Observed Signal · Sep 14, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Formula 1 Scores Strong Ratings, NFL Struggles on RTL
On Sunday, RTL's Formula 1 broadcast outperformed its NFL coverage, drawing 1.49 million viewers and a 16.7% audience share among 14-49 year-olds for the Spanish Grand Prix. Sky's F1 coverage also performed well, with 17.3% share. In contrast, the NFL season opener between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans attracted only 350,000 viewers for the first quarter, with a 5.7% share in the target demographic. Ratings improved slightly later in the game but remained below RTL's average. The NFL also aired a German-language conference on Nitro, drawing 190,000 viewers. Data sourced from AGF Videoforschung.
Provides insight into sports broadcasting ratings in Germany, relevant for TV advertising decisions.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- RTL's Formula 1 broadcast of the Spanish Grand Prix reached 1.49 million viewers and a 16.7% market share among 14-49 year-olds.
- Sky Sport F1 achieved a 17.3% market share in the same demographic, slightly higher than RTL.
- NFL season opener on RTL attracted only 350,000 viewers for the first quarter, with a 5.7% share among 14-49 year-olds.
- Later quarters saw improved NFL ratings, reaching 9.8% share among 14-49 year-olds after midnight.
- NFL German conference on Nitro drew 190,000 viewers, with a 2.6% market share among 14-49 year-olds.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Sky Sport F1 also broadcasted the Formula 1 race, achieving even higher ratings in the target demographic.”
“RTL broadcasted both Formula 1 and NFL games, with different ratings outcomes.”
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Tour de France outscores Formula 1 on RTL
DWDL reports TV audience figures for July 4, 2026: RTL's Free-TV broadcast of the Formula 1 qualifying averaged 0.55 million viewers (6.2% market share overall; 6.2% among 14–49; 5.3% among 14–59), while the Tour de France first stage — simulcast on Das Erste and Eurosport — drew larger audiences. Das Erste averaged 0.92 million viewers (8.7% overall; 11.4% among 14–49). Eurosport reached roughly 200,000 viewers (1.9% overall; 2.1% among 14–49). Sky's pay-TV F1 audience was about 0.26 million, with an 8.4% share in the 14–49 demo. The AGF Videoforschung (AGF SCOPE) provided the preliminary, weighted TV measurement data.
RTL Dominates Germany–USA Friendly; F1 Qualifying Modest
A DWDL.de ratings report for TV audiences on June 6, 2026 shows RTL was the clear ratings leader after broadcasting the Germany vs. USA international friendly. The football match drew 8.12 million viewers in the first half and 8.90 million in the second half, yielding very high market shares across all age groups. RTL's Monaco Formula 1 qualifying broadcast performed considerably weaker on RTL (690,000 viewers) but the F1 coverage was also simulcast on Nitro and Sky, bringing combined F1-Qualifying reach to just over one million viewers. Audience and market-share data are attributed to AGF Videoforschung (AGF SCOPE).
Free-TV Window Doesn't Hurt Bundesliga Ratings on Sky
Despite a Bundesliga match being broadcast simultaneously on free-TV channel RTL, Sky's pay-TV coverage of the Saturday afternoon single matches attracted over one million viewers, averaging 1.03 million fans. This was partly due to the match featuring FC Bayern. The concurrent RTL broadcast of Mainz 05 vs. Bayer Leverkusen reached up to 750,000 viewers in the second half, with a 14.9% market share among 14-49 year olds. The ARD 'Sportschau' also performed strongly with 3.22 million viewers. The data suggests that free-TV windows do not cannibalize pay-TV audiences for top-tier games. DAZN's conference coverage drew 90,000 viewers, while Nitro's 2. Bundesliga match attracted 800,000 viewers in the second half.
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