Who owns RTL?
RTL is owned by Bertelsmann (Germany).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA Annual Report 2025, 31 March 2026. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇩🇪 Germany, Gütersloh
- Origin
- 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
- Founded
- 1984
- Category
- Media & entertainment › Film & television › Television networks
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About RTL
RTL Group is the largest commercial broadcaster in Europe, running channels across Germany, France and the Netherlands. It descends from a Luxembourg radio station that broadcast across borders to reach audiences its neighbours' state monopolies could not serve. Bertelsmann holds the majority, and the group has been consolidating its national broadcasters as European advertising shifts towards streaming platforms.
Ownership timeline of RTL
- Current owner Bertelsmann [1] reported
Where RTL sits in Bertelsmann
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Bertelsmann ownership tree →
See the full Bertelsmann brand portfolio (4) →
Other brands owned by Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann controls 4 brands on Brandtree, 4 of them in media & entertainment.
Also in media & entertainment
- BMG (2008)
- Penguin Books (1935)
- Penguin Random House (2013)
Other brands in television networks, and who owns them
The 87 brands in television networks on Brandtree belong to 28 owners. The largest is Sun TV Network, with 7.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Gemini TV | Sun TV Network | 🇮🇳 India |
| Global Television | Corus | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| BET | Paramount Skydance | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Bounce (Scripps network) | Scripps | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Cartoon Network | Warner Bros. Discovery | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Canal+ | Canal+ | 🇫🇷 France |
| AMC | AMC Networks | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Astro | Astro | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
About the owner: Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a family-owned company headquartered in Gütersloh, Germany, founded in 1835. Brandtree records 4 brands under its control.
Bertelsmann began as a religious publisher in Westphalia in 1835 and is now among the largest media companies in Europe, controlled by a foundation and the founding Mohn family. It owns the largest English-language book publisher in the world and Europe's biggest commercial broadcaster.
🇱🇺 RTL and other Luxembourgish brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 14 brands that began in Luxembourg. 2 of them (14%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, RTL among them.
- Tigo Sports — Millicom 🇱🇺
- Battin — Brasserie Nationale 🇱🇺
- Cargolux — Cargolux 🇱🇺
- Luxair — Luxair 🇱🇺
- Luxaviation — Luxaviation 🇱🇺
- Rakuten Viber — Rakuten 🇯🇵
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of RTL?
The parent company of RTL is Bertelsmann, a family-owned company headquartered in Germany.
Is RTL Luxembourgish or German?
RTL originated in Luxembourg in 1984, but it is owned today by Bertelsmann, which is headquartered in Germany. So RTL is a Luxembourgish-origin brand under German ownership.
Is RTL still owned by Bertelsmann?
Yes. As of 16 September 2026, RTL is still owned by Bertelsmann. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA Annual Report 2025 — Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, Annual report, published 31 March 2026; retrieved 16 September 2026.
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