Streaming has seen a significant uptick in viewership for certain German soap operas, according to recent data from AGF Videoforschung, covering the week from March 10 to March 16, 2025. Leading the pack is the popular RTL soap opera "Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten" (GZSZ), which achieved a remarkable reach of 938,000 viewers, an increase of 168,000 from the previous week. This demonstrates not only the show's enduring appeal but also a remarkable shift in how audiences are engaging with daytime television.
In the same week, another RTL production, "Alles was zählt," also reported impressive figures, reaching a streaming audience of 527,000, up by 143,000 compared to the preceding week. This surge comes on the heels of RTL's strategic move to forgo the linear airing of the latest episode of its soaps on March 13, 2025, due to clashes with a Europa League match featuring Eintracht Frankfurt. Viewers who wanted to catch the latest plots had no option but to turn to RTL+, the network's streaming service.
This decision seemingly pushed many fans of "GZSZ" and "Alles was zählt" to adapt to the streaming model, illustrating a significant trend in viewer behavior. However, it's important to note that not all traditional viewers migrated to streaming, reflecting a complex dynamic in today’s viewing habits.
The data also indicated that GZSZ isn’t the only series enjoying this boost in viewership; "Unter uns" recorded a streaming reach of 254,000, representing a gain of 90,000 from the week before. Meanwhile, "Sturm der Liebe," available on the ARD media library, reached its own annual best with 727,000 viewers during the same week.
Other notable mentions from the AGF measurements include "Germany's Next Topmodel," which achieved a steep rise to 835,000 viewers—an increase of 34,000 to become a seasonal best—and "Sommerhaus der Normalos" with a steady reach of 713,000. Additionally, the reality show "Promis unter Palmen" balanced out with a reach of 630,000, slightly less than its previous week's performance.
What stands out is the newly introduced metric by AGF, which enables advertisers and producers to track how many people interacted with program brands across various platforms—whether through traditional TV broadcasts, media libraries, or online. Unlike previous measurements that tended to focus solely on viewing figures, this development represents a shift toward a more integrated understanding of viewer engagement.
However, while these statistics reveal a more comprehensive reach for these programs, it is critical to acknowledge that they only reflect viewership on the respective networks' platforms and do not account for traffic on YouTube or other social media networks. Additionally, these figures are considered net reach, making them incomparable to traditional viewership ratings.
In essence, the rise in streaming audiences for German soaps reflects broader trends in content consumption and highlights shifting viewer preferences. As broadcasters adapt to these changes, the demand for convenience and flexibility in viewing options continues to shape the way programs are produced and marketed. With traditional linear TV facing competition from flexible streaming platforms, the future of daytime television could very well reside in these online spaces.
As viewing habits continue to evolve, it will be interesting to see whether platforms like RTL+ can continue to capitalize on this interest, or if they will face challenges in maintaining their audience engagement amid the ever-competitive landscape of streaming services.
