Observed Signal · Aug 22, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
TV (linear) Market: Old ARD Crime Drama Beats DFB-Pokal Ratings
Germany's primetime ratings featured two contrasting evenings. On Friday, 21 August 2026, Das Erste's repeat of 'Der Zürich-Krimi' won with 3.96 million viewers and a 20.9% share, beating ZDF's DFB-Pokal broadcast (2.64 million, 14.5%). The Tagesschau was the night's top program at 4.77 million (26.4%), and Das Erste led the daily market share with 12.8%. On a Tuesday, ZDF's 'Friesland' rerun edged out Das Erste's DFB-Pokal match (Osnabrück vs. Bayern) with 4.66 million (22.2%) to 4.40 million (22.0%), but the football dominated 14- to 49-year-olds with a 27.2% share versus 4.3% for 'Friesland'. ARD's 'Die Derbys' drew just 810,000 viewers, and ZDF's 'Die Lebensretter von Murnau' set a series low of 1.52 million. All data from AGF Videoforschung.
Routine linear-TV audience measurement for German channels; limited wider AdTech/MarTech impact.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Das Erste's 'Der Zürich-Krimi' repeat won Friday primetime on 21 August 2026 with 3.96M viewers (20.9%), ahead of ZDF's DFB-Pokal match (2.64M, 14.5%).
- On Tuesday, ZDF's 'Friesland' rerun was the most-watched show with 4.66M viewers (22.2%), narrowly ahead of Das Erste's DFB-Pokal match (Osnabrück vs. Bayern, 4.40M, 22.0%).
- The Tuesday DFB-Pokal game dominated younger viewers with a 27.2% share among 14-49, versus 4.3% for 'Friesland'.
- Friday's Tagesschau led all programs with 4.77M viewers (26.4%) and Das Erste had the highest daily market share (12.8%).
- All audience figures are attributed to AGF Videoforschung (AGF SCOPE 1.15; preliminary weighted data).
Connected Companies & Entities
9 Entities mappedDas Erste
Germany’s national public-service television channel within ARD.
“An older Zürich-Krimi on Das Erste drew 3.96 million viewers and secured the primetime victory on Friday evening....”
DWDL.de
German media trade publisher for TV, streaming and industry jobs.
“The article is published on DWDL.de and the page footer notes '© DWDL.de GmbH 2001-2026'....”
AGF Videoforschung
German video audience measurement and planning data provider.
“The article cites AGF Videoforschung (AGF SCOPE 1.15) as the source for all audience and market-share data....”
RTL Group
European broadcaster, streamer, ad seller and content producer.
“Among younger viewers (14–49) RTL performed best against the football; its rankings show reached 230,000 viewers in the 14–49 group (9.0% ma...”
ARD Mediathek
ARD’s public-service platform for on-demand video and live streaming.
ProSieben
German broadcast channel brand with digital video distribution.
“ProSieben reached 410,000 viewers in primetime with 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' and 3.7% in the 14–49 demographic....”
VOX
German TV publisher brand within RTL’s broadcast and digital ecosystem.
“VOX achieved 410,000 viewers with a repeat of 'First Dates Hotel', registering 5.1% among 14–49 viewers....”
SAT.1
German broadcaster behind SAT.1 and its Joyn distribution.
“Sat.1 aired the years-old stage program 'Lassmalache' by Bülent Ceylan and reached 790,000 viewers overall (6.6% among young viewers)....”
ZDF
German public-service broadcaster with free TV, streaming and news platforms.
“ZDF broadcast the DFB-Pokal match (Rostock–Stuttgart), reaching 2.64 million viewers and 14.5% market share....”
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