Finance
Broadcaster RTL group narrowly beats profit expectations in 2025
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 12, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 12, 2026
Quick Summary
RTL Group posted a full‑year 2025 adjusted operating profit of €661 million, narrowly beating the consensus estimate of €652 million, driven by sharply reduced streaming startup losses. The company forecasts 2026 streaming profit of €25–50 million and total operating profit around €725 million.
RTL Group expects streaming unit to turn profit in 2026
RTL Group's Financial Outlook and Streaming Expansion
By Cian Muenster and Emanuele Berro
Profitability Targets for Streaming Business
March 12 (Reuters) - European broadcaster RTL Group expects its streaming business to be profitable in 2026, it said on Thursday, as the company aims to reduce losses incurred through aggressive expansion.
Projected Operating Profit
The VOX broadcaster expects streaming business operating profit to be between 25 million euros ($28.87 million) and 50 million euros in 2026, after almost hitting break-even in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Overall Profit Expectations
The firm expects total full-year profit of around 725 million euros, despite economic weakness in Germany and other European economies. It reported an 8% year-on-year decline in 2025 adjusted operating profit of 661 million euros, beating a company-provided consensus estimate of 652 million euros.
Market Position and Strategic Moves
Acquisition of Sky Deutschland
RTL is expected to complete the acquisition of Sky Deutschland this year, taking it to the third spot in Germany's streaming market, significantly ahead of Disney's service, but behind Netflix and Amazon.com's Prime Video.
CEO's Confidence in Streaming Targets
“We have been living with economic weakness in Germany for years, and it hasn’t stopped us from expanding our streaming business. That’s why we’re very confident we will reach our streaming targets this year," RTL CEO Thomas Rabe said in a media call.
Dividend Proposal and Additional Financial Details
RTL is proposing a dividend of 5.50 euros per share, buoyed by its sale of RTL Nederland in July.
($1 = 0.8660 euros)
(Reporting by Cian Muenster and Emanuele Berro in Gdansk; Additonal reporting by Canan Sevgili; Editing by Harikrishnan Nair)
Key Takeaways
- •Streaming losses fell significantly in 2025, helping lift adjusted operating profit to €661 million versus €652 million expected.
- •RTL Group expects its streaming business to return to modest profitability in 2026, projecting €25–50 million in streaming profit and around €725 million total operating profit.
- •The broadcaster’s strategy to accelerate streaming growth and cut losses aligns with its longer‑term transformation goals and confidence in streaming profitability emerging by 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions about Broadcaster RTL Group narrowly beats profit expectations in 2025
1How much was RTL Group's adjusted operating profit for 2025?
RTL Group reported an adjusted operating profit of 661 million euros for 2025.
2Did RTL Group beat profit expectations in 2025?
Yes, RTL Group exceeded expectations with a profit of 661 million euros, above the consensus estimate of 652 million euros.