Advertising, Streaming Lift RTL Group Results

Improved advertising and streaming results helped drive RTL Group’s first-quarter revenues to €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion), a 2.6 percent gain.

“RTL Group has started strongly and in line with our expectations into 2024,” said CEO Thomas Rabe. “We have strengthened our leading audience and advertising positions in Germany and continued the dynamic growth of our streaming business. Our first-quarter results confirm our strategy of investing through the cycle. RTL Group is looking forward to an eventful second quarter, with RTL Deutschland and Groupe M6 broadcasting UEFA Euro 2024 matches. In addition, M6+ will launch in France next week and Fremantle will deliver season two of The Responder, the new thriller series Nightsleeper and season 19 of America’s Got Talent.”

Television advertising revenues were up by 10 percent in Q1 to €528 million ($567.6 million), with overall ad revenues rising to €686 million ($737.5 million), including €80 million ($86 million) in digital advertising revenues.

Streaming revenues rose by 41 percent in the period to €86 million ($92.4 million), with the number of paying subs rising by more than 24 percent to reach 6 million across RTL+ in Germany and Hungary and 6play10 in France.

Fremantle’s revenues dropped by 9.2 percent to €395 million ($424.6 million) due to timing effects in the U.K., Italy and Germany.

For the full year, RTL Group is projecting revenues of €6.6 billion ($7.1 billion), based on higher revenue from RTL Deutschland and Fremantle.