Jonas Engwall on Bedrock’s Streaming Solutions

Releasing its interim results earlier this year, RTL Group touted key gains in streaming revenues, boosted in part by M6+. The service replaced 6play in May as the French broadcaster’s new AVOD platform, powered by streaming solutions provider Bedrock. Now, RTL Group is working with Bedrock, in which it holds an ownership stake, on the integration of its largest streaming service, RTL+ in Germany. This streaming service is set to migrate by 2026. As Bedrock CEO Jonas Engwall tells World Screen Weekly, partnerships and meeting the diverse needs of broadcasters on their streaming journeys are critical priorities for the company as it scales up its business.

WS: The last time we spoke, you were working with M6 on the rollout of M6+, its new AVOD platform powered by Bedrock technology. What were some of the key lessons from that experience?
ENGWALL: The M6+ rollout was a huge success and highlighted the value of our careful planning and solid tech. We managed to deploy across 15 different devices in just a few hours with hardly any disruption. In fact, most of the rollout was finished in only six hours. The results were fantastic—user engagement jumped by 30 to 50 percent monthly, which was even better than we had hoped for. Short-form content in a vertical format was a bet that was quite informed—we felt it was going to work well. M6 said it would do it for its key shows; now, they’re rolling it out for almost all shows. We also added M6’s podcast library to the M6+ platform. Also, with Ease Live, we introduced fan-engagement features like live stats and voting during UEFA EURO 2024. The feedback from viewers was overwhelmingly positive, and we’re looking forward to bringing these interactive tools to more types of content beyond just sports.

From a security perspective, we faced a significant challenge when a DDOS attack comprising 17 million probes occurred within minutes. Thanks to our platform’s resilience, the attack had zero impact on users, which showcased the strength of our security measures and the preparation of our teams in handling sudden high-pressure situations.

WS: And now you’re working on transitioning RTL+ in Germany to Bedrock technology. What’s the plan there?
ENGWALL: The migration of RTL+ in Germany to the Bedrock platform is a major project for us, and it’s really exciting. It’s a long process with work councils involved, but we’re making great progress and aiming for an early 2026 launch. We’re pooling resources together to create an even more powerful platform, designed to handle a wide variety of media—everything from TV shows and video content to music and audiobooks. This move will streamline operations and enhance the experience for millions of users in Germany across all their devices.

What’s exciting is that this transition is more than just a technical migration. It’s an opportunity to innovate and grow. We’ll be opening a new office in Cologne and onboarding some of the RTL+ team in Germany to become part of Bedrock, which will help us work closely together and provide localized support. It’s bigger than just onboarding a new partner. By joining forces, it will give us even more firepower for the future to innovate and future-proof everything we do. It will strengthen both Bedrock and RTL+, not just for today’s market demands but for what’s ahead.

WS: RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 announced a deal to collaborate on advertising technology earlier this year. Does that have the potential to create new opportunities for Bedrock?
ENGWALL: While I won’t comment directly on the specifics of the RTL and ProSiebenSat.1 collaboration, this partnership is an excellent example of the strategic alliances needed to achieve scale. Bedrock is all about partnership. We believe you need scale to succeed in this business. In regions like the U.S., consolidation is the path forward, while in Europe, collaboration between players is essential to achieve the same kind of magnitude. RTL and ProSieben working together in the ad-tech space is a great example of embracing partnerships to enhance capabilities and create the scale needed to compete.

WS: How is Bedrock working with its broadcaster clients to scale their AVOD capabilities?
ENGWALL: Bedrock has deep roots in the AVOD space, so we understand the nuances of this model. Before the last 18 months, streaming meant SVOD. For broadcasters coming from advertising, doing SVOD was exciting—it offered a new revenue stream and had that fresh, shiny appeal. I’ve always said there will be SVOD, but don’t forget about AVOD. Our partners are working toward hybrid models. SVOD is adding AVOD to become more balanced and the other way around. If you’re in the old legacy world, you must have a new monetization model. Tech allows you to experiment. There will always be people with more time than money and vice versa. It makes sense to have a balanced approach.

WS: Talk to us about the work your teams put into constantly refining and improving your UX and underlying tech stack.
ENGWALL: Innovation at Bedrock is a continuous process, and our approach to UX and tech-stack improvement is systematic and collaborative. We have dedicated “streaming walls” in our offices that allow us to observe and analyze almost all streaming services worldwide. There are so many things happening in the world of streaming! We are particularly inspired by developments in regions like Asia, which are often ahead in certain areas. While not all innovations there are transferable to Europe, they offer valuable insights that can drive our creative process.

We’re always thinking of new ideas internally, but a big part of what we do is collaborate closely with our partners. Our product advisory board meets every two months, where we sit down with our partners. Together, we don’t just focus on the tech—though that’s obviously a huge part—but also share insights and learn from each other. It’s a collaborative process that helps us shape the roadmap for where the platform is heading. For us, it’s all about incremental innovation driven by real-world needs. And one of the things we’ve learned is that we don’t always have to come up with everything ourselves. Part of Bedrock’s innovation is partnering with the right companies and bringing their services to life within Bedrock.

WS: What else are you focusing on in the 12 to 18 months ahead? Are you looking to expand outside of Europe?
ENGWALL: Our focus remains on Europe for the next 12 to 18 months, but we are certainly open to opportunities outside the European market. We have much interest from different parts of the world—actually, more interest than we can handle. We’re in a lucky position where we can be quite selective with the opportunities we engage in. I always emphasize responsible growth. We’re committed to serving our existing partners and ensuring that any expansion benefits all stakeholders. Germany is our immediate priority, and once we’ve successfully transitioned RTL+, we’ll evaluate other markets. I’m confident that we’ll eventually extend beyond Europe, but it’s important to grow sustainably and strategically.

WS: I know you’re using AI in your recommendation algorithms. That space is moving so quickly. How are you tracking developments in AI and implementing those tools as you innovate your capabilities?
ENGWALL: It’s almost impossible to track everything happening in AI. We are focused on a couple of areas. Our focus is on personalization, and we’re about to launch an AI-driven search feature that will offer users a more intuitive and engaging experience. We want to create a social-like interaction with content discovery, making it feel more natural and interactive.

Behind the scenes, AI plays a critical role in platform optimization. We gather data from numerous sources to monitor performance, and AI helps us sift through this data efficiently, enabling us to make informed decisions in real time. We have to use AI intelligently by developing a framework for the best way it can be used. It’s finding that balance—moving fast, but at the same time moving securely. We’re constantly evaluating AI from different angles, ensuring that we leverage it in ways that truly enhance both the user experience and the operational performance of the platform.