Observed Signal · Oct 26, 2026 · Data Update · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
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.
This article provides detailed TV ratings data for specific German programs, which is relevant to the German TV advertising market but not a significant industry event. It lacks broad AdTech/MarTech implications.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The final weighted ratings for the week of October 12-18, 2026, show a 530,000 viewer increase for 'Tatort: Unter Feinden' to 7.78 million.
- The ZDF series 'Friesland - Der letzte Häuptling' gained 530,000 viewers, reaching 6.25 million, the largest time-shift gain in its history.
- The 'heute-show' gained 1.29 million viewers in final weighted ratings, totaling 4.69 million and a 36.3% market share among 14-49 year olds.
- Final weighted data includes time-shifted viewing up to three days after broadcast and live streams, but excludes time-shifted media library usage.
- The switch to the 'Marktstandard Bewegtbild' was made on January 1, 2024, incorporating live streams into the ratings.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“AGF Videoforschung is the source of the ratings data used in this article.”
“DWDL.de is the publisher of this article and performed the calculations based on AGF data.”
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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.
Repeat 'Tatort' Outperforms Football Viewers
DWDL reports that a repeat episode of the long‑running German crime series "Tatort" drew strong linear TV audiences on Sunday, positioning it as the largest non‑football follower during a ZDF national team match. The 20:15 repeat averaged 5.13 million viewers on Das Erste (ARD) for a 21.5% market share; the earlier Tagesschau reached 6.02 million (28.6%). Among 14–49 year‑olds, Tagesschau posted a 24.5% share and Tatort attracted 580,000 viewers (11.6%). The article cites AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung as the data source and summarizes market‑share performance across public and private broadcasters (ZDF, ARD/Das Erste, RTL, RTLzwei, ProSieben, Sat.1, VOX, Kabel Eins). TV reach figures refer to the broadcast day 2026‑05‑31; the article was published 2026‑06‑01.
Repeat Tatort Dominates Sunday Primetime Ratings
A repeat episode of Tatort ('Man stirbt nur zweimal') led Sunday primetime in Germany despite the long summer pause, drawing 6.36 million viewers on May 10, 2026. The broadcast delivered a 28.3% market share overall, 23.3% among 14–59-year-olds and 19.4% among 14–49-year-olds. ZDF's drama 'Neuer Wind im Alten Land' (season 2) finished with 3.52 million viewers and a 15.6% market share, marking lower linear reach compared with its first season. The report notes a broader trend of declining linear TV reach: the second season's episode audiences (3.44–3.93 million) trailed last year's (4.22–5.17 million). Daytime returns included ZDF-Fernsehgarten with 1.28 million viewers (17.7% market share). Data source cited is AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung; the article was published by DWDL.de on 2026-05-11.
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