Observed Signal · Nov 2, 2026 · Data Release · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
ARD Series 'Das Vergessen' Gains via Time-Shifted Viewing
The German public broadcaster ARD's six-part series 'Das Vergessen - Spurlos im Moor' saw significant audience increases after final weighted ratings data was released, with gains of up to 560,000 viewers for a single episode. Time-shifted viewing within three days of the initial broadcast contributed to the boost. The series occupied six of the top ten positions for the highest audience gains in the week of October 19-25. On Sat.1, the season premiere of 'The Taste' improved its market share among viewers aged 14-49 to 9.4%, up from 7.9%, after final weighting. The data includes three-day time-shifted viewing and, since the transition to the 'Marktstandard Bewegtbild' in January 2024, also includes livestream usage from media libraries.
This article reports on final weighted ratings for German TV programs, providing insights into audience behavior and the impact of time-shifted viewing. While relevant for media analytics and TV advertising, it does not represent a major industry shift.
Track ORF Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your Polaris7 workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 'Das Vergessen - Spurlos im Moor' gained up to 560,000 viewers for one episode after final weighted ratings.
- The series occupied six of the top ten positions for highest audience gains in the week of October 19-25.
- Sat.1's 'The Taste' season premiere market share (14-49) rose from 7.9% to 9.4% after final weighting.
- Data includes three-day time-shifted viewing and, since January 2024, livestream usage from media libraries.
- The 'heute-show' also gained over one million viewers in average viewership after final weighting.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“ORF is credited for the production of the series 'Das Vergessen - Spurlos im Moor'.”
“AGF Videoforschung is the source of the viewing data for this article.”
“GfK provides audience data used for the final weighted ratings.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
German TV Ratings: Time-Shifted Viewing Boosts Tatort, Friesland
The German TV industry uses preliminary weighted ratings daily, which are later replaced by final weighted data after seven days. This final data includes time-shifted viewing up to three days after broadcast and incorporates a broader household sample, increasing accuracy. Since the switch to the 'Marktstandard Bewegtbild' on January 1, 2024, live streams from media libraries are also included, with the exception of time-shifted media library usage. This article analyzes the largest gains between preliminary and final weighted ratings for the week of October 12-18, 2026. The 'Tatort: Unter Feinden' two-part episode saw a significant increase of 530,000 viewers, reaching 7.78 million total, making part 2 more successful than part 1. The ZDF crime drama 'Friesland' also gained 530,000 viewers, totaling 6.25 million, the largest time-shift gain in the series' history. The 'heute-show' continued to lead with a 1.29 million increase, reaching 4.69 million viewers and a 36.3% market share among 14-49 year olds.
ZDF's 'München Mord' Leads German Time-Shifted TV Ratings Gains
The ZDF crime drama 'München Mord' recorded the highest increase in time-shifted TV viewership in Germany for the week of August 17–23, 2026, gaining 430,000 additional viewers to reach a total of 4.46 million. Other programs, including ZDF's 'heute-show Spezial' and ARD's 'Inas Nacht,' also saw substantial ratings increases after final consolidated audience measurement. These final weighted ratings, published eight days after broadcast by AGF Videoforschung, incorporate both digital recording playbacks and digital live streams, highlighting the growing significance of delayed viewing and streaming integration in modern audience measurement metrics.
Time-Shifted Viewing Boosts Ratings for Babylon Berlin and Extra 3
German broadcaster ARD's final season of 'Babylon Berlin' saw significant gains in final weighted ratings after accounting for time-shifted viewing, with the first episode rising by 360,000 viewers to 2.84 million and market shares between 12.7% and 14.0%. The 'Extra 3' anniversary show gained 380,000 viewers, lifting its young adult market share by nearly five points to 13.5%. ProSieben's 'The Masked Singer' increased its total reach by 20% to 1.29 million. The data, provided by AGF and analyzed by DWDL, reflects the aggregation of three-day delayed viewing and broader household data, but excludes streaming via Mediathek, which is expected to further boost these shows. The 'heute-show' led the week with a delayed-viewing increase of 880,000 viewers, reaching 4.33 million total.
Receive all future signals for ORF & competitors in your briefing
Never miss material M&A deals, leadership changes, account wins, or product rollouts. Polaris7 monitors 20,000+ primary sources 24/7, delivering verified telemetry directly into your executive briefing.