German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF will jointly hold free TV rights for the DFB-Pokal from 2026, alongside RTL.
The German Football Association (DFB) has announced the broadcast rights for the DFB-Pokal competition for the upcoming four seasons, from 2026/27 to 2029/30. Sky will continue to be the broadcaster for all 63 matches, while 15 of these games will also be shown on free TV.
In a joint agreement, ZDF and RTL have acquired the live rights for these 15 free-to-air games. The acquisition complements ZDF's diverse sports offering on TV and online, providing exciting cup matches for men and women.
ZDF Sports Director, Yorck Polus, expressed his pleasure at continuing to show live men's DFB-Pokal games. The agreement also covers free TV and streaming highlight rights.
The acquisition of the secondary rights to these 15 games marks the first time "kicker" has secured a highlight package for the DFB-Pokal.
Meanwhile, the second rights package, which includes seven to eight games per year, remains unallocated. The DFB found the offers received so far insufficient.
It was reported in May that ARD will show up to eight live games per season for the DFB-Pokal. The exact number of games ARD will broadcast has yet to be confirmed.
Starting from the 2026/27 season, ZDF will start with 15 live games in the four seasons, with RTL joining in to share the previously unallocated games. This means that there will still be 15 live games of the DFB-Pokal competition shown on free TV.
The acquisition of the live rights for the DFB-Pokal from 2026/27 to 2029/30 by RTL, starting from 2026/27, marks a shift from Sky's exclusive broadcast rights, which currently hold until the 2025/26 season.
This development promises an exciting future for DFB-Pokal fans, with more opportunities to watch live games on free TV. The competition, known for its dramatic upsets and thrilling matches, is sure to captivate audiences on both Sky and the free-to-air channels.
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