Stephan Schmitter Named RTL Deutschland CEO

Jesse Whittock
·2 min read

Long-serving RTL exec Stephan Schmitter has landed the big seat in Germany. He has been named CEO of RTL Deutschland, effective January 1, 2024.

Schmitter is currently Chief Content Officer, a role he will retain in his new post, which hands him responsibility for the RTL+ streaming service and restructured publishing unit Gruner and Jahr.

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RTL CEO Thomas Rabe took on leadership of RTL Deutschland in August 2022, and has been searching for a new leader for the business since then as Chairman. Previous CEO Stephan Schäfer exited his post less than a year after taking the role.

Reports in Germany say Schmitter was the front runner from an early stage. Once he takes on the new role, RTL Deutschland’s Management Board will comprise Schmitter, Matthias Dang as Chief Commercial, Technology and Data Officer, Andreas Fischer as Chief Operating Officer and Ingrid Heisserer as Chief Financial Officer & Chief Human Resources Officer. Dang was previously a co-CEO with Schäfer.

“Rabe said Schmitter had “set the course for the future in a short amount of time,” adding RTL was the “only main channel in Germany to increase its audience share in the key target group” in the past year and that RTL+ now has around 4.7 million subscribers.

“My sincere thanks goes to the entire management team and all colleagues of RTL Deutschland for their great support and commitment. Over the past 15 months, we have established a new Management Board at RTL Deutschland and, in a difficult market environment, we have invested massively in the transformation of our business – in first-class content, streaming, [digital magazine brand] Stern+, Gruner + Jahr and advertising technology.”

Last week, RTL posted Q3 financial results showing group revenues at €1.6B ($1.7B), down about 10% as it wrestles with the poor TV ad market in the UK. Its main rival in Germany, ProSiebenSat.1, yesterday posted Q3 numbers that appear to show the ad market finally showing signs of improvement, though revenue was still down year-on-year.

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