Particle.news
Download on the App Store

RTL’s Soccer Surge Lifts Prime Time, ZDF Still Wins the Day

The split shows how a single live match can boost young viewers yet leave ZDF’s all-day lineup on top.

Overview

  • Germany’s 4–3 friendly win over Switzerland on Friday delivered RTL its biggest reach since November, with 6.01 million viewers in the first half, 7.12 million in the second, and a 7.48 million peak.
  • RTL’s market share climbed from 25.6% to 34.1% in the total audience, and from 36.1% to 43.1% among ages 14–49, while post-match coverage still averaged 2.02 million viewers.
  • Despite the football peak, ZDF led the full day in total audience with 13.8% to RTL’s 13.7%, helped by steady crime shows as “Mordufer” drew 4.36 million and “SOKO Leipzig” reached 3.29 million.
  • Late night on ZDF, Jan Böhmermann’s “ZDF Magazin Royale” set an all-time record in the 14–49 group with a 23.0% share and about 1.46 million viewers.
  • RTL still dominated the 14–49 demo for the full day with an 18.8% share, underscoring a common pattern in AGF ratings where live sports swell prime time but do not always secure the overall daily lead.