RTL is gearing up for some major changes as it prepares to kick off the TV year of 2025. Most significantly, the popular news program RTL Direkt will be removed from prime-time television during the upcoming Dschungelcamp, starting January 27, 2025. Viewer attention is expected to shift dramatically as the Dschungelcamp returns, primed for its 18th season.
The Dschungelcamp, set to premiere on January 24, 2025, is poised to replace RTL Direkt's usual slot. This has significant ramifications for RTL's evening programming schedule. The audience will see familiar entertainment highs, from the Dschungelcamp to major events like the Super Bowl and Let’s Dance coming to RTL shortly after.
RTL Direkt has been a staple of the channel’s nightly line-up, hosted by Pinar Atalay, who typically welcomes viewers every Monday through Thursday at 10:15 PM. With the Dschungelcamp demanding its prime-time space, RTL Direkt will not just take a backseat; it will effectively disappear from the television lineup during this period.
Specifically, RTL has announced RTL Direkt will not air on traditional television once the Dschungelcamp begins. Instead, it will only be available online from January 24 through February 9, 2025, on RTL.de and the streaming service RTL+. During the days leading up to the Dschungelcamp start, viewers will notice promotional spots featuring Atalay, announcing the change.
Despite the diminished presence of RTL Direkt, Atalay will not be off-duty. The news program is set to continue with daily online editions during the Dschungelcamp run, albeit with considerably truncated airtime. Following the main Dschungelcamp broadcast, RTL will provide only five minutes of news reporting—a mini-edition of RTL Direkt—daily, airing from 10:45 PM to 10:50 PM.
The final regular television airing of RTL Direkt before this hiatus will occur on January 22, 2025, ensuring viewers have the last glance of their usual news updates before the changes kick off.
Viewers eagerly anticipating the Dschungelcamp experience will need to adapt as well since RTL Direkt has been known for intervening with major updates from other popular shows, such as Wer wird Millionär? The shift marks not just the Dschungelcamp’s expected prominence but also the stronghold of reality television on RTL's programming strategy.
The Dschungelcamp finale will conclude on February 9, 2025. Following this, audiences will once again be treated to their regular edition of RTL Direkt on February 10, right after the gripping event of the Super Bowl, another highlight for RTL viewers.
All told, the decision marks a notable moment for RTL and its evening schedule, creatively restructuring the programming to cater to fan-favorite events. RTL and its executives anticipate the Dschungelcamp will deliver high ratings, as it has consistently done, leading them to prioritize it over traditional news broadcasting during this period.
For avid RTL viewers, this is more than just another January; it suggests changes are underway, reflecting the network’s strategy to captivate audiences with entertainment rather than tradtional news content during the Dschungelcamp's run.