RTL Deutschland secures Warner Bros. Discovery and DFB-Pokal deals

RTL Deutschland announced significant content expansion through two strategic partnerships in January 2025. The German media company deepened its relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery through a comprehensive volume deal while securing exclusive live broadcasting rights for 15 top matches of the men's DFB-Pokal tournament.

The Warner Bros. Discovery agreement grants RTL Deutschland extensive rights to current cinema hits, high-profile US series, and iconic titles from the Warner Bros. Discovery library. Popular franchises including the DC Extended Universe, Harry Potter, The Matrix, and The Big Bang Theory will become available across RTL Deutschland's linear channels and streaming service RTL+.

The volume deal includes exclusive access to anticipated blockbusters. Mickey 17, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Bong Joon-ho and starring Robert Pattinson, represents one major acquisition. A Minecraft Movie featuring Jason Momoa and Jack Black, alongside Superman directed by James Gunn, complete the high-profile additions to RTL Deutschland's content portfolio.

"The new volume deal fully supports our Boost and Protect strategy," says Andreas Fischer, Chief Operating Officer of RTL Deutschland. "Warner Bros. Discovery's comprehensive range of hit productions is a fantastic addition to our own strong brands. This will enable us to significantly increase the range and frequency of film and series highlights for our audience – both on our free-to-air TV channels and on RTL+."

Advertising collaboration emerges

The partnership extends beyond content licensing into advertising operations. Starting from 2026, RTL Zwei and Warner Bros. Discovery Germany will establish joint sales operations for their TV and digital inventories in Germany. The newly formed advertising sales house El Cartel Brothers will operate from Munich, creating unified marketing opportunities across both organizations' media properties.

This advertising collaboration reflects broader trends in European media consolidation. RTL Group's digital advertising revenue surged 27% in the first half of 2025, demonstrating successful transformation toward programmatic and streaming-based advertising solutions while traditional TV advertising declined 6.9%.

The advertising technology integration builds upon RTL's existing partnerships with ProSiebenSat.1, where both companies combined their respective adtech companies Virtual Minds and Smartclip to challenge US dominance in the advertising technology space.

DFB-Pokal broadcasting rights secured

The second major announcement involves DFB-Pokal broadcasting rights. Starting in the 2026/27 season, RTL Deutschland will broadcast 15 top matches of the men's DFB-Pokal live on RTL and RTL+. The deal also includes additional highlight rights, expanding coverage of the annual knockout cup competition.

The DFB-Pokal features clubs from the first and second German leagues in an elimination tournament format. Known as the German Cup, the competition has built reputation for emotional storytelling through underdog victories and dramatic late-game developments. RTL Deutschland's acquisition brings these moments to free-to-air television audiences.

"We make big moments visible for everyone and bring the fascination of the DFB-Pokal to free-to-air TV with powerful live events – accessible, emotional, for everyone," says Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer of RTL Deutschland.

This acquisition follows RTL Deutschland's earlier purchase of DFB-Pokal highlights rights in 2024. The expanded coverage complements RTL Deutschland's existing football portfolio, which includes German national team matches, weekly match and highlight rights from the 2. Bundesliga, plus Europa League and Premier League coverage.

Strategic context and market positioning

These content acquisitions occur during significant transformation in German media consumption patterns. Video streaming overtook traditional television viewing for the first time in Germany, with 87% of Germans aged 16 and above now using video streaming services compared to 86% watching traditional broadcast television.

The timing coincides with RTL Group's broader expansion strategy. RTL Group announced the €150 million acquisition of Sky Deutschland in June 2025, combining both companies' premium content offerings to create a unified entertainment business with approximately 11.5 million paying subscribers across the DACH region.

RTL Deutschland has strengthened distribution partnerships throughout 2024 and 2025. The company extended its streaming partnership with Deutsche Telekom until 2030, integrating RTL+ Premium into MagentaTV plans. Additionally, RTL+ became available on Sky Stream's IPTV platform in August 2024, expanding audience reach through cross-platform distribution.

Technical infrastructure developments

RTL Group has invested substantially in advertising technology capabilities to support content distribution and monetization. RTL AdAlliance launched its AdManager platform in March 2025, providing self-service advertising solutions for agencies and brands across European markets.

The platform enables advertisers to independently manage Total Video campaigns with complete flexibility and control. The technology integration allows sophisticated programmatic campaigns with real-time bidding and advanced audience segmentation, addressing industry trends toward automated advertising prioritizing efficiency and targeting precision.

RTL Group operates Smartclip, an advertising technology subsidiary providing programmatic advertising solutions across media properties. In March 2025, RTL Hungary partnered with Smartclip to adopt Smartx, the company's ad-server and supply-side platform, enhancing targeting capabilities and campaign optimization for advertisers.

