RTL Group Reports Strong Revenue Growth

RTL Group published its financials for the first nine months of 2022. During the reporting period, it achieved strong growth in revenues and paid subscribers to its streaming services. Total revenues increased by 12.0 percent to €5,006 million; organic revenue growth amounted to 3.2 percent. Fremantle (+27.8 percent) and the streaming business (+20.4 percent) achieved particularly strong growth. In the third quarter alone, total revenues increased by 18.9 percent to €1,730 million; organic growth in this period was 10.0 percent. The number of paying subscribers to RTL Group's streaming services, RTL+ and Videoland, surged by 40.6 percent in the first nine months, to 4.8 million.

RTL Group has confirmed its full-year Adjusted EBITA outlook for 2022, forecasting EBITA of between €1.05 billion and €1.15 billion and streaming start-up losses of up to €250 million (Adjusted EBITA before streaming start-up losses of €1.3 billion to €1.4 billion). As the TV advertising markets, especially in Germany, have been weaker than expected, RTL Group expects adjusted EBITA at the lower end of the range. The full-year revenue outlook for 2022 has been adjusted to around €7.2 billion due to timing effects at Fremantle (previous forecast: €7.3 billion to €7.5 billion).

Thomas Rabe, Chief Executive Officer of RTL Group, said: “RTL Group had a solid first nine months of the year 2022, in the face of a challenging macroeconomic environment and its impact on advertising markets. The high revenue growth in the third quarter was primarily driven by Fremantle, which continues to deliver on its boost plan and is on track to reach a new record revenue in 2022. Organically, Fremantle grew 10 per cent from January to September 2022. RTL Group’s streaming services also continued with very good traction in the third quarter of 2022, with paying streaming subscribers growing to 4.8 million at the end of September. 

“Looking at the fourth quarter, we expect the challenging advertising market environment to continue, especially in Germany. Despite this and numerous external factors, in particular the war in Ukraine, inflation, energy supply and supply chain issues, RTL Group expects to perform in line with the Adjusted EBITA guidance provided in August.”