ARD and ZDF are very satisfied. You can be too. The TV broadcasts of the finals in 14 sports at the weekend brought double-digit market shares, on Sunday the average viewing time from 10:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. was 1.27 million viewers. 25 hours of live television in the third edition of the Finals, which begs to be continued next year.
With the numbers achieved, a phenomenon sets in: the audience of linear television prefers winter sports to summer sports. ARD and ZDF delight (torture) weekend after weekend, over long months with skis
There are understandable reasons for this. More television is watched in winter than in summer. Germans prefer to sit in front of the TV with a bobble hat on than in shorts – and in times of the pandemic anyway. Nobody dared to go outside, but those responsible for television and winter sports didn’t really care whether a competition took place with or without an audience. The main thing was that the cameras had their eye food (it was no different in the Bundesliga). Winter sports and television have jazzed each other up and established an almost irrefutable television program.
ARD and ZDF have won a fan base with winter sports on a continuous loop. In their mercilessness they “sent the audience into their right place”, now even the spectators, who had previously asked the justified question why one athlete has to crush the other in the doubles sled, tremble along while sledding.
The finals offer national competitions, biathlon and ski jumping are held as international competitions. Is shot put hotter than speed skating? Not necessarily, but is speed skating a great TV sport? Not necessarily, but in combination with ski flying – daredevil men swooping down – and the absolute spectator hit biathlon – racing and shooting – everything is included. The finals have to catch up, the TV sports viewer is trained for variety and excitement, breathlessness and decision-making.
It’s drama, stupid!
