What tvnow does

RTL+ (formerly tvnow) is a German direct-to-consumer streaming platform operated by RTL interactive GmbH, a private limited company headquartered at Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Köln. The platform is owned by RTL Group, one of Germany's largest media conglomerates, and serves German-speaking consumers with on-demand video, live TV streams of free-to-air RTL Group channels (RTL, VOX, NITRO, RTLZWEI, SUPER RTL, ntv, and specialty channels), exclusive RTL+ Originals, daily soaps, reality TV, anime, live sports, podcasts, audiobooks, and internet radio. The service is delivered via web browsers and native applications across iOS, Android, Huawei, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Smart TVs, with DRM-protected streaming supporting up to two simultaneous streams on Premium tiers.

The platform runs a tiered subscription model with five core plans: Basic at €5.99/month, Premium at €9.99/month (adding live TV, offline downloads, simultaneous streaming), Premium Werbefrei (Ad-Free) at €12.99/month, Musik at €14.99/month (bundling Deezer music streaming and one monthly Penguin Random House audiobook credit), and Live-Only for standalone live-TV access. Two co-branded HBO Max bundles (€11.99 and €17.99/month) extend the offering with international premium content. Basic and Premium tiers include advertising, while Premium Werbefrei removes on-demand ads (live streams and product placements retain advertising). Revenue is generated primarily through subscription recurring fees, supplemented by advertising on ad-supported tiers. The Basic tier is restricted to German residents; other tiers are available across a defined list of European countries under EU portability rules.

Distribution is entirely digital and self-serve, relying on owned web properties (plus.rtl.de, my.plus.rtl.de), app stores, and cross-promotion through RTL Group's linear TV network. Marketing is conducted via social media (X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), the RTL+ Insider email newsletter, and content-driven promotion through podcasts and original programming. Strategic content partnerships include Deezer (music), HBO Max (international content), Penguin Random House (audiobooks), TOGGO (kids), and sports rights holders (UEFA, DFB), with Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga coverage launching from the 2025/26 season at 617 matches per season. The platform previously operated under the TVNOW brand before rebranding to RTL+.

Name

tvnow

Legal name

RTL interactive GmbH

Website

https://tvnow.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

RTL+ (formerly TVNOW) is a German B2C streaming platform operated by RTL interactive GmbH that offers on-demand video, live TV, sports, podcasts, audiobooks, and music via tiered subscriptions to German-speaking consumers across web and connected devices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Streaming Services

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Network/Studio Streaming Channels (MPABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports OTT & League Pass Streaming Channels (MPABAHAJ), League/Team-Owned Digital Broadcast Networks (MPAKAOAC)

Keywords

• Video streaming service
• Live TV streaming
• Subscription video on-demand
• On-demand entertainment
• Streaming media platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription fees (Basic, Premium, Premium Ad-Free, Music tiers): Monthly recurring subscription revenue from tiered plans. Basic at €5.99/month with limited features, Premium at €9.99/month with live TV and offline downloads, Premium Ad-Free at €12.99/month, and Music at €14.99/month bundling Deezer and audiobooks. All plans billed monthly with no long-term commitment; customers can cancel anytime with one month's notice.
2. HBO Max bundle: Co-branded bundle with HBO Max generating additional subscription revenue. Two bundle tiers: RTL+ Premium & HBO Max Basis with ads at €11.99/month, and RTL+ Premium Ad-Free & HBO Max Standard at €17.99/month.
3. Advertising: Basic and Premium tiers may contain advertising. Live TV streams and integrated marketing formats (e.g., product placement) retain ads even on Premium Ad-Free tier. Some content is available ad-supported at lower price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RTL+ (formerly TVNOW) is a German subscription streaming service operated by RTL interactive GmbH that delivers on-demand video, live TV simulcasts of RTL Group free-to-air channels, podcasts, audiobooks, and music streaming (via Deezer) across five subscription tiers (Basic, Premium, Premium Werbefrei, Musik, Live-Only) plus an HBO Max co-branded bundle. The platform offers exclusive German-language originals, daily soaps, reality TV, anime, and live sports rights including Bundesliga (from 2025/26), UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, NFL, Formula 1, and Oktagon MMA, accessible via web, mobile, connected TV, and Smart-TV apps.

