Streaming shift accelerates as RTL+ adds live sports tier in Germany

RTL Group is leaning harder into paid streaming: its RTL+ service in Germany now bundles premium entertainment, music, audiobooks and a growing sports offering, including a dedicated live sports tier built around UEFA rights and domestic competitions.

Edited by ad hoc news New Releases & Launches Desk. Reviewed before publication on 06/15/2026 at 9:26 PM ET. Details in the imprint.

RTL Group is putting more weight behind its German streaming service with an expanded sports push on RTL+, adding a dedicated live sports tier that builds on UEFA club competition rights and domestic football, handball and motorsport packages. The move is designed to keep viewers inside the RTL+ ecosystem longer and tap into Germany's still-growing paid streaming market.

What the expanded RTL+ sports offer includes

RTL+ has evolved from a catch-up TV service into a multi-vertical subscription platform that combines video streaming, music, audiobooks, podcasts and magazine content under one account, with live sports now positioned as a core pillar. According to RTL Group's latest annual report, the service in Germany counted around 4.8 million paying subscribers at the end of 2023, up from roughly 4 million a year earlier, driven in part by exclusive football rights and the broadened content bundle in the 2023 RTL Group annual report.

On the sports side, RTL+ in Germany streams selected UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League matches, which are shared between RTL's free-to-air channels and the paid streaming service depending on the matchday schedule. The platform also carries live coverage of chosen qualifying matches of the German national football team, motorsport series such as the World Rally Championship and European Rally Championship, and handball events tied to RTL's free-TV rights packages, with many of these broadcasts simulcast and time-shifted within the app environment as highlighted in RTL Deutschland's rights announcements.

RTL+ has structured its product lineup around tiered bundles that range from a video-only offer to an "All Inclusive" package combining video, music streaming and audiobooks, with sports content layered on top depending on the chosen plan. In Germany, the entry video tier is advertised at a monthly list price in the mid-single-digit euro range, with the broader all-in bundle positioned higher and occasional promotional discounts narrowing the gap; RTL markets the integrated approach as a way for households to consolidate multiple subscriptions into a single account on the official RTL+ offers page.

Within RTL Group's portfolio, RTL+ is treated as a strategic growth engine as linear TV advertising in Europe remains cyclical and increasingly competitive. Management has repeatedly underlined that streaming revenue, including subscriptions and dynamically inserted advertising, is expected to become a more important contributor over the medium term as the company invests in local originals, sports rights and platform technology tailored to German-speaking markets. Shares of RTL Group S.A. (LU0061462528) are listed on the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, where the stock last closed at EUR 31.44 on 06/13/2026.

RTL+ sports tier in brief: the key facts

• Product: RTL+ streaming service (Germany, sports tier)
• Manufacturer: RTL Group S.A.
• Category: New Release/Launch - streaming and sports content bundle
• Launch date: Gradual expansion of live sports since 2022; strengthened football and multi-content bundles from 2023 onward
• MSRP / Price: Tiered subscription pricing in Germany; entry video tier in the mid-single-digit euro range per month, with higher-priced all-inclusive bundles
• Availability: Germany, via RTL+ app and website on smart TVs, mobile devices, streaming sticks and browsers
• Target audience: German-speaking viewers seeking a combined entertainment and live sports streaming subscription
• Key differentiator / USP: Integration of local-language entertainment, live sports, music, audiobooks and magazines under one paid streaming brand

This article was a.i.-assisted and editorially reviewed. Product information without warranty; prices and availability may change at short notice. Not investment advice and not a buy or sell recommendation. Trading involves risk up to and including the total loss of invested capital.