Observed Signal · Sep 2, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
RTL tops key demographics with DFB-Pokal broadcast
RTL's DFB-Pokal broadcast of Borussia Dortmund versus HEBC Hamburg attracted 3.03 million viewers during the first half, a 14.5 percent market share. The second half drew 2.46 million viewers (13.9 percent). RTL was the strongest channel of the evening among viewers aged 14-49 and 14-59, reaching market shares of 21.8 and 18.5 percent respectively in the first half. On ProSieben, 'TV Total' remained stable with 830,000 viewers and a 10.6 percent share among 14-49. Vox performed weakly with two repeats of 'Hot oder Schrott' at 4.1 and 4.2 percent. Data source: AGF Videoforschung.
Routine linear TV ratings report for a single DFB-Pokal match; no structural impact on the advertising technology or media industry.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- RTL's first DFB-Pokal primetime match, Borussia Dortmund vs. HEBC Hamburg, reached 3.03 million viewers in the first half.
- The first half achieved a 14.5 percent market share, the second half 13.9 percent with 2.46 million viewers.
- RTL was the most successful broadcaster of the evening among viewers aged 14-49 and 14-59.
- ProSieben's 'TV Total' drew 830,000 viewers and a 10.6 percent market share among 14-49.
- Vox's two repeat episodes of 'Hot oder Schrott' only reached 4.1 and 4.2 percent market share.
Connected Companies & Entities
7 Entities mapped“Bei ProSieben hielt sich 'TV Total' stabil....”
“Ziemlich bescheiden verlief der Abend für Vox....”
“musste sich RTL damit aus Sicht der Gesamtreichweiten nur den ARD-Serien und dem 'heute journal' im ZDF geschlagen geben....”
“Quelle für alle Daten in diesem Artikel, sofern nicht anders vermerkt: AGF SCOPE 1.15...”
“musste sich RTL damit aus Sicht der Gesamtreichweiten nur den ARD-Serien und dem 'heute journal' im ZDF geschlagen geben....”
“Der DFB-Pokal hat RTL erneut hohe Quoten beschert....”
“Der DFB-Pokal hat RTL erneut hohe Quoten beschert....”
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ARD and RTL Score with DFB-Pokal Among Younger Viewers
Broadcasters ARD (Das Erste) and RTL drew strong young-audience TV ratings for DFB-Pokal matches on August 24, 2026, according to AGF data. RTL's early evening broadcast recorded market shares of 14.7% and 15.9% in the classic target group across the two halves, with reach rising from 940,000 to 1.41 million viewers between halves. Das Erste's primetime match (Hallescher FC vs. FC Schalke 04) averaged 2.65 million viewers (14.9% market share) and 16.4% in the 14–49 demo. ZDF led overall primetime with a Sarah Kohr repeat that reached 4.32 million viewers (20.6%). Data source: AGF SCOPE 1.15 (preliminary weighted TV data).
2nd Bundesliga Season Boosts RTL Ratings
The 2. Bundesliga season opener delivered strong linear-TV ratings for RTL: the Wolfsburg vs. Kaiserslautern broadcast averaged about 1.4 million viewers in the first half and roughly 1.53 million in the second, yielding an 8.9% overall market share and 15.0% among 14–49-year-olds. Sat.1 had posted strong numbers on Friday with the Bochum vs. Hertha match. Sky simulcast the RTL feed and added roughly 200,000 viewers (1.2% overall share, 2.0% among 14–49 and 14–59). Other highlights: VOX’s film “Jurassic Park” reached 0.69 million viewers and 9.3% in 14–49, Sat.1’s “Hotel Transsilvanien 4” had modest reach with higher market shares, and ProSieben and RTLzwei posted lower audiences. Data source for the figures is AGF SCOPE 1.15.
RTL Football Dominates; ZDFneo Performs Well
DWDL.de reported on TV audience figures for broadcasts on 6 June 2026. RTL's live coverage of the Germany friendly drew the largest audience (nearly nine million viewers) and secured an exceptionally high share among 14–49-year-olds, leaving competing prime-time programmes with substantially smaller audiences. The public broadcasters ZDF and Das Erste posted solid results with a ZDF repeat of "Ein starkes Team" (3.03 million; 14.5%) and Das Erste's repeat of "Im Netz der Gier" (1.92 million; 9.2%). Commercial channels performed variably: Sat.1 had the best 14–49 performance among non-football programmes, ProSieben underperformed in the young demo, and ZDFneo had a strong day in the 14–49 demo (4.0%), boosted by multiple "Star Trek" films (between ~480k–510k viewers and rising 14–49 shares). Data source: AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung.
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