Thomas Rabe: “The market environment in 2025 remained challenging, with a significant decline of TV advertising and an even faster shift from linear TV to streaming. Against this backdrop, RTL Group further accelerated its transformation by reallocating resources to streaming, combined with comprehensive cost reductions across our main businesses.” Jump to Comments Only Half of Americans Went to a Movie Theater in 2025, According to Pew Study Oscar Nomination Voting Officially Begins: Which Films and Performances Have the Momentum? Inside the Oscars Luncheon: Ryan Coogler’s Big Moment, a Buckley–Byrne Hug, and Emma Stone and Timothée Chalamet Holding It Down at Table 3 LISTEN: On Oscar Nominations Eve, the Politics and the Receipts for 2025’s Top Contenders JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...