Observed Signal · May 2, 2026 · Audience Measurement · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
RTL Leads May 1 Ratings Despite Let's Dance Low
RTL secured clear daily market leadership on May 1, 2026, in key German TV demographics despite a season-low performance for its dance show "Let's Dance." RTL achieved a 12.5% day market share in the 14–49 age group and 10.4% in 14–59, outperforming ProSieben and ZDF. "Let's Dance" remained the primetime leader but fell to 2.41 million viewers (down 450,000 vs. the previous week) and posted lower market shares than its recent average. RTL’s daytime film block and Frauke Ludowig’s evening programming delivered strong audience figures, with several Asterix films and "Jungle Cruise" scoring high shares among 14–49 viewers. Data cited are preliminary, AGF SCOPE (AGF Videoforschung).
Routine daily TV ratings and viewership figures; relevant for broadcasters and media buyers but not industry‑shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- RTL achieved a day market share of 12.5% in the 14–49 age group on May 1, 2026.
- RTL recorded a 10.4% market share in the 14–59 age group and stood 2.7 percentage points ahead of second-placed ZDF in that group.
- "Let's Dance" drew 2.41 million viewers on the holiday — down 450,000 from the previous week — and posted 13.9% (all viewers), 14.2% (14–49) and 12.7% (14–59) market shares.
- Morning and daytime films on RTL (Asterix titles) reached up to 20.6% market share among 14–49 viewers; "Jungle Cruise" achieved 14.9% in the 14–49 group.
- All audience figures in the article are preliminary and sourced to AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
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Let's Dance Ratings Rise; Leisure Parks Boost Kabel Eins
DWDL reports that RTL’s dance show "Let's Dance" regained viewers on May 9, 2026, drawing 2.69 million viewers (up 280,000 from the previous week) and achieving a 14.9% overall market share. In key demos the show led with 17.2% (age 14–49) and 15.2% (age 14–59); the follow-up "Exclusiv Spezial" posted double-digit demo shares. Competing commercial channels underperformed: Sat.1’s repeat reached 670,000 viewers and about 4.8% in younger demos, while ProSieben’s film held ~650,000 viewers and 3.7% (14–49). Kabel Eins switched programming to "Spiegel TV-Reportagen" and saw its demo share rise during the evening—peaking at 5.6% late with a Europa-Park feature. Other noted results: VOX’s "Goodbye Deutschland" (~600,000 viewers; ~5.2% in 14–49) and film/rerun performances across RTLzwei and late-night slots. Data source: AGF (AGF SCOPE).
Let's Dance Stable; heute-show Wins Key Demo
DWDL reports weekly German TV ratings: RTL's entertainment show "Let's Dance" remained stable on Friday with an average reach of 2.86 million viewers (14.9% market share), and it led private channels in the 14–49 demographic with 590,000 viewers (17.0%). However, ZDF's late‑night news satire "heute‑show" reclaimed the top spot in the 14–49 target group with 790,000 viewers (22.2%) and reached 3.22 million viewers overall (18.2%). At 20:15 ZDF's crime drama "Der Alte" drew 4.43 million viewers (20.3%). The article cites AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung as the data source and was published by Alexander Krei on 2026-04-25. The piece also lists top channels and top programs for the TV day (data marked as preliminary, weighted).
Let's Dance Ratings Strong, Football Still Dominates
DWDL reports TV audience figures for June 5, 2026: RTL’s “Let’s Dance – Profi-Challenge” achieved an average reach of 2.12 million viewers and strong share in younger demos (14.9% of 14–49; 13.1% of 14–59). However, the Germany women's World Cup qualifying match vs. Norway on Das Erste drew higher numbers for broadcasters, with 3.88 million viewers overall and a 20.0% market share (20.4% in the 14–49 group, based on 590,000 viewers in that demo). ZDF’s crime series “Der Alte” led slightly with 3.94 million viewers (20.5%). AGF Videoforschung / AGF SCOPE data are cited as the source. Smaller broadcasters and repeats posted lower market shares (e.g., Sat.1 4.3% in 14–49; RTLzwei 4.5%; ProSieben 5.4%; Vox 5.1%; Kabel Eins 2.8%).
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