JOYN is the streaming platform of ProSiebenSat.1 (MFE), and the most consistent representative of the free, ad-financed model among the German commercial broadcasters. In November 2025, JOYN reached 12.4 million monthly viewers.
- Two models, clear logic: free with advertising or JOYN Plus for 6.99 EUR/month with significantly reduced ad load, the simplest pricing structure in this article series.
- Largest free streaming inventory in Germany: 10.5 billion ad impressions in 2025, marketed via Seven.One Media. No other purely free streaming service offers more bookable inventory in Germany.
- Aggregator instead of broadcaster: JOYN bundles 70 live TV channels and 45,000 hours of VoD from its own portfolio and from third-party providers. No own sports rights package. That is the clearest content difference from RTL+.
What is JOYN, and where lies the difference from RTL+?
JOYN is the streaming platform of ProSiebenSat.1 (MFE), the second large German commercial broadcasting group alongside RTL Deutschland. Both platforms come from the same tradition of ad-financed German commercial television, but pursue different strategies: RTL+ relies on a broad tier model with paid premium packages and exclusive sports rights as an upgrade lever. JOYN relies on maximum reach through free access. Advertising is the business model.
Content: ProSiebenSat.1 universe plus aggregation
JOYN bundles the complete ProSiebenSat.1 portfolio: ProSieben, SAT.1, Kabel Eins, Sixx, SAT.1 Gold, ProSieben Maxx, as live TV and on demand. Added to this are JOYN Originals in the genres comedy, reality, adventure and food, as well as creator content. As an aggregator, JOYN also integrates content from third-party providers and thereby reaches a content breadth that goes well beyond its own production volume.
No own sports rights package. That is the most striking difference from RTL+. JOYN relies instead on entertainment breadth: from The Masked Singer and Germany's Got Talent to crime dramas, docu-soaps and international series.
Pricing model: as simple as possible
No tier cascade, no sports add-ons, no price increase announcements. The free model is functional enough that a large share of users never switches to JOYN Plus, which for advertisers is the actual offering: an ad-financed mass audience without a subscription barrier.
Advertising: inventory, formats, combination with linear
JOYN is marketed via Seven.One Media, the counterpart to RTL's Ad Alliance. Formats range from pre- and mid-rolls to sponsorships and branded entertainment to product placements and custom-produced client formats.
The targeting combines TV and digital data from the ProSiebenSat.1 portfolio: usage behavior, demographic attributes and contextual signals. Like RTL+, JOYN enables the combined booking of linear TV and streaming, ProSieben, SAT.1 and JOYN.
Conclusion: reach without a paywall
JOYN and RTL+ are direct competitors. They are two expressions of the same idea. RTL+ monetizes via subscription upgrades, sport and premium content. JOYN monetizes via free access and ad frequency. For advertisers who want to reach a German entertainment audience ad-financed and without a paywall, JOYN is the most direct route.