Observed Signal · Apr 24, 2026 · Ratings Report · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Stuttgart's Late DFB-Pokal Win Delivers Strong TV Ratings
A DWDL.de report (published 2026-04-24) shows the DFB-Pokal semi-final between VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg delivered high linear-TV audiences across demographics. The match averaged 5.34 million viewers on Das Erste with a 27.9% market share overall and 1.20 million viewers (31.2% share) in the 14–49 demo. Sky’s pay channels attracted over 0.5 million viewers combined, recording more than a 5% share in the core target group. AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung is cited as the data source. The article also lists strong adjacent-program performance (e.g., Tagesthemen, Wer weiß denn sowas?) and provides top-program and top-channel daily figures for the day.
High linear-TV ratings for a major sports event reinforce the reach and commercial value of broadcast TV inventory for advertisers and planners; useful for media buying and daypart planning but not industry-shifting.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- The DFB-Pokal semi-final (VfB Stuttgart vs. SC Freiburg) averaged 5.34 million viewers on Das Erste.
- The broadcast achieved a 27.9% overall market share and a 31.2% market share among 14–49-year-olds (1.20 million viewers).
- Sky (Sky Sport Top Event and Sky Sport Mix combined) attracted over 0.5 million viewers and recorded more than a 5% share in the classic target group.
- Audience and program data cited in the article come from AGF SCOPE / AGF Videoforschung.
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Bayern DFB-Pokal Final Tops Ratings but Below Year Ago
The DFB-Pokal final between FC Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart dominated German TV audiences on Saturday evening but attracted fewer viewers than in recent years. According to AGF SCOPE data, 6.79 million people watched the match on Das Erste (ARD) at 20:00, giving the channel a 36.3% market share overall and a 50.6% share among 14–49 year-olds. Sky's pay-TV broadcast drew around 390,000 viewers (2.1% overall, 4.5% in 14–49). Despite the presence of Bayern — returning to the final for the first time in six years — the total reach was lower than last year's final (over 0.75 million additional viewers) and well below peak finals in 2018/2019. The article was published by Uwe Mantel on 2026-05-24 and cites AGF Videoforschung / AGF SCOPE 1.9 as the data source.
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).
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).
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