RTL AdAlliance adds Austrian broadcaster ORF to international sales portfolio

RTL AdAlliance, the international sales house of European broadcaster RTL Group, announced on October 27, 2025, that it has signed an agreement with ORF-Enterprise, the sales house of Austrian public broadcaster ORF, to sell its total video inventory internationally. The partnership expands RTL AdAlliance's broadcaster portfolio, which now includes ITV, RAI, Atresmedia, DPG Media, Groupe M6, RTL Deutschland, France Télévisions, and ORF.

The announcement comes approximately one month after RTL AdAlliance signed a similar agreement with French sales house FranceTV Publicité in September 2025. The strategic timing reflects the sales house's accelerated expansion across European markets, positioning itself as an alternative to global digital platforms for international advertisers seeking access to premium European broadcast inventory.

The agreement will provide international agencies and advertisers with streamlined access to ORF's digital and linear television advertising inventory across news, sport, and entertainment programming. RTL AdAlliance will represent ORF's linear channels, including ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, and ORF SPORT +, alongside its streaming platforms ORF ON and ORF Sound. The broadcaster's radio stations Hitradio Ö3 and FM4, along with its digital news service ORF.at, are included in the arrangement.

Oliver Böhm, CEO of ORF-Enterprise, stated that the partnership facilitates international advertiser access to the broadcaster's inventory range. "With RTL AdAlliance, we have a global partner at our side that perfectly complements our international ambitions in the ad-funded media market – a partnership that would not have been possible in this form just two years ago," Böhm said in the announcement.

European broadcasters confront global streaming competition

The partnership addresses a fundamental challenge facing European broadcasters: competing with international streaming platforms that leverage global scale to fund content production and attract advertising spending. Unlike their American counterparts, European broadcasters attempting to expand consumer-facing businesses internationally have encountered significant obstacles. Nordic broadcaster Viaplay's ambitious international rollout, subsequently scaled back as part of a complete strategic rethink, exemplifies these difficulties.

RTL AdAlliance provides an alternative expansion path, enabling broadcasters to extend their advertising businesses to international agencies and advertisers without the capital requirements and operational complexity of direct-to-consumer international expansion. Stéphane Coruble, CEO of RTL AdAlliance, stated that the company's portfolio "already provides a competitive alternative to the major global digital platforms."

European broadcasters face mounting streaming competition as streaming platforms captured 97% of European viewers and account for 64% of weekly viewing time across the UK, France, Germany, and Switzerland, according to research published in September 2025. The census-balanced study by Boston Consulting Group and NativeResearch documented how global platforms now dominate four of the top five positions in audiences' streaming preferences.

The survey showed 57% of viewers believe too many streaming services exist, with over 60% supporting broadcaster consolidation to better challenge global players. Recent regulatory shifts demonstrate changing momentum, including the approved RTL Nederland sale to DPG Media, which reflects more pragmatic approaches enabling public broadcasters to pool resources while maintaining public service missions.

Preserving local market expertise in international sales

A primary strength for European broadcasters remains their understanding of home markets, encompassing both content and advertising dynamics. RTL AdAlliance's operational model aims to translate this local expertise to its international sales operation while maintaining the strategic relevance of partner programming.

Oliver Vesper, deputy CEO and CDO for RTL AdAlliance, emphasized this approach: "At RTL AdAlliance, one of our key priorities is to highlight the strategic relevance of ORF programming, Austria's largest media company, on an international level and to showcase it in our portfolio. Together, we are pursuing the goal of sustainably strengthening the importance of European media in the face of international competition."

The partnership structure allows ORF to maintain editorial control and local market relationships while accessing RTL AdAlliance's established network of international advertising buyers. This division of responsibilities enables the Austrian broadcaster to focus on content production and domestic operations rather than building international sales infrastructure.

Technology infrastructure supports cross-border advertising execution

RTL AdAlliance's technological capabilities facilitate the operational complexity of cross-border advertising campaigns. The sales house launched its AdManager platform in March 2025, providing self-service advertising capabilities for agencies and brands across European markets. The platform enables Total Video campaign management with real-time performance tracking, budget control, and creative optimization tools.

The AdManager platform integrates RTL's inventory alongside other premium broadcasters, offering substantial reach across markets. RTL AdAlliance claims significant scale with 77 million active Smart TV sets and 40 million monthly BVOD users accessible through the platform. The self-service approach represents RTL Group's commitment to simplifying advertising processes while maintaining premium content quality and targeting precision.

