Football was "king" on German TV throughout the year, according to the SID. Champions League, DFB-Pokal (German Cup) and national team games accounted for the 10 most-watched programs on TV in '15. The sporting event with the highest viewership outside of football was the heavyweight boxing fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury, which came in at No. 18. The first leg of the Champions League semifinal between Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona was the top-rated program in '15. The game, which Barça won 3-0, drew 13.46 million viewers on public broadcaster ZDF. The match obtained a market share of 43.2% on May 6. In a year without Euro or World Cup, the national football team "only" delivered the third most-watched program. German free-to-air TV channel RTL recorded 12.69 million viewers for its broadcast of the Euro 2016 qualifier between Germany and Georgia on Oct. 11. Germany won the game 2-1 and secured a spot in next year's finals in France. The Klitschko-Fury fight had a 40.1% share as 8.91 million viewers tuned in (SID, 12/9).
Top 10 Ratings On German TV In '15
|
|
Date
|
Event |
Viewership |
Market Share
|
Channel
|
May 6
|
Champions League semifinal 1st leg
(Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona)
|
13.46 million
|
43.2% |
ZDF |
April 28
|
DFB-Pokal semifinal
(Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund)
|
12.88 million
|
42%
|
ARD
|
Oct. 11
|
National Team Euro 2016 qualifier
(Germany vs. Georgia)
|
12.69 million
|
36.8%
|
RTL
|
May 12
|
Champions League semifinal 2nd leg
(Bayern Munich vs. FC Barcelona)
|
12.59 million
|
40.5%
|
ZDF
|
Sept. 7
|
National Team Euro 2016 qualifier
(Germany vs. Scotland)
|
11.97 million
|
39%
|
RTL |
May 30
|
DFB-Pokal final
(Borussia Dortmund vs. VfL Wolfsburg)
|
11.94 million
|
40.5%
|
ARD
|
March 29
|
National Team Euro 2016 qualifier
(Germany vs. Georgia)
|
11.62 million
|
38.8%
|
RTL
|
Oct. 8
|
National Team Euro 2016 qualifier
(Germany vs. Ireland)
|
11.24 million
|
35.9%
|
RTL
|
Sept. 4
|
National Team Euro 2016 qualifier
(Germany vs. Poland) |
10.96 million
|
38%
|
RTL
|
April 8
|
DFB-Pokal quarterfinal
(Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich)
|
10.22 million
|
33.8%
|
ARD
|
Source: SID
