Bedrock And RTL+ In Germany Pool Their Strengths
RTL Group’s largest streaming service, RTL+ in Germany, has announced plans to migrate to the Bedrock platform in early 2026. Bedrock already provides the technical platform for RTL Group’s streaming services in France (M6+), the Netherlands (Videoland), and Hungary (RTL+). The merge should help to ensure that RTL Group’s streaming business becomes profitable in 2026.
RTL Group’s largest streaming service, RTL+ in Germany, plans to migrate to the Bedrock platform in early 2026. The plan is part of RTL Group’s strategy to deepen Group-wide collaboration in the areas of technology, content, and ad sales - and will help RTL Group’s streaming business to become profitable in 2026 as planned.
Bedrock, a French technology company co-owned by RTL Group and Groupe M6, developed the tech platform for RTL Group’s streaming services in France (M6+), the Netherlands (Videoland), and Hungary (RTL+). More than 45 million users now rely on Bedrock to deliver a seamless viewing experience across all screens. Having RTL+ in Germany follow suit and join forces with Bedrock is the next logical step to bundle RTL Group’s streaming tech resources – in particular since the tech teams at Bedrock and RTL+ in Germany have gained comprehensive and complementary experiences with the various business models, countries and features.
The management teams of RTL Group, RTL Deutschland, Groupe M6 and Bedrock aim to use a unified, flexible and state-of-the-art tech platform for all of the Group’s streaming services, a platform that supports multiple content types, from TV/video and podcasts to audiobooks. This platform will be based on the current Bedrock platform. With this move, Bedrock will enhance its scale and innovation capabilities, strengthening its appeal as a strategic streaming partner for RTL Group and third-party companies across Europe and beyond.
Thomas Rabe, CEO der RTL Group, said: “Alliances and partnerships are one of our strategic priorities to successfully compete with the global tech platforms. Bedrock and RTL+ in Germany have outstanding and unique strengths – their joining forces will create a true European champion in streaming technology. The migration will also contribute to reaching profitability with our streaming business in 2026 and to further growing Bedrock.”
The envisioned migration plan is subject to information and consultation processes with the works councils concerned. The key elements of this plan are:
- Bedrock will have a German subsidiary based in Cologne, where a part of the current RTL+ tech team will work.
- In the next few months, RTL Deutschland will keep the teams involved and the relevant works councils informed in more detail about the planned next steps, including the envisioned workforce reduction at RTL Deutschland.
- Initially, Bedrock Germany will be responsible for developing elements specifically designed for RTL+ in Germany such as user onboarding, billing & payment, and a recommendation engine.
- The goal is to finalize the migration of RTL+ in Germany to the Bedrock platform in early 2026, which would generate significant cost savings in the long run.
- Headquartered in Paris, the enlarged Bedrock company will have three tech offices in Lyon (France), Lisbon (Portugal), and Cologne (Germany). Jonas Engwall, CEO of Bedrock since 2019, will continue to lead the company.
- RTL Deutschland will become a direct shareholder in the enlarged Bedrock company. The members of the Board of Bedrock are: Elmar Heggen (Deputy CEO and COO of RTL Group), Björn Bauer (CFO of RTL Group), David Larramendy (Chairman of the Executive Board of Groupe M6), Valéry Gerfaud (Chief Technology & Innovation Officer of Groupe M6); Andreas Fischer (Chief Operating Officer of RTL Deutschland; EVP Business Development of RTL Group), and Mouna Sepehri (Managing Partner and Co-founder of Orson).
Stephan Schmitter, CEO of RTL Deutschland, said: “Our RTL+ product and tech team has already achieved a lot, e.g. successfully launching Germany’s first all-inclusive entertainment offer. To further secure our Top Three position in the German streaming market, it is essential to pool our resources. Combining Bedrock and the best features and tech experts from RTL+ will create a unified platform that all RTL Group streaming services can use in the future to provide their users with an excellent product experience.”
David Larramendy, Chairman of the Executive Board of Groupe M6, said: “We are pleased that Bedrock plans to continue its international expansion with the addition of RTL+ in Germany. The planned migration confirms Bedrock’s strategy to share technological resources between major broadcasters, and would be a positive step forward for all parties.”
