RTL and Sky Deutschland agree streaming and F1 deal

RTL Deutschland has agreed a wide-ranging streaming and content distribution agreement with pay TV operator Sky Deutschland that will see the broadcaster’s streaming offering TV Now made available to Sky Q customers.

The TV Now app, with its 47,000 hours of programming, will be available for Sky Q customers in Germany and Austria from the middle of this year.

In addition to access to the premium service, Sky Q customers will have unlimited access to on-demand programmes from RTL’s free TV channels at no additional cost, with the ability to view catch-up content for seven days after it is broadcast on linear TV.

The service will give Sky Deutschland customers access to TV Now originals such as KBV – Keine besonderen Vorkommnisse, 8 Zeugen and Glauben, as well as coverage of UEFA Europa League football.

Under its deal with Sky, RTL will have the right to broadcast four Formula 1 races per season exclusively on free TV. The remainder of the motorsport competition will be available on the new Sky Sport F1 channels and on Sky Sport UHD.

Bernd Reichart, CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, said: “The offer of attractive content via close cooperation between our mass-market channels and TV Now is at the core of our strategy. The partnership with Sky enables us to further accelerate TV Now’s growth. With Sky Q, Sky offers a great entertainment platform for TV and streaming. At the same time, through the partnership, we will continue to present attractive live sport for an audience of millions on free TV. As first streamer’ we forge partnerships like this one to further advance our digital agenda ”

Devesh Raj, CEO Sky Deutschland, said: “Like no other service, Sky Q combines linear television, on demand, media catalogues, apps, streaming and convenient functions on a common platform. Through the partnership with Mediengruppe RTL and the integration of TV Now, we are strengthening Sky Q’s position as the leading aggregation platform. Sky is also the new home of motorsport in Germany. Motorsport fans can only watch all 23 race weekends on Sky. In order to specifically give Formula 1 an even bigger stage and thus promote our great Formula 1 broadcasts, we are making four selected races available to an audience of millions on free TV. “