Most popular TV series in Germany 2023, by number of viewers
The most popular TV series in Germany, as of 2023, was the crime series "Tatort", which was watched by an average of 7.9 million viewers. In second place followed the series "Polizeiruf 110" on ZDF with 7.43 million viewers on average. In third place came the ZDF format "Nord Nord Mord" with just under seven million viewers, which is also a crime series, indicating a preference for this genre in the German population.
ZDF in the lead
According to the graph at hand, German viewers enjoy their crime TV series, with the second most-watched show being Polizeiruf 110 (Police call 110) and Nord Nord Mord (North North Murder). Both are broadcast by ZDF, as well as six more within the top ten. The broadcaster boasts a long list of various content, also accessible via its streaming library service (ZDF Mediathek). The highest production costs are incurred by serialized TV movies, followed by standalone TV movies and evening entertainment programs.
On TV
In a more general poll of the German population, the three most popular television genres(or genre groups) were recorded as follows: the news, then travel and culture programs and in third place, live sports broadcasts or sports programs. While German crime series were a bit lower down on the list, they were still in the top ten, in addition to being well ahead of their U.S. equivalents. While the ways in which audiences access television content changes due to the constantly increasing use of streaming platforms and services, watching TV as a free time activity remains widespread in Germany, with over 62 million people doing so several times a week in 2021.
