Observed Signal · Jul 23, 2026 · Programming Change · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
RTL pulls 'Diese Ochsenknechts' from schedule
RTL has removed repeats of the fifth season of the Sky series 'Diese Ochsenknechts' from its Sunday evening free-TV schedule with immediate effect after low audience figures. The show, which has run for five seasons on Sky, aired on RTL in early July at 19:10 but saw viewership fall from 570,000 for the first episode to 410,000 for the most recent broadcast; the 14–49 market share dropped from 5.2% to 3.0%. RTL will instead run repeats of 'Versicherungsdetektive' (2020) in the coming weeks. All five episodes of 'Diese Ochsenknechts' remain available on Sky, Wow and RTL+ for on-demand viewing.
Minor linear-TV scheduling change with limited short-term impact on advertising inventory and viewer distribution; not a major industry shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- RTL removed repeats of the fifth season of 'Diese Ochsenknechts' from its Sunday evening schedule with immediate effect.
- 'Diese Ochsenknechts' has been shown on Sky for five seasons and is one of Sky's important in-house productions.
- The series aired on RTL Sundays at 19:10 in early July; live viewers fell from 570,000 (first episode) to 410,000 (most recent), and the 14–49 market share dropped from 5.2% to 3.0%.
- RTL will replace the slot with repeats of 'Versicherungsdetektive' (episodes from 2020) in the coming weeks.
- All five episodes are available for on-demand viewing on Sky, Wow and RTL+.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“At Sky, 'Diese Ochsenknechts' have been shown for five seasons and are among the broadcaster's most important in-house productions....”
“© DWDL.de GmbH, 2001-2026...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
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RTL to Air 'Diese Ochsenknechts' on Sundays
Following RTL's takeover of Sky Deutschland, RTL will bring the Sky original reality series 'Diese Ochsenknechts' to free-to-air TV. DWDL reports the fifth season — which first aired on Sky in April and May — will receive its free-TV premiere on RTL from 5 July 2026, broadcast Sundays at 19:05. The show, produced by B28 Produktion, follows Natascha Ochsenknecht and family; Sky considers it one of its key in-house productions and has a spin-off titled 'Yeliz & Jimi'. RTL said the move aims to maximise exploitation of Sky's formats across the RTL Group's channels, and the takeover is expected to lead to more Sky content appearing on RTL platforms (RTL had already reintroduced Formula 1 after the acquisition).
RTL premieres Sky’s 'Diese Ochsenknechts' free-to-air
RTL has begun broadcasting the former Sky original reality series 'Diese Ochsenknechts' on free-to-air television (Sundays at 19:05) while the show remains available on RTL+. The article uses the show’s fifth season and the Ochsenknecht family drama as a lens to discuss wider German broadcaster dynamics: a growing RTL–Sky partnership (including a planned joint weekend on 29 August for the Bundesliga opener), Sky’s pullback from local fiction production, RTLzwei’s commissioning of multiple new reality formats, and consolidation within ProSiebenSat.1 after the entry of MFE. The piece frames these programming moves as part of multi-platform content strategies, inventory reshuffling among linear channels and streaming services (RTL, RTL+, Sky, VOX, RTLzwei, Joyn, ProSiebenSat.1, Sat.1, kabel eins) and their implications for reach and monetisation.
RTL's Ochsenknechts Flop; Galileo X-Plorer Posts Year High
DWDL reports on TV audience figures for July 5, 2026. RTL's free-TV premiere of Sky's reality series Diese Ochsenknechts (season 5) drew weak ratings with an average of 0.57 million viewers and low market shares across key demographics. By contrast, ProSieben's Galileo X-Plorer recorded a year-high 11.9% market share among 14–49-year-olds (total reach ~0.54 million). Sat.1’s repeat of Julia Leischik’s program reached 1.64 million viewers (10.0% market share overall) and performed well for a rerun. Vox’s two episodes of Ab ins Beet delivered solid mid-single-digit shares among younger viewers and a combined second-episode reach of 750,000. AGF SCOPE (AGF Videoforschung) is cited as the data source for the ratings.
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