The exit costs associated with the 67 members of staff who left RTÉ in 2025 under the voluntary exit programme were €8.5 million.
The annualised savings of the 67 staff who exited, along with the suppression of 30 other roles across the organisation in 2025, led to €8.4 million in savings, RTÉ has confirmed, reports RTE.
The broadcaster has published its 2025 annual report following Cabinet approval.
It states that RTÉ recorded a surplus of €22.5 million, an increase from the 2024 figure of €5.5 million, reports RTE.
The sales of TV licence fee units continues on a downward trend with 768,657 sold in 2025, down from 792,243 in 2024.
The decline of 3% was offset by an increase in income from the Department of Social Protection relating to “free TV licences,” reports RTE.
The 2025 report states that total revenue increased by €3 million between 2025 and 2024, rising to €383.4 million in 2025 versus €380.4 million in 2024.
Income from the TV licence fee in 2025 was €183.5 million, an increase of 5% compared to the 2024 figure of €174.3 million, reports RTE.
The broadcaster’s revenue is made up of commercial revenue and the three-year multi-annual public funding package of €725 million across the years 2025 to 2027, broken down as €225 million, €240 million and €260 million respectively, including income from the TV licence.
The broadcaster stated that commercial revenue in 2025 was €158.6 million, an increase on the 2024 figure of €158.1 million, reports RTE.
Advertising and sponsorship revenue across TV, radio and RTÉ Guide totalled €121.1 million, on par with 2024 at €121.3 million, again representing approximately 76% of total commercial income.
However, TV advertising and sponsorship income specifically was lower in 2025 at €81.3 million, compared to €84.9 million in 2024, while radio and digital advertising and sponsorship income increased from €36.1 million to €39.5 million, reports RTE.
Public funding comprises TV licence fee income collected by An Post and paid to RTÉ by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, along with additional Government approved public funding of €725 million for 2025 to 2027.
Combined licence fee income and Government funding received by RTÉ in 2025 was in line with the public funding agreement of €225 million, compared to €222.3 million in 2024, with additional Government funding recognised by the Department standing at €41.3 million, a decrease of €6.7 million on 2024, reports RTE.
As of 31 December 2025, RTÉ employed 1,801 full and part-time staff, a decrease on the 2024 figure of 1,826, with the full-time equivalent figure at 1,714 compared to 1,744 in 2024, and 58 employees who left under the VEP on 1 January 2026 included in these numbers.
One-off costs associated with special events in 2025 were €4.1 million, lower than €13.7 million in 2024 which included global events such as the Paris Olympics, reports RTE.
The details from the 2025 RTÉ annual report state that the top ten earners in RTÉ in 2025 included nine members of the management team with just one presenter listed, Claire Byrne, who left the organisation in 2025.
The RTÉ leadership team earnings for the year ended 31 December 2025 were: Director General Kevin Bakhurst €339,538 (salary €250,000); Deputy Director General Adrian Lynch €293,627 (salary €222,838); Director of Operations, Technology and Transformation Richard Waghorn €291,160 (salary €235,264); Managing Director of News and Current Affairs Deirdre McCarthy €285,063 (salary €225,067); Director of Finance Mari Hurley €276,344 (salary €240,910); Director of Video Steve Carson €276,282 (salary €240,910); Director of Human Resources Eimear Cusack €274,721 (salary €216,300); Director of Commercial Gavin Deans €269,055 (salary €240,910); Director of Audio Patricia Monahan €269,055 (salary €240,910); Director of Legal Daniel Coady €214,319 (salary €191,900), reports RTE.
Mr Bakhurst has made it policy at the broadcaster that nobody will be paid a salary higher than him, with the Director General’s earnings made up of a salary of €250,000, pension contribution of €62,500, allowances of €25,000 and other payments of €2,038.
Total operating costs decreased in 2025, though it should be noted that 2024 included €13.7 million of one-off costs associated with special events compared to €4.1 million in 2025, reports RTE.
The broadcaster said the stronger surplus at the end of 2025 will “contribute to the implementation of strategic initiatives announced by RTÉ as part of its New Direction Strategy,” including the first tranche of VEP exits in January 2026, investment in a new HR system and the delivery of a new news app and audio app in 2026.
The report notes that national moments brought the highest TV audiences in Ireland in 2025, with the Late Late Toy Show taking the top spot, while The Traitors Ireland entered the top ten, with sport making up the remaining eight of the top ten most-watched programmes, reports RTE.
On the digital front, RTÉ Player recorded a new all-time high of 155 million streams, representing year-on-year growth of 9%.
Mr Bakhurst said: “2025 was the first year of our New Direction five-year strategy and we made good progress in implementing it and in rigorously managing our finances, delivering another annual surplus. We reduced our staff numbers through our 2025 Voluntary Exit Programme and other departures as part of our plans to become smaller and more agile and to reduce our cost base over the five years of the strategy,” reports RTE.
Chair of the Board of RTÉ, Terence O’Rourke, said that the “processes and procedures provided the necessary structures for me, along with my Board colleagues, the Director General and the Leadership Team to continue to make good on our commitment to ensure that RTÉ is a well-run, well-governed, accountable organisation,” reports RTE.
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