RTL Group 2019 Revenue Hits All-Time High

RTL Group revenues for 2019 rose to €6.7 billion ($7.4 billion), delivering a profit for the year that was up by 10.1 percent to €864 million ($960 million).

The gains at the European media giant were driven by Fremantle and RTL Group’s digital businesses. “Our strategy builds upon three priorities,” said CEO Thomas Rabe. “Firstly, strengthening our core businesses, including consolidation across our broadcasting footprint. Secondly, boosting our streaming services and global content business, Fremantle. And thirdly, fostering alliances and partnerships in the European media industry. Within this framework, we put a particular focus on becoming national streaming champions in the countries where RTL Group has leading families of channels and on building an open European tech platform for streaming services. Over the next five years, we aim to grow the number of paying subscribers for our streaming services TV Now in Germany and Videoland in the Netherlands to between 5 and 7 million, to grow our streaming revenue to at least €500 million and to break even by 2025.”

Fremantle’s revenue was up by 12.6 percent to €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion). Digital revenues at RTL Group grew by 8.9 percent to €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion), with streaming revenues from TV Now and Videoland rising by 46.7 percent, to €135 million ($150 million). Ad revenues at RTL Group account for 44.2 percent of the total, with 21.6 percent from content, 16.1 percent from digital, 5.5 percent from platforms and 4.1 percent from radio.

The company says it is too soon to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on 2020 revenues, “however, we already see first cancellations of advertising bookings and impacts on productions.” RTL Group expects total revenues to be up 2 percent to 3 percent this year, with TV advertising revenue slightly down and Fremantle’s revenue up organically by 4 percent to 6 percent.