RTL Zwei vs waipu.tv

ZDFneo Hits Ratings Highs with Hollywood Films

ZDFneo achieved strong television ratings on Saturday evening, driven by a lineup of Hollywood films including two 'Men in Black' movies and 'Hancock'. The channel reached a daily market share of 4.0 percent among viewers aged 14-49, outperforming Kabel Eins and RTLzwei. The movie 'Men in Black' at 20:15 drew 180,000 young viewers (4.9% market share), followed by 'Men in Black 3' with a 5.1% share. 'Hancock' later held 380,000 viewers, with 7.5% market share in the younger demographic. Earlier in the day, 'Terra X' documentaries and the science show 'Maithink X' also performed well. The 'Tatort' repeat on WDR also attracted 700,000 viewers. All data is based on AGF Videoforschung.

• ZDFneo achieved a daily market share of 4.0% among viewers aged 14-49 on Saturday.
• 'Men in Black' at 20:15 reached 180,000 young viewers (4.9% market share).
• 'Men in Black 3' followed with 5.1% market share among young viewers.

RTLzwei moves 'Love Island VIP' to late night slot

German broadcaster RTLzwei is moving the reality show 'Love Island VIP' from its 20:15 prime time slot to a late-night slot on Wednesdays at 22:15 starting October 22. The move follows disappointing linear ratings, with only 150,000 viewers tuning in this week and market shares of 1.9% and 2.6% among 14-49 year-olds. The show, produced by ITV Studios Germany, has been successful on the RTL+ streaming platform but underperformed on linear TV. RTLzwei is replacing it with the classic docu-soap 'Zuhause im Glück'. Other affected shows include 'Maison Tabou' (now after midnight) and 'Stranger Sins' (now at 1:30). This decision aligns with RTLzwei's strategy to plan streaming and linear programming independently, as articulated by managing director Thorsten Braun. The move reflects a broader trend of separating content performance across distribution channels.

• 'Love Island VIP' moves from 20:15 to 22:15 on Wednesdays starting October 22.
• Only 150,000 viewers watched the show this week in linear TV.
• Market shares among 14-49 year-olds were 1.9% and 2.6%.

RTL's 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' Hits High Young Audience Share

On Wednesday, RTL's special '3 Million Euro Week' of 'Wer wird Millionär?' featured exclusively pensioners as contestants, attracting 520,000 viewers aged 14-49 and achieving an 18.2% market share in that demographic, the highest since January. Total viewership reached 2.75 million, making RTL the most successful private broadcaster with a 16.6% share. In contrast, Vox's 'Stern TV Reportage' and RTLzwei's 'Love Island VIP' underperformed. The special week concludes with a final on Thursday.

• 520,000 viewers aged 14-49 watched 'Wer wird Millionär?' on October 7, 2026.
• RTL achieved an 18.2% market share among 14-49 year olds, the highest since January.
• Total audience for the show was 2.75 million viewers, with a 16.6% all-viewer market share.

Fernsehen 2030: Zuschauer wollen KI, aber die Kontrolle behalten

Aktuelle waipu.tv Umfrage zum Fernsehverhalten in 4 - 5 Jahren. Wie entwickeln sich die Einflüsse von KI auf das Entertainmentverhalten und was beschäftigt die Menschen in Deutschland schon heute.

44% of Germans Struggle to Find TV Content Despite Abundance

A representative survey commissioned by TV provider Waipu.TV, conducted in August 2026 among over a thousand Germans, reveals a widespread content discovery dilemma. 44% of respondents say they cannot always find suitable programming despite extensive offerings, and an equal share sometimes end up watching nothing after extended searching. Only 30% know immediately what to watch upon arriving home. The survey also highlights strong consumer demand for simpler content discovery: 45% want easier findability, and 35% desire all content on a single surface. A majority (59%) would welcome AI-powered content suggestions, yet only 4% would allow AI to autonomously select films or plan their TV evening. Markus Härtenstein, CEO of Exaring AG, Waipu.TV's operator, emphasizes the need for simple access to entertainment variety and for AI to aid discovery while keeping the final choice personal.

• 44% of German respondents find no suitable TV program despite large content choice.
• 44% of respondents sometimes stop watching altogether after a prolonged search.
• 45% of respondents desire easier content findability; 35% want all content on one interface.

Freenet acquires full control of waipu.tv

German mobile carrier Freenet AG is acquiring the remaining 25% stake in Exaring AG, operator of online TV platform waipu.tv, from minority shareholders for an initial €76 million, valuing the company at around €300 million. Additional performance-based earn-out payments of up to €50 million may follow based on future success. The acquisition, fully financed from liquid funds, abandons plans for a waipu.tv IPO. Freenet sees waipu.tv's IPTV offering as a strategic growth driver in the German market, including potential in programmatic advertising, and maintains its dividend outlook. Waipu.tv serves approximately two million customers and holds a 20-25% market share in German IPTV. CEO Robin Harries and CFO Ingo Arnold highlighted the strategic benefits.

• Freenet acquires remaining 25% of Exaring AG, owner of waipu.tv, for initial €76 million.
• Company valuation is about €300 million; earn-out payments up to €50 million are possible.
• Acquisition is fully financed from liquid funds.