Observed Signal · Jun 9, 2026 · Survey · Source: W&V · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
World Cup Remains TV Event — Nearly 80% Watch at Home
A Bitkom survey reported by W&V finds that linear TV and private living rooms remain the primary viewing location for major football tournaments in Germany. According to the survey, 77% of respondents follow games at least partly at home, 64% watch with friends or family, 50% visit restaurants or bars, and 33% attend public viewings or fan festivals. Mobile viewing plays a smaller role (13% watch on smartphones or tablets while on the move). Bitkom media expert Konstantin Peveling noted mobile devices complement but do not replace the traditional at-home TV experience. The findings underline the continued importance of classic TV reach for broadcasters and advertisers during live sports events.
The survey reinforces linear TV's strong reach for live sporting events, a timely data point for broadcasters, advertisers and media planners as they allocate World Cup ad spend and plan campaigns.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Bitkom survey finds 77% of people in Germany follow major football tournaments at least partly at home.
- 64% of respondents watch matches in private groups (friends, family, acquaintances).
- 50% visit restaurants, bars or pubs to watch matches; 33% attend public viewings or fan festivals.
- Only 13% follow matches on a smartphone or tablet while on the move.
- 45% report annoyance when neighbourhood goal celebrations are heard before the broadcast signal, reflecting transmission delay differences.
Connected Companies & Entities
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Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
World Cup 2026: TV Remains the Leading Medium
A Dmexco-commissioned, representative Civey survey finds that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be followed in Germany primarily on television: 75% of fans plan to watch the matches on a TV set, while laptops/tablets (9%), smartphones (8%) and public viewings (6%) play a much smaller role. The survey also shows reduced second-screen behaviour — 56% of respondents say they rarely or very rarely use their phone during the 90 minutes of a match. Social and communal aspects matter: 41% say watching together with others during a Germany game is most important, ahead of undisturbed analysis (18%) or real-time digital exchange (12%). Verena Gründel (Brand & Communications Director and host of Dmexco) is quoted on TV’s unique ability to gather large simultaneous audiences.
Germany Match Retains Majority of Fans Until End
DWDL reports that ZDF's broadcast of Germany's World Cup match against Ivory Coast averaged 18.26 million viewers. Device-level data from All Eyes On Screens (AEOS), drawn from roughly one million of nearly nine million Vodafone households, show most viewers stayed until around midnight despite a noticeable drop during the halftime break; many viewers switched on only minutes before kickoff and some returned slowly after halftime. Other channels were largely irrelevant for most of the evening, though Das Erste recorded measurable usage at 20:15 with the "Zürich-Krimi." AEOS data are not population-representative and reflect measured device activity in the Vodafone sample.
Not All Fans Return After Halftime
DWDL reports that device-level data from All Eyes On Screens, derived from analysed Vodafone households, show that most viewers watched Germany’s final World Cup group match through to the end, but a measurable share turned off during the halftime break and a smaller dip occurred during a short drink break. Das Erste dominated pre-match viewing after starting extended coverage (moved earlier because of breaking news), ZDF held an audience with a drama until 21:55, and RTL lost many viewers after airing a late 'RTL aktuell Spezial' and then failing to retain viewers with 'Die Bachelors'. The All Eyes On Screens dataset is not population-representative: it reports measured device data from about 1 million of roughly 9 million Vodafone households, so trends are most useful for within-channel developments and switching moments.
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