BRUSSELS/COLOGNE (dpa-AFX) - RTL Group has been authorized to take over Sky Deutschland. Approximately ten months after the acquisition plan was first announced, the European Commission has granted unconditional antitrust clearance for the deal.
The European Commission regularly reviews mergers and acquisitions involving major companies within the European Economic Area to identify potential competition concerns. In the case of RTL and Sky, the authority concluded "after a careful investigation" that the transaction "would not significantly reduce competition" and approved it without conditions.
"The transaction allows established European media groups to consolidate their position during a period of industry transformation, where they face increasing pressure from global streaming platforms," stated EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera. By pooling their expertise, RTL and Sky are better equipped to remain competitive in this rapidly evolving market.
RTL aims to expand subscription business
In June 2025, RTL Group presented its plans to acquire Sky Deutschland. The objective of the merger is to strengthen its market position in the German streaming and TV business against major US providers. By integrating Sky, RTL also intends to expand its subscription business and reduce its reliance on the traditional TV advertising market, which remains under pressure.
RTL Group is increasingly pivoting toward digital subscription models to offset the decline in traditional advertising revenue from linear television. To this end, the RTL+ offering has been further developed - for instance, through new bundle deals such as the cooperation with HBO Max, distributed via the marketing subsidiary AdAlliance. The Bertelsmann-owned group aims to solidify its position as the leading provider in the German-speaking media landscape.
When the Sky acquisition was announced in June 2025, RTL stated that RTL Deutschland head Stephan Schmitter would become CEO of the new joint entity. Sky Deutschland will be integrated into RTL Deutschland. In addition to traditional television channels, Sky Deutschland includes the streaming service Wow.
Sky Deutschland has hitherto belonged to the US media giant Comcast. The purchase price amounts to approximately 150 million euros in cash, plus a variable component linked to RTL Group's share price. Depending on the stock's performance, RTL could be liable for up to an additional 377 million euros. With this acquisition, the publicly traded RTL Group unites a broad portfolio of free-to-air TV channels, pay-TV channels, and streaming portals in the DACH region - complemented by magazines and audio offerings.
The checkered history of Sky
Sky Deutschland's annual revenue recently stood at approximately 2 billion euros, while RTL Group's was around 6 billion euros. The company has recently struggled with a weak advertising climate and declining production revenues, which also led to job cuts.
Sky looks back on a volatile history: the broadcaster emerged from the former Kirch company Premiere, which long held exclusive pay-TV rights for the Bundesliga but was never consistently profitable. In 2018, Comcast finally took over the pay-TV provider.
Since the pay-TV channel's inception, the focus has been on sports broadcasting, particularly football. The offering is supplemented by films and series. The company recently discontinued its own scripted productions, such as "Babylon Berlin" and "Der Pass."
RTL and Sky have frequently cooperated on rights
Internally, approximately 80 percent of subscribers are considered sports customers. Sky's most significant sports rights include the Friday and Saturday matches of the Bundesliga, as well as the entire 2. Bundesliga. Other key rights include the English Premier League, Formula 1, and tennis.
RTL and Sky have frequently exchanged rights in recent years. For instance, RTL was recently permitted to broadcast seven Formula 1 races on free-to-air TV. For the current season of the premier motorsport series, no agreement had been reached between the two broadcasters until now. Following the acquisition, a swift resolution is expected.
Brussels competition watchdogs specifically examined the transaction's impact on four markets: the supply and acquisition of audiovisual content, the wholesale of TV channels and audiovisual services, the retail supply of audiovisual services to end users, and the sale of advertising space in audiovisual content. No concerns were raised in any of these areas. They noted, among other things, that the two broadcasters have different focuses in both sports and entertainment and are therefore not close competitors in the acquisition of audiovisual content./svv/DP/jha
