"You won't win the million here": End for Raab's hybrid show

Luca Fontana

14.5.2025

Translation: machine translated

Stefan Raab's return to television ends earlier than planned: RTL pulls the plug on "Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million". The experiment has failed - but Raab is not giving up. He is set to start again in the autumn.

The dream of the million-dollar show has been shattered: RTL is cancelling the TV comeback «Du gewinnst hier nicht die Million» conceived by Stefan Raab. The hybrid mixture of stand-up, quiz and game show will only run until mid-June. This was confirmed by RTL content boss Inga Leschek in an interview with DWDL.

What remains is a programme that promised a lot and briefly shone - but then faltered. But Raab is not to be brought to a definitive end after all.

A bold experiment - that was doomed to fail

Even at the premiere of the new show in autumn 2024, it was clear that his return would not be quite as easy as Raab himself claimed. The programme initially started exclusively on RTL+ behind a paywall, allegedly because there were no good slots available. «An experiment», as Raab's eternal show intern Elton called it.

This may have been brave on the one hand, but unfortunate on the other. After all, a format that relies so heavily on a live feel and audience loyalty comes across as lifeless when streamed. The German private broadcaster realised this pretty quickly: when streaming figures dropped, RTL finally brought the show to free TV after all.

It wasn't worth it. Despite Raab's enthusiasm and impressive initial ratings, it was always clear that the second part of the show - the «quiz competition» part - could not keep up with the entertaining first third. The tension fizzles out before it can ignite. No matter where the show is on.

I already wrote this in my show review for the launch of «DGHNDM».

Interim review with a belly landing - Raab to fix it again in autumn

«The current form does not sufficiently convince our audience on linear TV», says Head of Content Leschek frankly. Formats that mix different genres traditionally have a particularly difficult time. The viewing figures prove her right: most recently, only around 820,000 viewers tuned in - with meagre market shares in the target group. Too little for prime time on Wednesday evenings.

The programme will now be «eventised» until the summer break - with specials such as «Du gewinnst hier nicht das Konklave», an ESC edition live from Basel or a possible 1. FC Köln-Aufstiegs special. After that, there will be an end to the unwieldy title and the cerebral hybrid concept. RTL wants to return with Raab in autumn, but then clearly separated: comedy and game show are to become separate formats.

And now?

RTL has tried a lot, invested boldly - and learnt a lot in the process. The realisation: Stefan Raab is no longer a ratings guarantor. At least not in a show that wants more than it can do. But: Raab is here to stay. RTL still believes in him. And perhaps that is precisely what - the reduction to the essentials - is the best chance for a real comeback. Without a hybrid. Without a million.

Simply Raab.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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