Product overview

RTL+ is a German streaming platform operated by RTL interactive GmbH (Picassoplatz 1, 50679 Köln), offering on-demand video and audio streaming across five subscription tiers: Basic (entry-level, with limited content and ads), Premium (adds live TV, offline downloads, and dual-stream), Premium Werbefrei (ad-free Premium), Musik (Premium Werbefrei plus Deezer music streaming and one monthly Penguin Random House audiobook credit), and Live-Only (live TV streams only). An HBO Max bundle is also available. The platform provides access to content from multiple RTL Group free-to-air TV channels (RTL, VOX, NITRO, RTLZWEI, SUPER RTL, ntv, and specialty channels), along with exclusive RTL+ Originals series, films, documentaries, reality shows, anime, daily soaps, live sports (Bundesliga from 2025/26, UEFA Europa League, NFL, Oktagon MMA, Formula 1), podcasts, audiobooks, and free internet radio. Content is available via web browser, mobile apps (iOS, Android, Huawei, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV), and Smart TVs. RTL+ also embeds a curated selection of podcast content on third-party websites via an embedding feature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Basic: Entry-level subscription tier with access to TV station mediatheks, radio content, podcasts, films, series, documentaries, and shows.
• Premium
• Premium Werbefrei
• Musik
• Live-Only
• RTL+ Insider

Products and services

• RTL+ Basic Entry-level streaming subscription offering on-demand access to RTL+ mediatheks of free-to-air TV channels (RTL, NITRO, VOX, VOXup, RTLZWEI, RTLup, RTL Crime, RTL Passion, RTL Living, GEO Television, NOW!, TOGGO plus), RTL Radio, exclusive RTL+ podcasts, and a selection of films, series, documentaries, and shows in Full HD. Includes access to paid Toggo kids content and ad-free use of the TOGGO app. Ad-supported and available only to residents of Germany.
• RTL+ Premium Mid-tier streaming subscription building on Basic, adding live TV streams of all included free-to-air channels, offline download capability for selected content, original-language versions of selected formats, and simultaneous streaming on up to two devices within the same household. May contain advertising.
• RTL+ Premium Werbefrei Ad-free version of RTL+ Premium; on-demand content is delivered without interruptions during streaming, although advertising may still appear in TV live streams, embedded marketing formats such as product placements, and some podcasts. Monthly subscription model.
• RTL+ Musik Top-tier subscription bundling RTL+ Premium Werbefrei video content with Deezer music streaming and one audiobook credit per full monthly billing period from Penguin Random House. Credits are not transferrable and cannot be carried over to subsequent periods. Deezer music streaming does not support simultaneous multi-device use.
• RTL+ Live-Only Standalone live TV streaming subscription providing access to live streams of all RTL+ free-to-air TV channels (RTL, NITRO, VOX, VOXup, RTLZWEI, RTLup, RTL Crime, RTL Passion, RTL Living, GEO Television, NOW!, TOGGO plus, ntv, SUPER RTL) without on-demand content. May contain advertising and is subject to geographic restrictions.
• RTL+ & HBO Max Bundle Joint subscription bundle combining RTL+ Premium with HBO Max, offering access to RTL+ streaming content plus HBO Max exclusive series, films, and blockbusters such as 'House of the Dragon', 'The Pitt', and 'Heated Rivalry'. Available in two tiers: RTL+ Premium & HBO Max Basis with ads (€11.99/month) and RTL+ Premium Ad-Free & HBO Max Standard (€17.99/month).
• RTL+ Audio Audio content category on RTL+ spanning exclusive RTL+ podcasts, audiobooks (Hörbücher), and free internet radio, accessible via RTL+ app or web browser. Audiobooks include selections from Penguin Random House (one credit per month in the Musik package). Podcast embedding on third-party websites is permitted under separate embedding terms and conditions.
• RTL+ Sport Sports content category on RTL+ covering live streams and on-demand coverage including German national football team matches, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga (from 2025/26 season), NFL games, Oktagon MMA, and Formula 1/motorsport events.
• RTL+ Kids (TOGGO) Kids content section on RTL+ offering family-friendly programming, children's films and series, accessible through RTL+ Basic (which includes Toggo service access) or the separate TOGGO app (ad-free within RTL+ Basic).

