Following the European Commission’s approval for RTL Deutschland to acquire Sky Deutschland, RTL’s CEO, Thomas Rabe, has set an ambitious long-term objective of achieving 15 million subscribers across its platforms, including RTL+, Sky, and WOW. Speaking to the “Handelsblatt”, the Chairman of Bertelsmann-which owns the RTL Group-stated that this subscriber goal is deemed achievable. He noted that reaching 15 million subscribers would provide significant market penetration, theoretically covering every third household in Germany. Currently, the platforms report a combined figure of 12.3 million subscribers.
Rabe also addressed the organizational changes resulting from the merger, announcing a planned reduction in staff. He explained that the combining of the two organizations will necessitate a streamlining of operations and the elimination of redundant structures, which will naturally impact the workforce.
This expansion follows the European Commission’s approval on Tuesday regarding the acquisition of Sky Deutschland by RTL Deutschland. RTL had originally publicly announced its acquisition intention back in June 2025. The purchase price is set at approximately €150 million in cash, supplemented by a variable component that is linked to RTL Group’s stock price. Depending on future stock performance, RTL could potentially incur up to an additional €377 million. Previously, Sky was owned by the American media conglomerate Comcast.
