RTL wants to expand its streaming service “RTL +” into a cross-media platform.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The Bertelsmann subsidiary RTL wants to expand its streaming service “RTL +” into a cross-media platform. From mid-2022 onwards, users should not only be able to watch TV content as before, but also listen to music and podcasts and read e-magazines. This was announced by Thomas Rabe, who directs the family company Bertelsmann as well as the RTL Group, on Thursday morning.
All genres in one app – such a concept is so far unique in the media landscape. At noon, RTL wants to present further details in Berlin.
One thing is already clear: the media company wants to invest heavily in its streaming offer, which has previously operated under the name “TV Now”. Compared to 2021, RTL wants to triple its annual programming investments to around 600 million euros by 2026.
At the same time, the Cologne media group has raised its goals in the booming streaming market. By the end of 2026, the RTL Group is aiming for ten million paying subscribers for the two platforms “RTL +” and Videoland in the Netherlands. The services currently have 3.4 million users – a strong increase of 90 percent over the previous year. In September 2020, “TV Now” had 1.8 million paying subscribers.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
Thanks to the strong growth in users, streaming revenue also rose – by a third to 162 million euros. Raabe wants to reach one billion euros by 2026. Then the two streaming services should also be profitable.
The total turnover of the RTL group rose according to the company in the first nine months of the year by 10.3 percent to 4.5 billion euros. The group expects to generate total sales of around 6.5 billion euros in 2021.
In addition to the growth in the streaming sector, RTL also benefited from the sustained recovery in the TV advertising markets. The RTL competitor ProSieben also reported increasing advertising revenues on Thursday.
Bertelsmann benefits from the strong RTL business
The Gütersloh parent company Bertelsmann is also benefiting from the growth of the media subsidiary RTL. Compared to the same period of the previous year, sales increased by 9.2 percent to 13.1 billion euros. The organic growth was 14.2 percent and 8.4 percent compared to the pre-Corona year 2019. The family company also announced this on Thursday morning.
“Against the background of the positive business development, we are still very optimistic for the full year 2021. We will record higher sales and a group result of almost two billion euros, ”said Rolf Hellermann, Bertelsmann’s CFO, quoted in a press release. Bertelsmann did not provide any information on profits.
The Gütersloh media group can report positive numbers.
(Photo: dpa)
The figures give tailwind for the desired merger between the Cologne television group RTL and the Hamburg magazine subsidiary Gruner + Jahr (G + J). In August, Bertelsmann announced the merger effective January 1, 2022. The aim is to create a “new national, cross-media media champion,” announced Bertelsmann.
With the merger, Bertelsmann wants to position itself better for the future in the media business. The industry is dominated in the advertising market by the giants Google, Facebook and Amazon. At the same time, platforms like Netflix or Disney + viewers are digging. With the realignment of “RTL +” Bertelsmann wants to fight against the competition.
In addition to the RTL Group and Gruner + Jahr, the Bertelsmann group, which was founded in 1835, also includes the IT service provider Arvato, the book publishing group Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the Printing Group, the Education Group and the Bertelsmann Investments fund network.
More: New content, new corporate color: RTL says goodbye to trash TV