Financial implications and market dynamics

The content investments support RTL Deutschland's strategic positioning amid increasing competition from international streaming platforms. With global streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ dominating subscriber numbers, regional players must consolidate and acquire premium content to remain competitive.

RTL Group reported €1,405 million in total advertising revenue across all platforms, with digital advertising representing 16.4% of total advertising revenue, up from 12.5% in the first half of 2024. The company's streaming services generated significant advertising revenue growth, driven by 7.232 million paying subscribers across RTL+ in Germany and Hungary, plus M6+ in France.

The German digital advertising market demonstrated remarkable growth, with European digital advertisements reaching €118.9 billion with 16% growth in 2024. Connected TV advertising represents a significant growth opportunity, with programmatic advertising growth reaching 72% as marketers shift budgets toward Connected TV platforms.

Industry consolidation trends

These announcements reflect broader European media consolidation trends as companies seek scale to compete with global technology giants. Traditional television loses ground to streaming in Germany, with 77% of Germans now using video streaming services weekly, creating urgency for established broadcasters to adapt business models.

The advertising technology collaboration between RTL Deutschland and Warner Bros. Discovery Germany demonstrates how content partnerships increasingly include technology integration components. This approach enables unified campaign management across multiple media properties while providing advertisers with streamlined access to diverse audience segments.

European media companies face pressure to achieve scale rapidly to compete effectively against American players in online advertising such as Google and Meta, plus Connected TV competitors including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, and YouTube. The RTL-Warner Bros. Discovery partnership creates operational synergies while maintaining competitive differentiation through premium content acquisition.

Market competition and audience development

The DFB-Pokal acquisition positions RTL Deutschland competitively in sports broadcasting, an increasingly valuable content category for audience engagement and advertising revenue generation. Live sports content provides appointment viewing opportunities that streaming platforms value for subscriber retention and advertising inventory monetization.

RTL Deutschland's football portfolio expansion creates comprehensive coverage spanning national team matches, league competitions, and cup tournaments. This integrated approach enables cross-promotional opportunities while providing advertisers with consistent access to engaged sports audiences throughout multiple competitions and seasons.

The Warner Bros. Discovery content integration supports RTL Deutschland's dual-platform strategy, distributing premium entertainment content across both traditional broadcast channels and streaming services. This approach addresses diverse audience consumption preferences while maximizing content investment returns through multiple distribution channels.

Future strategic implications

These content acquisitions establish foundation for RTL Deutschland's competition against international streaming platforms while maintaining strong traditional broadcasting positions. The combined Warner Bros. Discovery partnership and DFB-Pokal rights create differentiated programming lineup supporting subscriber acquisition and retention strategies.

The advertising technology collaboration component reflects industry evolution toward integrated content and advertising solutions. Publishers increasingly require unified technology platforms supporting campaign management across linear television, streaming platforms, and digital properties to meet advertiser demands for simplified cross-platform execution.

RTL Deutschland's strategic approach demonstrates how established European broadcasters adapt to changing market conditions through content investment, technology integration, and partnership development. The announcements position the company for sustained competition against global streaming platforms while preserving traditional broadcasting revenue streams.

Timeline

• February 2024: ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL Deutschland announce adtech collaboration, combining Virtual Minds and Smartclip to challenge US tech giants
• August 2024: RTL+ becomes available on Sky Stream's IPTV platform, expanding distribution partnerships
• January 2025: Deutsche Telekom and RTL Deutschland extend streaming partnership until 2030
• January 2025: RTL Deutschland announces Warner Bros. Discovery volume deal and DFB-Pokal broadcasting rights
• March 2025: RTL AdAlliance launches AdManager platform for European video campaigns
• June 2025: RTL Group announces €150 million acquisition of Sky Deutschland
• August 2025: RTL Group reports 27% digital advertising revenue growth
• September 2025: Ad Alliance partners with Utiq for cookieless targeting across RTL's digital properties
• 2026: El Cartel Brothers advertising sales house begins operations from Munich
• 2026/27 season: RTL Deutschland begins broadcasting 15 top DFB-Pokal matches live

Summary

Who: RTL Deutschland, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the German Football Association (DFB), with key executives Andreas Fischer (Chief Operating Officer) and Inga Leschek (Chief Content Officer) of RTL Deutschland

What: Two strategic content deals - an expanded volume agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery for films and series, plus exclusive live broadcasting rights for 15 top DFB-Pokal matches

When: Announced in January 2025, with Warner Bros. Discovery content available immediately and DFB-Pokal broadcasts beginning in the 2026/27 season

Where: Germany, with content distributed across RTL Deutschland's linear channels and RTL+ streaming service, plus new advertising sales house El Cartel Brothers operating from Munich

Why: To strengthen RTL Deutschland's competitive position against international streaming platforms through premium content acquisition while supporting the company's "Boost and Protect" strategy amid German media market transformation where streaming has overtaken traditional television viewing