YouTube says it will not make shows as it leans on broadcasters like RTL

YouTube does not want to make your favourite shows. It wants to carry them.

That was the message from Pedro Pina, Vice President of YouTube in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, on Monday 12 October 2026. He was speaking alongside RTL Deutschland chief executive Stephan Schmitter at MIPCOM Cannes, the international television market, Deadline reported.

The session was billed as “Redefining Broadcast: The RTL + YouTube Partnership.” It took place at 12.00 in the Grand Auditorium, with Pina and Schmitter listed as the participants, according to MIPCOM.

Pina said YouTube is “not invested in producing content.” He positioned the platform instead as a distributor and revenue sharer. In other words, YouTube puts shows in front of viewers and splits the advertising money, rather than commissioning programmes itself and competing for production work.

YouTube and RTL have worked together for more than a decade. RTL runs full-episode and news channels on YouTube, and has signed up for a YouTube tool that helps traditional broadcasters display full episodes and seasons more clearly on the platform.

Pina pointed to Cobra 11, RTL’s long-running action series about autobahn police, as an example of what can work. He said the show had found fresh success on YouTube, driven by fandom.

He also set out how the money flows. YouTube shares revenue from content that stays on the platform, calculated video by video and minute by minute. The detail matters for broadcasters. They keep control of their programmes and get paid for the viewing they generate on YouTube.

Pina added that a bigger presence for traditional broadcasters on YouTube is good for democracy, because it means more voices are heard.

What makes this stand out for viewers is simple. Expect more complete shows from familiar channels turning up on YouTube, rather than YouTube-made series. For broadcasters, the pitch is reach without handing over the programme.