German TV channels live online: one by one
Germany's public channels stream live for free in their own apps; the private ones sit behind RTL+ and Joyn. Abroad, most live streams are limited by rights.
German TV channels list: live at home and abroad
Where each channel streams live at home, and what happens abroad.
All German TV channels: 210 more
These German channels do not have a full guide yet. Where we found one on Wikipedia, we list what it is, its official website and its article; the rest are names only for now. Where to watch them live, and whether that works abroad, is not checked yet. From Wikipedia, Wikidata and our own research (3 November 2026); we opened every official website the same day.
Show 133 more channels
More German channels: names only
Channels we know of that have no details here yet: no website, nothing checked.
German channels by type
German TV online: how it works
Das Erste (ARD) and ZDF are public channels, paid for by the broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag): €18.36 a month per household. They stream live for free in the ARD Mediathek and the ZDF app.
RTL streams in RTL+, ProSieben and Sat.1 in Joyn. Both have free parts and paid plans.
DW (Deutsche Welle) is Germany's international broadcaster, made for viewers outside Germany.
Arte, the French and German culture channel, streams live for free in German on arte.tv/de/live (our Arte guide is on the France page).
How to watch German TV abroad
ZDF says its 24/7 live streams work only in Germany, for rights reasons, but some single programmes stream worldwide. The ARD Mediathek also checks where you are, and programmes without international rights, such as most sport, do not play abroad.
Joyn's free content works only in Germany; a paid Joyn+ subscription keeps working on temporary stays in the EU and EEA. Paid RTL+ plans fall under the same EU portability rule.
For German news anywhere, DW streams live for free worldwide.
German TV in the UK, the USA, Australia and more
German TV: common questions
Can I watch ARD and ZDF abroad?
Partly. ZDF's 24/7 live streams are for Germany only, and both block programmes without international rights. Some single programmes stream worldwide.
Do I have to pay to watch German TV online?
The public channels are free to stream, paid for by the broadcasting fee (€18.36 a month per household in Germany). RTL+ and Joyn have free parts and paid plans.
Which German channel can I watch free from anywhere?
DW, Germany's international broadcaster, streams live for free worldwide.
Can I watch German TV on a Firestick?
Yes for ZDF, ProSieben and Sat.1: their official apps are on Amazon Fire TV. Each channel page says where the app works.
Which apps carry German TV channels?
ARD Mediathek (Germany; abroad depends on rights): Das Erste. ZDF (Germany; selected programmes worldwide): ZDF. RTL+ (Germany; EU trips with a paid plan): RTL. Joyn (Germany; Joyn+ on EU trips): ProSieben and Sat.1. DW (worldwide): DW.
Can I watch German TV in the USA?
Partly. Das Erste: DW (Deutsche Welle) (not the channel itself). ZDF: ZDF Auslandsstreams. DW: DW on dw.com and YouTube. No official way that we found for RTL, ProSieben and Sat.1.
Where the facts come from
- Rundfunkbeitrag (official): the broadcasting fee
- ZDF: questions and answers about streaming
- Joyn community (official support): geoblocking abroad
- netzwelt: live streams and Mediatheken abroad
Last checked: 3 November 2026. Prices and rules change: the official pages always win.