RTL Group's digital advertising revenue surged 27% in the first half of 2025, reaching €230 million, while traditional television advertising declined 6.9% to €1,018 million. Digital advertising now represents 16.4% of RTL Group's total advertising revenue, up from 12.5% in H1/2024, demonstrating the company's successful transition toward programmatic and streaming platforms.

Strategic context for marketing professionals

For marketing professionals managing European campaigns, the ORF partnership expands available premium inventory through a single point of access. International advertisers can now execute campaigns spanning multiple European markets through RTL AdAlliance's unified platform rather than negotiating separate agreements with individual broadcasters in each country.

The development holds particular significance for advertisers seeking alternatives to walled garden platforms. While Google, Meta, and Amazon provide extensive reach, they operate as closed ecosystems with limited transparency regarding inventory sources and audience composition. RTL AdAlliance's model offers direct access to identifiable broadcast properties with established audience measurement methodologies and regulatory oversight.

Streaming surpassed traditional television in Germany for the first time by September 2024, with 87% of Germans aged 16 and above now streaming films, series, or television shows via the internet, narrowly exceeding the 86% who watch broadcast television. The shift underscores the importance of unified platforms that provide access to both traditional broadcast and streaming inventory through consistent interfaces and measurement frameworks.

Connected TV spending projections indicate continued market expansion, with CTV advertising spending expected to reach $33.35 billion in 2025. Industry research shows 72% of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025, with CTV's share of media budgets projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.

Advertising technology collaboration strengthens competitive position

The ORF partnership fits within broader European broadcasting consolidation trends. ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL Deutschland announced an advertising technology collaboration in February 2024, combining Virtual Minds and Smartclip to create a European alternative to US-dominated advertising platforms. The collaboration, dubbed "Adtech made in Europe," offers advertisers seamless campaign management across linear TV, smart TV, and streaming platforms like Joyn and RTL+.

This partnership marks a significant move toward reducing dependence on US technology platforms in the German advertising market. By establishing a unified technology stack, the companies aim to simplify campaign planning, booking, and execution for advertisers. Cross-platform data enables optimized advertisement placement across various platforms, including programmatic access to linear television.

RTL Deutschland builds dedicated AI infrastructure for Smartclip platform, developing a standalone server cluster to support Sidekicks agentic AI platform without external cloud dependencies. The infrastructure supports Sidekicks, an agentic AI platform launched by Smartclip in July 2025, integrating AI agents directly into day-to-day media workflows for scalable automation across campaign management and cross-media planning operations.

Distribution partnerships complement international sales expansion

RTL Group's strategy encompasses both international sales expansion and distribution partnerships to maximize reach. The company announced on June 27, 2025, the acquisition of Sky Deutschland, marking the largest transaction in the company's 25-year history. The deal combines two of Germany's most recognizable media brands, creating a unified entertainment business with approximately 11.5 million paying subscribers across the DACH region.

The acquisition strengthens RTL's position in the streaming market. RTL+ expanded reach through partnerships, including integration with Sky Stream's IPTV platform in August 2024. The company also extended its streaming partnership with Deutsche Telekom until 2030, integrating RTL+ Premium into MagentaTV plans.

Ad Alliance, the marketing division of RTL Deutschland, partnered with Utiq in September 2025 to establish privacy-compliant digital targeting capabilities. The collaboration integrates Utiq's telecommunications-powered identifier solution into Ad Alliance's data infrastructure, enabling cross-device campaign delivery without relying on third-party cookies. The Utiq technology has been deployed across the mobile websites of n-tv, RTL, and STERN, making approximately 4 million users addressable through privacy-compliant digital identification.

Measurement capabilities address campaign verification requirements

Independent measurement capabilities remain essential for advertisers evaluating cross-platform campaign effectiveness. European measurement companies have responded to fragmentation challenges through partnerships and technical integrations. Médiamétrie, France's leading audience measurement company, announced in September 2025 its partnership with AudienceProject to accelerate development of its Cross-Media Video advertising measurement solution.

The collaboration combines AudienceProject's technological infrastructure with Médiamétrie's proprietary data and methodological expertise. The partnership builds upon Médiamétrie's Cross-Media TV + CTV measurement platform launched in January 2025, with the new Cross-Media Video solution scheduled for first quarter 2026 deployment.

