Borussia Dortmund TV draw: how BVB fares in the viewing figures | OneFootball

Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich draws the entire football nation to their TV screens. The clash between Germany’s two most successful clubs consistently delivers record-breaking TV ratings. It looks very different, however, when clubs with smaller fan bases face each other.

Reigning German champions FC Bayern Munich also top the Bundesliga TV ratings table. An analysis by SPORT BILD of the viewing figures for all 306 top-flight matches in the 2025/26 season shows that an average of 1.03 million viewers watched Bayern’s 34 individual match broadcasts. Of the record champions’ live matches, 29 were shown on Sky and five on DAZN.

In the overall ranking, which includes all matches regardless of kick-off time, Borussia Dortmund ranks second behind FC Bayern with an average of 814,000 viewers. They are followed by Hamburger SV (537,000), 1. FC Köln (518,000), and Eintracht Frankfurt (487,000). The bottom three places in the ratings table are occupied by TSG Hoffenheim (258,000), FC Augsburg (247,000), and 1. FC Heidenheim (207,000).

Traditional clubs lead the way

Looking only at the classic Saturday afternoon 3:30 p.m. broadcast slot on Sky, FC Bayern Munich once again takes top spot with 713,000 viewers, followed by Borussia Dortmund (504,000). VfB Stuttgart ranks third here with 318,000, ahead of 1. FC Köln (296,000) and Hamburger SV (291,000). FC Augsburg sits at the bottom of this ranking with 139,000 viewers.

However, since not all clubs face the high-drawing top clubs from Munich and Dortmund equally often, there is an adjusted, so-called “true ratings table.” By excluding matches against the two biggest viewer magnets, this provides the clearest picture of the actual reach of the remaining Bundesliga clubs. In this ranking, HSV stands as the strongest force behind the two industry leaders with 275,000 viewers. They are followed by 1. FC Köln (265,000), VfB Stuttgart (259,000), and Eintracht Frankfurt (235,000). At the bottom of the table, meanwhile, are 1. FC Heidenheim (113,000), FC Augsburg (109,000), and TSG Hoffenheim (108,000).

Photo: IMAGO

Sky recorded its lowest figure on Matchday 13 in the game between 1. FC Heidenheim and SC Freiburg. Only 20,000 viewers tuned in for that match. The highest overall pay-TV figure, on the other hand, was achieved by the direct showdown between BVB and FC Bayern on Matchday 24, with 2.45 million viewers. All collected data includes both traditional linear TV broadcasts and digital streaming views.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.