Observed Signal · Aug 22, 2026 · Audience Ratings · Source: DWDL · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Sports Friday Lowers ZDF's Overall Reach
On 21 August 2026 ZDF's Friday sports programming produced mixed results: the broadcaster's live DFB-Pokal match Rostock vs. Stuttgart averaged 2.64 million viewers (14.5% share) but overall the channel's daily market share (12.1%) trailed Das Erste (12.8%). ZDF won key younger demos during the Primetime with 560,000 viewers (19.5%) among 14–49 year‑olds. Daytime sports broadcasts performed weaker: the Deutschland Tour drew 920,000 (11.4%) while the Union Berlin–Bayern Munich women’s match reached 1.60 million (10.7%). Sky carried DFB-Pokal coverage (conference 390,000; Mannheim–Kaiserslautern 510,000) and WDR’s Aachen equestrian world championship averaged 940,000 viewers (5.2% overall, 11.6% in the WDR region). Data source: AGF SCOPE (AGF Videoforschung).
Single‑day German linear TV audience figures — relevant for broadcast scheduling and media buyers but limited broader AdTech impact.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- ZDF's broadcast of DFB-Pokal Rostock vs. Stuttgart averaged 2.64 million viewers and a 14.5% market share (20:45).
- In the 14–49 demo ZDF won Primetime with 560,000 viewers and a 19.5% market share; 14–59 measured 16.2%.
- ZDF's total day market share on 21 August 2026 was 12.1%, behind Das Erste at 12.8%.
- Sky's DFB-Pokal conference from 18:00 reached 390,000 viewers; Mannheim vs. Kaiserslautern earned 510,000 viewers.
- WDR's live Reit‑WM from Aachen averaged 940,000 viewers with a 5.2% market share (11.6% in the WDR region).
Connected Companies & Entities
8 Entities mapped“ZDF broadcast the DFB‑Pokal match Rostock vs. Stuttgart, which averaged 2.64 million viewers and a 14.5% market share....”
“Das Erste achieved a higher daily market share (12.8%) than ZDF on that Friday....”
“Sky carried DFB‑Pokal coverage: the conference from 18:00 reached 390,000 viewers, and the Mannheim–Kaiserslautern match had 510,000 viewers...”
“WDR's live transmission of the Aachen equestrian World Championship averaged 940,000 viewers with a 5.2% market share (11.6% in the WDR regi...”
“The article cites AGF Videoforschung / AGF SCOPE 1.15 as the source for all audience data used in the report....”
“The article was published on DWDL.de and the page footer lists © DWDL.de GmbH 2001-2026....”
“Sky carried DFB‑Pokal coverage: the conference from 18:00 reached 390,000 viewers, and the Mannheim–Kaiserslautern match had 510,000 viewers...”
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
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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.
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.
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).
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