Soccer fans can look forward to more free-to-air sports: RTL will broadcast three matches on free TV in the first main round of the DFB Cup, although originally only one was planned.
The action kicks off on Saturday, August 22, with the match between 1. FC Saarbrücken and Hertha BSC. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m., with RTL's coverage starting half an hour earlier. On Monday, August 24, Würzburger Kickers versus 1. FC Köln follows starting at 6 p.m. The delayed first-round match between HEBC Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, September 1, at 8:45 p.m. was already scheduled in the program.
Why there's suddenly more cup coverage
All three matches will air simultaneously on Sky Sport as well. From Friday to Monday, 30 matches will be available there, either individually or in conference mode.
Behind the programming change is a clause in the rights contract with the DFB. Sky is allowed to offer up to seven matches per season free of charge or pass them on to a free-TV broadcaster. The broadcaster decides on two of these matches alone, while the remaining five require approval from the federation. The fact that Sky has officially belonged to RTL Deutschland since June makes such shifts significantly easier.
ARD and ZDF together hold the rights to twelve matches in the 2026/27 season. ARD will show, for example, regional league team Hallescher FC against Schalke 04 on August 24 and VfL Osnabrück against Bayern Munich on September 2. ZDF will broadcast Hansa Rostock against VfB Stuttgart on August 21.
Plenty of sports on RTL
RTL has a lot of sports programming this year anyway. The broadcaster will also show the Saturday evening top match from the start of the 2. Bundesliga together with Sky, plus up to ten Bundesliga matches, including RB Leipzig against Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 29.
Between the cup matches, Formula 1 will be featured on August 22 and 23 with the Dutch Grand Prix.