Quantifiable outcome

• 617 Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga football matches available per season from 2025/26

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• DeezercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeezer music streaming service is integrated into the RTL+ Musik subscription tier (€14.99/month), providing access to Deezer music content as part of the music streaming bundle. This partnership extends RTL+'s audio offering beyond video content into music streaming.
• HBO MaxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTL+ offers a co-branded bundle with HBO Max providing access to HBO Max content including House of the Dragon, The Pitt, and Heated Rivalry alongside RTL+ content. Two bundle tiers are available: RTL+ Premium & HBO Max Basis (€11.99/month) and RTL+ Premium Ad-Free & HBO Max Standard (€17.99/month).
• UEFAcoreTechnology or IntegrationRTL+ holds streaming rights for UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League football matches, providing live and on-demand access to these competitions as part of its sports content offering.
• Deutsche Fußball Bund (German Football Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationRTL+ streams matches of the German national football team as part of its sports content portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Joyn: Joyn is the ProSiebenSat.1-led German streaming service offering live TV, on-demand video, and integrated content from Sat.1, ProSieben, kabel eins, and other German channels. It is RTL+'s closest direct competitor in the German DTC streaming and live-TV market, with similar tiered AVOD/SVOD model and comparable local content emphasis.
• DAZN: DAZN is the leading sports-focused OTT service in Germany carrying Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, and other major football rights. It is a direct competitor to RTL+'s sports proposition and an important comparable for live-sports streaming economics in Germany.
• WOW (Sky Deutschland): WOW is Sky Deutschland's streaming-only product offering live TV, premium series, and films to German consumers without a satellite commitment. It competes with RTL+ Premium and Premium Ad-Free on live-TV and premium entertainment content in Germany.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix: Netflix is the global DTC streaming incumbent operating a major presence in Germany. It competes with RTL+ for German subscriber wallets, particularly in international premium series and films, and serves as a benchmark for pricing and ad-tier strategy in the German market.
• Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video is bundled with Amazon Prime in Germany and offers a broad slate of international originals, films, and live sports rights. It overlaps directly with RTL+'s premium video and live-event proposition and competes for the same subscription share-of-wallet.
• Disney+: Disney+ operates in Germany with branded family, franchise, and international content. It competes with RTL+ on premium SVOD tier positioning and family content, including overlapping with RTL+'s TOGGO/Kids offering.
• Paramount+: Paramount+ operates in Germany with international series, films, and live sports. It competes with RTL+ for premium SVOD subscribers and represents an additional global incumbent benchmark in the German market.

Regional players

• ARD Mediathek: ARD Mediathek is the free, publicly funded catch-up and live streaming service of Germany's main public broadcaster. It competes with RTL+ Basic in free-to-air catch-up video for German viewers and anchors a non-subscription baseline for the local streaming market.
• ZDF Mediathek: ZDF Mediathek is the free streaming platform of German public broadcaster ZDF, offering catch-up TV, films, and live channels. It competes with RTL+ for German consumers seeking free local content and is a structural floor on pricing in the market.

Others

• HBO Max: HBO Max is both a content partner (via RTL+ bundling) and a competitor in Germany's premium SVOD market. Its inclusion is relevant because RTL+ offers co-branded bundles with HBO Max at two price tiers, and HBO Max also competes independently for German subscribers seeking international premium content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RTLplus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/RTLPlus
• Facebookfacebook.com/RTLplus
• Instagraminstagram.com/rtlplus/?hl=de
• TikToktiktok.com/@rtlplus

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 tvnow