Observed Signal · Aug 24, 2026 · Technical Release · Source: DWDL · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Amazon Tops ARD and ZDF in Streaming Hours
AGF Videoforschung published convergent measurement data and platform usage figures for July 2026, making cross-platform streaming volumes comparable. By hours streamed, Prime Video led with about 124.2 million hours in July, followed by the ARD Mediathek (≈104.3M) and the ZDF streaming portal (≈96.1M). Among commercial services, RTL+ (≈55.6M hours) outpaced Joyn (≈38.8M hours), though Joyn had a higher cumulative monthly reach. AGF also reported audience metrics for the 14–49 demographic, where Prime Video again led (≈81.0M hours). The dataset covers 01.07.2026–31.07.2026 and is published by AGF (package number: 18188, 21.08.2026). The figures highlight differences between total viewing time (engagement) and net reach (unique viewers).
Independent, convergent AGF measurement makes cross-platform streaming usage comparable and highlights differences between viewing duration (engagement) and net reach—useful for advertisers, media planners, and streaming competitors when allocating budget or evaluating audience engagement.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- AGF Videoforschung published convergent streaming metrics and platform usage volumes for July 2026 (period 01.07.2026–31.07.2026; package number 18188).
- Prime Video (Amazon) led July 2026 by usage volume with approximately 124,226,353 hours streamed.
- ARD Mediathek recorded about 104,324,128 streamed hours in July 2026; ZDF Streamingportal recorded about 96,093,007 hours.
- Among commercial services, RTL+ had ~55,589,909 streamed hours in July versus Joyn's ~38,846,904 hours; however Joyn had a higher cumulative monthly reach (10.6M vs RTL+ 9.4M).
- In the 14–49 age group, Amazon/Prime Video streamed ~81,034,199 hours in July 2026, more than double the second-placed RTL+ (~39.2M).
Connected Companies & Entities
11 Entities mapped“Around 124 million hours were streamed on Prime Video in July....”
“The ZDF streaming portal ranks third with around 96 million streamed hours....”
“AGF Videoforschung published convergent figures and the measured usage volumes for various streaming platforms....”
“The ARD Mediathek follows with about 104 million streamed hours in July....”
“There were 55.6 million hours in July on RTL+....”
“Joyn recorded 38.8 million streamed hours in July and a higher cumulative monthly reach (10.6M) than RTL+....”
“AGF measured Sky with about 4.48 million streamed hours in July (noting some Sky usage may be linear)....”
“Arte registered about 6.75 million streamed hours in July according to AGF....”
“DAZN recorded around 1.63 million streamed hours in July according to the AGF dataset....”
“© DWDL.de GmbH, 2001-2026 (publisher of the article)....”
“ntv.de is listed with about 1.98 million streamed hours in July in the AGF table....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
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AGF: ARD and ZDF Platforms Lead Reach over Prime Video
The AGF has, for the first time, published reach figures for the technical platforms it measures. Monthly reach data show the portals of public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have the largest cumulative reach, ahead of private streaming offerings such as Prime Video. However, a different service ranks highest by usage volume. AGF will now report average daily net reach and cumulative net reach of platforms monthly, increasing transparency for TV and streaming audience measurement.
Reality Shows Reach Streaming Records in Germany
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Amazon's 'Reacher' Tops German AGF Streaming Charts in August
The AGF streaming charts for August in Germany show Amazon Prime Video's 'Reacher' season 4 dominating, with the first three episodes reaching 2.534 to 2.888 million views. RTL+ premiered 'Das Sommerhaus der Stars' season 11 before linear TV, surpassing 2 million views. On Joyn, 'Villa der Versuchung' became the top program with up to 1.298 million views per episode. ZDF drew seven-figure audiences with solar eclipse coverage and the European Athletics Championships; ARD's 'Der Buchspazierer' hit exactly 1.000 million views. DAZN's Bundesliga Saturday conference reached 816,000 views. The AGF Census+ methodology measures single titles across participating platforms including RTL, ProSiebenSat.1, ARD, ZDF, RTL Zwei, Sky, DAZN, Axel Springer, Sport1, and Amazon Prime Video, excluding social media and linear TV livestreams.
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