RTL Deutschland Presents Programming Highlights For The 2025/26 Season
An exciting mix of entertainment, fiction, reality, news, and sports – across all platforms.
RTL Deutschland and Ad Alliance have unveiled their new programming and marketing highlights for the 2025/26 season in Cologne – presented under the banner “One RTL – All Platforms.” The exclusive screening event, attended by around 200 guests at the studio of “Die Stefan Raab Show,” showcased strong content, innovative new formats, and a clear message: RTL Deutschland is consistently uniting its “must-see content” strategy across all platforms – from linear TV and streaming to digital offerings.
Amid economic challenges, shifting market conditions, and rapidly changing media consumption habits, RTL Deutschland continues to sharpen its focus on expanding its successful streaming service RTL+ and building new strategic partnerships. During the screening, a commercial partnership between Ad Alliance and Warner Bros. Discovery Germany was also announced, covering the marketing of HBO Max in Germany starting in January 2026.
“Partnerships give us strategic leverage to further strengthen our position in the market,” said Carsten Schwecke, Chief Commercial, Technology & Data Officer at RTL Deutschland. “We actively pursue partnerships with strong brands that share our values, ambitions, and standards. Real impact happens when everyone brings their strengths to the table – for the market and for our audience.”
2025/26 season: new formats, proven successes, and surprises
For the 2025/26 season, RTL Deutschland will once again deliver a dynamic mix of entertainment, fiction, reality, news, and sports. Audiences will see the return of perennial favorites, the debut of new show formats, and the cross-platform expansion of successful streaming titles. “Our strength lies in the combination of brand power, creativity, and the courage to try new things,” said Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer at RTL Deutschland. “Whether in shows, fiction, or reality, our goal is to inspire viewers and show that across all platforms, we stand for diverse, high-quality entertainment that moves people. Exciting live sports and relevant journalism complete our lineup and make RTL Deutschland a home for everyone who loves great content.” This blend also defines the new season – with familiar brands, new faces, and formats that blur platform boundaries in fresh, playful ways.
Growth through innovation and smart marketing
RTL Deutschland is also aligning its marketing strategy even more closely with the future, focusing on innovation and efficiency. In cooperation with Ad Alliance, the company is building an integrated video ecosystem that brings together reach, data, and impact across every screen. With new cross-platform products such as the “Big Screen Package” and the “Total Video Spot,” launching in 2026, media planning will become simpler and more precise than ever. The planned “hard cut” in 2028 marks the next step: TV advertising will be traded entirely on a CPM basis, making it directly comparable to digital video advertising for the first time. Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a central role in this transformation. It already supports creative processes and media planning, making advertising more measurable, relevant, and effective. Under the label “VisionAIry,” Ad Alliance brings together its AI-based solutions – from planning and advertising concepts to performance analytics. “Our marketing follows the same principle as our content: everything connects seamlessly across all platforms,” said Frank Vogel, Managing Director of Ad Alliance. “This creates a unified experience for brands and audiences – and shows what ‘One RTL – All Platforms’ truly means in the market.”
