What RTL Hessen does

RTL Hessen is a regional television news programme serving the German federal state of Hesse, with a central editorial desk (Zentralredaktion) in Frankfurt and an external studio (Außenstudio) in Kassel. The programme airs Monday through Friday at 6pm on the RTL linear channel, covering local politics, crime, community events, regional sports, and entertainment across cities including Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Kassel, Darmstadt, and smaller Rhine-region communities. Full episodes are also distributed on the RTL+ streaming platform, which offers free and premium subscription tiers.

The offering is owned by RTL interactive GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RTL Group, one of Europe's largest commercial broadcasters. RTL Hessen therefore sits inside a wider RTL Deutschland portfolio that includes the flagship RTL channel, VOX, NITRO, RTL up, RTL Crime, RTL Passion, RTL Living, RTL Spiele (online gaming), wetter.de, and RTL UHD. The product functions as a hyperlocal content layer that supplies both linear advertising inventory and streaming catalogue depth to the parent group's monetisation stack.

RTL Hessen's commercial model is two-fold: it contributes advertising inventory value to RTL Deutschland's national ad business by delivering regional viewership in Hesse, and it adds to the content library of RTL+, which monetises through subscription tiers (free and premium). The programme is promoted via RTL.de, the RTL+ platform, and RTL's social media channels, and is accessible via the RTL+ mobile apps on Google Play and the Apple App Store. No independent pricing or revenue figure for RTL Hessen is publicly disclosed.

Name

RTL Hessen

Legal name

RTL interactive GmbH

Website

https://rtl-hessen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RTL Hessen is a regional television news programme covering the German state of Hesse, airing weekdays at 6pm on RTL and via the RTL+ streaming platform. It is operated by RTL interactive GmbH, a subsidiary of RTL Group, and serves Hesse viewers with local news, sports, and community coverage.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hessen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Television Advertising Revenue: RTL Hessen generates revenue as part of RTL Deutschland's broader advertising-driven business model. The program attracts viewers in the Hesse region, which contributes to RTL's overall advertising inventory value.
2. RTL+ Streaming Subscriptions: Full episodes of RTL Hessen are available on RTL+ streaming platform, which offers both free and premium subscription tiers. The regional content contributes to RTL+'s content library value.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

RTL Hessen is a daily regional television news program for the German state of Hesse, broadcast Monday through Friday at 6pm on RTL Television and also made available via the RTL+ streaming platform. The program is produced by RTL interactive GmbH from studios in Frankfurt and Kassel, delivering local news, current affairs, and regional information to viewers in Hesse.

Product overview

RTL Hessen is part of the RTL Deutschland media group, offering a portfolio of television channels, streaming platforms, and digital services. The core offering includes RTL Hessen as the regional news brand covering the Hessen state, integrated with the broader RTL+ streaming platform that provides access to RTL, VOX, NITRO, RTL up, RTL Crime, RTL Passion, and RTL Living channels. Additional services include RTL Spiele gaming, wetter.de weather, and RTL UHD broadcasting technology. The products function as a unified media ecosystem where RTL+ serves as the central streaming hub connecting the various linear TV channels and regional programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RTL+: Streaming platform offering RTL Hessen episodes and other RTL content on demand

Products and services

• RTL Hessen regional news program Daily regional television news broadcast for the German state of Hesse, covering local politics, current affairs, weather, and events. Targeted at viewers in Hesse and distributed on RTL Television and via the RTL+ streaming platform.
• RTL+ streaming access for RTL Hessen content Subscription-based over-the-top streaming service from RTL Deutschland that allows viewers in Hesse to access RTL Hessen regional news live and on demand, alongside other RTL programming.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ProSiebenSat.1 Media: Germany's other major private broadcasting group, operating ProSieben, SAT.1, Kabel Eins, and the Joyn streaming platform. Competes with RTL Deutschland for German advertising budgets and digital streaming subscribers at a national scale.
• SAT.1: Major German commercial TV channel operated by ProSiebenSat.1 that broadcasts national news and regional programming. Comparable commercial broadcasting model competing with RTL for the same German audience and advertising market.

Regional players

• WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk): Major German public regional broadcaster producing regional news for North Rhine-Westphalia. Operates with similar regional-news-on-linear-and-digital model as RTL Hessen but with public funding and a different geographic mandate.
• NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk): Public regional broadcaster for Northern Germany producing well-known regional news programs (e.g., Schleswig-Holstein Magazin). Comparable in regional news format and multi-platform distribution but serves a different geography.
• BR (Bayerischer Rundfunk): Public regional broadcaster for Bavaria, operating the well-known 'Bayerisches Fernsehen' regional news programming. Comparable regional news structure and multi-platform distribution but serves a different German state.

Direct peers

• Hessischer Rundfunk (HR): Public regional broadcaster for the German state of Hesse, operating the long-established Hessenschau regional news program. Direct competitor for the same Hesse viewer base and same regional advertising market, but funded through mandatory public contributions rather than commercial revenue.
• RTL Nord: Sister regional news program under RTL Deutschland covering Northern Germany. Operates with the same broadcast model, parent infrastructure, and RTL+ streaming distribution as RTL Hessen, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• RTL West: Sister regional news program under RTL Deutschland covering North Rhine-Westphalia. Mirrors RTL Hessen's format, distribution, and value proposition across a different German federal state.
• Hessenschau: The flagship regional news brand of Hessischer Rundfunk, covering Hesse with multi-platform news, video, and live programming. The most entrenched regional news competitor to RTL Hessen in the same state.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RTLHessen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rtl
• Facebookfacebook.com/RTLde
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rtl-hessen-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/rtl_de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RTL Hessen