Laura Wontorra Leaves DAZN for RTL and Sky in Early Broadcaster Switch

On Thursday, August 14, 2026, streaming service DAZN confirmed via Instagram that presenter Laura Wontorra is ending her contract early after five years with the platform. German media reported a broadcaster switch to RTL and Sky Deutschland under a new long-term deal, following RTL’s acquisition of Sky earlier this summer.

Editor’s note: This article draws on DAZN’s public farewell post and reporting from Bild, WELT, Digital Fernsehen, and GALA, August 14, 2026. Wontorra declined to comment when contacted by Bild.

What DAZN announced

DAZN’s social post framed the split as an amicable farewell after a half-decade working together. Wontorra had renewed her DAZN contract only last year, with that deal running through 2027 — making the summer 2026 exit a notable early departure.

German outlets described the separation as mutual and carried out “in gratitude on both sides,” according to WELT and Bild. DAZN did not publicly dispute the reported move to RTL-Sky in its farewell message.

RTL’s Sky takeover sets the stage

The switch lands in the middle of a major reshaping of German sports television.

Detail	Information
Deal	RTL Group acquired Sky Deutschland in summer 2026
Initial payment	€150 million in cash, per WELT
Potential total	Purchase price could rise to €527 million over coming years
RTL sports pledge	More Bundesliga on free TV than ever, plus expanded DFB-Pokal coverage through the 2027/28 cup final

RTL sports chief Stephan Schmitter has pitched the Sky deal as a win for fans: broader free-to-air football and a unified production strategy across RTL’s channels and Sky Sport.

For RTL, securing Wontorra is being treated as a flagship signing — Bild and WELT called her the broadcaster’s “crown transfer” for its joint sports future with Sky.

Wontorra’s path back to RTL and Sky

Wontorra, 37, is one of Germany’s most visible football presenters. Her career has repeatedly crossed the country’s biggest sports broadcasters:

• Sky: Began as a trainee through 2013
• RTL: Reporter from the 2017/18 season; later hosted Nitro’s Monday Bundesliga show
• DAZN: Five-year run that made her a face of the streamer’s football coverage
• Recent RTL return: National-team matches for RTL since 2025, described as a first step back to her earlier employer
• MagentaTV: World Cup duties before the DAZN exit

GALA noted that after 13 years away from Sky, she is returning to the pay-TV brand now under RTL ownership.

What she will do at RTL and Sky

RTL and Sky presented revised editorial plans for 2. Bundesliga coverage on Thursday, including Wontorra’s role in the Saturday 8:30 p.m. top match.

Under the new model:

• RTL holds first pick on the weekend feature game
• Sky Sport will carry the same feed as RTL or Nitro, ending separate parallel productions
• Wontorra will be among the lead hosts for those shared Saturday broadcasts
• Commentator Marco Hagemann — also closely associated with DAZN — is expected when RTL carries the match
• Other presenters, including Florian König, Anna Kraft, and Laura Papendick, may rotate in

When Nitro hosts the free-TV match, Sky faces including Yannick Erkenbrecher, Anna Kraft, and Jana Wosnitza are slated for moderation duties.

All other 2. Bundesliga fixtures from Friday through Sunday remain largely on Sky, with RTL showing conference coverage on selected matchdays.

Contract length and timing

Bild reported Wontorra’s new RTL-Sky contract runs at least three years. She is expected to make the move before the end of summer 2026, even though her DAZN agreement had been extended through 2027.

That timing aligns with RTL’s push to present a unified football product after absorbing Sky — and with Wontorra’s existing national-team work for RTL, which outlets framed as groundwork for a full return.

Why the move matters for German sports TV

Wontorra’s exit is more than a presenter swap. It signals how RTL plans to use merged assets after buying Sky:

1. Talent consolidation — bringing a DAZN-identified star in-house
2. Production efficiency — one broadcast team for RTL and Sky on the 2. Bundesliga showcase game
3. Free-TV visibility — pairing a familiar presenter with a game that now reaches both pay and free audiences

For DAZN, losing a signature host weeks after celebrating a decade in the market underscores how competitive German football rights and on-air talent have become — especially as RTL expands its football portfolio.

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Discussion

1. Does consolidating RTL and Sky make German football easier to follow — or harder?

One shared Saturday feed could simplify viewing, but pay-TV subscribers may see more free-TV production choices on Sky Sport. Would you rather keep separate Sky and RTL broadcasts, or is one unified show better?

2. When a presenter becomes the face of a platform, does an early exit change how you see the brand?

Wontorra renewed with DAZN through 2027 only last year. If you followed her there, does a quick switch to RTL-Sky affect your trust in either side?

Share whether presenter moves like this influence which service you watch — or if the matches matter more than who hosts them.