- TVNOW Premium will become an integral part of the new MagentaTV smart plans
- Two offers, one experience: around 60,000 hours of TV content of all genres available with immediate effect
- The companies are systematically expanding their partnership in the areas of technology, marketing, and content
Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and Telekom Deutschland are taking their partnership to the next level and have agreed on a new initiative for innovations in the German TV market, the aim of which is to open up the streaming and personalized advertising growth markets together.
As part of the first step, Deutsche Telekom will integrate TVNOW Premium, the booming streaming service from Mediengruppe RTL, to its MagentaTV product. The offering will become an integral part of the new MagentaTV Smart and MagentaTV Smart Flex plans. Both plans are now available to customers free of charge for TVNOW Premium.
Two offers, one experience: the attractive content offered by both partners – from award-winning series, entertainment highlights, high-quality documentaries, and journalistic reports to live sport events – are now available to MagentaTV customers without the need to download an extra app at all times. Together, the MagentaTV and TVNOW Premium media libraries boast around 60,000 hours of content from all genres ranging from entertainment to information.
Technological, marketing, and content partners
Both companies have also reached an agreement to systematically expand their collaboration in the areas of technology, marketing, and content. Here, special focus will be given to the future market of addressable TV. Deutsche Telekom and RTL want to develop common solutions to provide target group-specific advertisements via MagentaTV. The results will also be available to further partners from the media and TV segment. The target is to play an active role in shaping the growth market of ATV in Germany and benefit from the enormous growth opportunities offered by the marketing of customizable forms of advertising.
A first test is planned next year: Mediengruppe RTL offers extensive expertise in the field of advertising technology via its own Smartclip platform with the objective of linking high-reach linear TV with the targeted controllability of advertising. In addition to its innovative MagentaTV platform, Deutsche Telekom will also make expertise in the field of data intelligence and data security available through its subsidiary, emetriq.
“We want to further accelerate the growth of our streaming package. With the strength of our linear channels, huge investments in content, technology, and strong partners,” explains Bernd Reichart, CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. “Our content expertise and sales power combined with the technological skills of Deutsche Telekom with its strong infrastructure are a perfect match. Together, we also want to open up the future market of customizable advertising on the basis of an open technological ecosystem, irrespective of global technology platforms.”
“We have long considered ourselves to be an aggregator and utilize cooperations to further expand MagentaTV for our customers,” explains Michael Hagspihl, Head of Consumers at Telekom Deutschland. “With Mediengruppe RTL, we are working with a strong partner with whom we will intensify our collaboration in terms of content, technology, and marketing. Together, we want to significantly shape the TV segment and set new focuses in the German advertising market”.
To mark the partnership, Deutsche Telekom is launching a new portfolio of rate plans and is integrating TVNOW Premium, the streaming service of Mediengruppe RTL into its MagentaTV Smart and Smart Flex plans at no extra cost. Customers will therefore be able to watch extraordinary TVNOW originals and a total of 14 TV livestream channels, including highlights from RTL and VOX on-demand and often seven days before broadcast. As a result, Deutsche Telekom’s TV offering will become even more attractive and more suitable to the growing demands of consumers: in addition to TVNOW Premium, MagentaTV Smart also boasts the media library and 50 HD channels. Mobile viewing and comfort options such as the restart function for programs that have already started are included. Not only that, MagentaTV Smart Flex can be canceled on a monthly basis and no Deutsche Telekom line is required to sign up.
A first in Germany: In a unique 3-minute primetime TV special, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will announce the new offering simultaneously on its RTL, VOX, VOXup, ntv, NITRO, SUPER RTL, and RTLplus channels tonight at 8:12 p.m. A large-scale marketing campaign from Deutsche Telekom and Mediengruppe RTL will accompany the new offering. The campaign will launch at the start of December.
About TVNOW
The TVNOW streaming service with up to 5.95 million unique users (AGOF) each month now boasts 47,000 hours of content with TVNOW originals, RTL programs and exclusive licensed content and is being substantially expanded. Each year, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland invests around one billion euros to create and produce its own content. TVNOW offers a range of genres from high-quality fiction, entertainment, and news offerings to live sport, a comprehensive movie package, and a constantly growing family and kids section. Not only that, football fans can also look forward to the best games from the UEFA Europa League on TVNOW.
