Fremantle Q1 Revenue Steady as Clement Schwebig Takes on CEO Role at RTL
Fremantle reported steady first-quarter revenues of €372 million ($436 million) as its parent company, RTL, welcomed new CEO Clément Schwebig. The revenue figure closely aligns with the €373 million posted in Q1 2025. RTL noted that if not for adverse foreign exchange rates, Fremantle’s revenues would have increased by 4.2%, largely due to a resurgence in the U.S. market, where the production company had previously encountered challenges.
In recent months, Fremantle has made significant strides, including the establishment of a global production hub for the ABC game show Holey Moley in Portugal. The company also launched Hitster, a music-based game show, across territories including Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada. This expansion followed a deal to stream American Idol live on Disney+, creating an opportunity alongside ABC’s network broadcast.
Schwebig’s appointment as CEO, which replaced long-serving Thomas Rabe, signals a new chapter for RTL as he embarks on his role. Rabe stepped down from his positions at both RTL and its parent company, Bertelsmann, after being announced as Schwebig’s predecessor late last year.
As Schwebig begins his tenure, RTL announced stable group revenues of €1.3 billion, slightly unchanged from the previous year. Notably, digital advertising revenue saw a 14.6% increase to €118 million, offsetting a 45% decline in television ad revenues. Overall, revenues dipped by 3.2%.
Streaming revenue emerged as a bright spot, rising 27% to €141 million, attributed to an increase in paying subscribers, higher subscription costs in Germany, and robust ad revenue growth on platforms such as RTL+ and M6+ in France.
While RTL did not disclose EBITA figures, the company indicated that its streaming division is expected to become profitable this year, with full-year adjusted profit projections for 2026 anticipated to reach around €725 million, up from €661 million in 2025.
This announcement coincides with RTL’s preparations to finalize its €150 million acquisition of Sky Deutschland on June 1, a move that merges two of Germany’s largest television entities.
"The first three months of 2026 marked the first profitable quarter of our streaming business," Schwebig stated. "With all streaming performance indicators growing—from revenue to paying subscribers and viewing time—we are confident that our streaming services will generate an operating profit of €25 million to €50 million for the full year."
He emphasized the company’s ongoing expansion of its streaming footprint through partnerships with HBO Max in Germany and Amazon Prime Video in France. "As I assume the role of RTL Group’s CEO, I look forward to working with our excellent management teams and colleagues across the Group to further accelerate our transformation," Schwebig remarked.
