RTL Group, the European media conglomerate, reported first-half revenue up 3.9% to €2.9 billion (£2.5 billion/$3.3 billion), driven by strong growth in streaming even as its traditional linear TV advertising and its Fremantle production arm both declined. The results reflect a broader shift in the group's business towards streaming, reinforced by its acquisition of pay-TV operator Sky Deutschland from Comcast, completed in June, which is being merged with RTL+ and has boosted the company's revenue base. On the back of this performance, RTL raised its full-year 2026 revenue forecast to €7.1-7.2 billion, up from the €6.1-6.2 billion it had projected in March.

The Sky Deutschland-RTL+ merger will create a streaming platform with 12.4 million paid subscriptions across Germany, Austria and Switzerland, alongside the group's existing M6+ service in France, making RTL the clear number three in the German-speaking streaming market according to chief executive Clément Schwebig. Adjusted EBITDA rose almost 50% year-on-year to €239 million, with streaming expected to contribute around €100 million to full-year operating profit. By contrast, TV advertising revenue fell 4% and Fremantle's revenue dropped 7.7% to $964 million, though Schwebig expects a pick-up by year-end as new titles roll out, including a "Baywatch" reboot debuting on Fox in January 2027 and the Catherine Zeta-Jones thriller "Kill Jackie", acquired by HBO Max for European markets ahead of its autumn 2026 launch.