RTL Expands Digital Footprint as Streaming Strategy Drives Subscription Growth

German media group RTL Deutschland is accelerating its digital transformation, using its streaming platform RTL+ alongside targeted external partnerships to reach younger audiences and expand its subscriber base. Speaking at the Mipcom conference in Cannes, RTL Deutschland Chief Executive Stephan Schmitter explained how a deliberate YouTube distribution campaign for the network's long-running action series "Cobra 11" generated a 26 percent increase in subscriptions linked to the show, illustrating how traditional television networks can benefit from working with digital video giants.

A year ago, RTL uploaded more than 200 full episodes of the high-octane drama to YouTube, attracting over 30 million views. Schmitter explained that the series had little remaining commercial value on linear channels and standard streaming reruns, yet it resonated strongly with an online demographic where 83 percent of viewers were men with an average age of 30. The show, which originally premiered in 1996 and has aired in more than 120 countries, found a second life by meeting viewers on television screens connected to video-sharing apps.

This surge in external digital viewership translated directly into platform engagement for RTL+. Alongside the 26 percent subscription increase connected to the show, the initiative spurred a 123 percent rise in first video views for "Cobra 11" on RTL+. Schmitter noted that offering archival episodes on open platforms served as an effective conversion funnel, encouraging younger viewers who discovered the action series to subscribe to RTL+ in search of newer episodes.

The broader arrangement has also unlocked new commercial opportunities through RTL's advertising sales entity, Ad Alliance, which packages commercial inventory across linear broadcast channels, RTL+, Sky, and YouTube. Schmitter indicated that advertisers have welcomed the comprehensive, cross-screen packaging, generating additional revenues nearing double-digit millions. Pedro Pina, YouTube's vice president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, emphasized during the panel that legacy broadcasters create value by adopting the mindset of digital creators to revitalize established intellectual property.

The growth of RTL+ is further supported by an extensive sports broadcasting lineup that operates in tandem with free-to-air coverage. During UEFA Conference League competition, AS Monaco's 3-0 victory over German club SC Freiburg was broadcast on free television while simultaneously streaming on RTL+ and Sky. The streaming service offered both individual match feeds and multi-game conference coverage, giving digital subscribers broader viewing options than standard linear broadcasts.

At the same time, live broadcast interruptions on linear television continue to steer daily television viewers toward RTL+. When live sports events, such as a DFB-Pokal cup matchup between Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt, preempt evening schedules, linear broadcasts of popular daily dramas like "Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten," "Alles was zählt," and "Unter uns" are suspended. Viewers are instead directed to RTL+, where complete episodes are made available for streaming an entire week before their television broadcast dates.

Beyond serialized dramas and live European soccer, RTL+ continues to feature reality formats such as "Temptation Island VIP," while making content from its news channel NTV accessible on video-sharing platforms. As viewing patterns diversify, RTL executives maintain that leveraging both open digital platforms and dedicated subscription apps is essential to maintaining commercial momentum and reaching a broad public across generational lines.