Deutsche Telekom has yet to premiere a new US series on their Magenta TV service so far in 2020. Despite acquiring no new US content themselves, their customers can benefit from the recent agreement with RTL that will bundle their TV Now Premium service into one subscription package.
In each of the three previous calendar years Magenta TV has been the first window destination in Germany for a scattering of US titles from a mix of distributors, with new series such as The Handmaid’s Tale (MGM), The First (Endeavor Content) and Godfather of Harlem (Disney).

In recent years, RTL has been an active buyer of US shows for its services in Germany, but since 2019 the focus has shifted away from acquisitions for its Free (RTL 2, Nitro, Vox) and Pay TV (RTL Crime, Passion) channels, instead launching new international series exclusively on the TV Now Premium SVOD service. So far this year the service has premiered eight new US shows, with five distributed by ViacomCBS.

The two largest commercial broadcasters in Germany are both investing in their online services, with ProSieben also acquiring a number of US shows to premiere online through their Joyn Plus SVOD service.
By Integrating TV Now Premium to their ecosystem, Deutsche Telekom clearly have ambitions to become the hub for video viewing in Germany. Removing previous restrictions around internet service provider opens a much larger potential subscriber base. Providing accessibility to third-party services such as DAZN, Disney+ and Prime Video and offering pricing tiers with bundled offers for the likes of TV Now Premium and Netflix, shows the importance of integration for pay TV operators like Deutsche Telekom.
