Broadcasting giant RTL has submitted concessions to the European Commission in an effort to secure approval for its planned acquisition of Sky Deutschland. "We can confirm that the parties have submitted commitments," a spokesperson for the European Commission stated on Monday, without providing further details. The provisional deadline for the Brussels authority to reach a decision has now been set for April 22. These concessions are expected to facilitate a swifter approval process, potentially allowing the antitrust regulators to avoid launching an in-depth investigation lasting approximately 90 working days.

RTL was not immediately available for comment. On Friday, the media group stated it would not comment on ongoing proceedings. "We are working constructively with the European Commission and remain confident that the acquisition of Sky Deutschland will be approved and finalized in the first half of 2026."

As a potential concession, RTL could outsource its advertising sales to third parties to address competition concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by Reuters last week. The original EU deadline was scheduled for April 8 but has now been automatically extended by ten working days.

The transaction aims to merge two European media providers in the sports and entertainment sectors to gain ground against US heavyweights Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime in Germany. By acquiring the pay-TV broadcaster, Bertelsmann subsidiary RTL will gain access to Sky's sports rights, including the Bundesliga, the English Premier League, and Formula 1. Additionally, the streaming service WOW will transfer to RTL. Sky Deutschland, owned by the US corporation Comcast, operates in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

RTL announced its intention to acquire pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland in June 2025. Comcast is set to receive 150 million euros in cash and could receive an additional payment of up to 377 million euros in the coming years, depending on the performance of RTL's share price. The deal is expected to generate 250 million euros in synergies after three years. In December, RTL Deutschland announced it would cut approximately 600 jobs to sharpen its focus on streaming.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee in Brussels and Klaus Lauer in Berlin, edited by Olaf Brenner. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)