Cross-media measurement has emerged as critical infrastructure for advertising effectiveness assessment. Research indicates Connected TV's share of media budgets is projected to increase substantially, underscoring the importance of unified measurement capabilities across television and streaming platforms. The Q4 roadmap positions AudienceProject for continued expansion in established European markets while extending geographic reach into Poland.

Future implications for European media landscape

The RTL AdAlliance and ORF partnership represents one component of broader structural changes reshaping European broadcasting. Traditional revenue models based on linear television advertising face pressure from streaming platforms that offer superior targeting capabilities and performance measurement. Broadcasters must adapt while preserving the editorial standards and public service missions that differentiate them from purely commercial streaming alternatives.

The success of this partnership model may influence other European broadcasters to pursue similar international sales arrangements rather than attempting independent international expansion. Regional consolidation through sales partnerships potentially provides more sustainable paths to scale than direct consumer-facing expansion into foreign markets.

For Austria's media landscape specifically, the agreement provides ORF with international sales capabilities that would require substantial investment to develop independently. The partnership enables the public broadcaster to maintain focus on content production and domestic service obligations while accessing international advertising revenue through RTL AdAlliance's established infrastructure.

The timing coincides with significant industry developments, including Netflix's advertising revenue growth initiatives and Amazon's expanded Connected TV advertising management systems. These developments underscore the rapid progression in streaming advertising technology and audience measurement capabilities, creating urgency for traditional broadcasters to establish competitive positions in digital advertising markets.

Timeline

• February 2024: ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL join forces in adtech, combining Virtual Minds and Smartclip to challenge US dominance
• March 2025: RTL AdAlliance launches AdManager platform for European video campaigns
• June 27, 2025: RTL Group announces acquisition of Sky Deutschland for €150 million plus variable consideration
• August 2025: RTL Group reports digital advertising surge of 27% in H1/2025 to €230 million
• September 2, 2025: Ad Alliance partners with Utiq for cookieless targeting in Germany
• September 2025: RTL AdAlliance signs agreement with FranceTV Publicité
• September 2025: European broadcasters face mounting streaming competition as platforms capture 97% of viewers
• September 2025: Streaming surpasses traditional TV in Germany for the first time
• October 16, 2025: RTL Deutschland builds dedicated AI infrastructure for Smartclip platform
• October 27, 2025: RTL AdAlliance announces partnership with ORF-Enterprise

Summary

Who: RTL AdAlliance, the international sales house of European broadcaster RTL Group, and ORF-Enterprise, the sales house of Austrian public broadcaster ORF. Key figures include Oliver Böhm (CEO of ORF-Enterprise), Stéphane Coruble (CEO of RTL AdAlliance), and Oliver Vesper (deputy CEO and CDO for RTL AdAlliance).

What: A strategic agreement whereby RTL AdAlliance becomes the global sales partner for ORF's complete video inventory internationally, encompassing linear channels (ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, ORF SPORT +), streaming platforms (ORF ON, ORF Sound), radio stations (Hitradio Ö3, FM4), and digital news service (ORF.at). The partnership expands RTL AdAlliance's broadcaster portfolio to include eight major European broadcasters.

When: The agreement was announced on October 27, 2025, approximately one month after RTL AdAlliance signed a similar deal with FranceTV Publicité in September 2025. The partnership marks a significant acceleration in RTL AdAlliance's European expansion strategy during 2025.

Where: The partnership centers on Austria, where ORF operates as the country's largest media company and public broadcaster. RTL AdAlliance will leverage its international sales infrastructure spanning multiple European markets to provide advertisers with access to Austrian premium inventory through a unified platform alongside inventory from ITV (UK), RAI (Italy), Atresmedia (Spain), DPG Media (Netherlands/Belgium), Groupe M6 (France), RTL Deutschland (Germany), and France Télévisions (France).

Why: The partnership addresses fundamental challenges European broadcasters face competing with international streaming platforms that leverage global scale to fund content and attract advertisers. Rather than attempting capital-intensive direct-to-consumer international expansion, which has proven difficult for European broadcasters, the partnership enables ORF to extend its advertising business internationally through RTL AdAlliance's established sales network. The arrangement strengthens European media's position against global digital platforms while allowing ORF to maintain editorial control and focus on content production and domestic operations. The partnership reflects broader European broadcasting consolidation trends as companies seek scale to compete effectively while preserving local market expertise and public service missions.