How to watch Das Erste live online
Das Erste streams live for free in the ARD Mediathek, ARD's own website and app. Abroad, the Mediathek checks where you are, and programmes without international rights, such as most sport, do not play.
No account is needed to watch live. In Germany the public channels are paid for by the broadcasting fee, €18.36 a month per household.
- Country
- Germany
- Run by
- ARD, Germany's association of public broadcasters
- Type
- General
- Language
- German
- Live, in German
- Das Erste im Livestream
- Watch live
- ARD Mediathek
- Cost at home
- Free (broadcasting fee €18.36 a month per household)
- Abroad
- Partly: rights decide
- Checked
- 2 November 2026
Can you watch Das Erste abroad?
The ARD Mediathek recognises when you are abroad. What plays depends on each programme's rights: football and many films are typically blocked outside Germany.
DW (Deutsche Welle)
Germany's international broadcaster: news and documentaries, free worldwide. Not the Das Erste programme.
Watch Das Erste in the USA, the UK, Canada and more
Das Erste in the USA, the UK and Canada
Das Erste itself: rights decide. Official alternative: DW (Deutsche Welle) (worldwide, free). Germany's international broadcaster: news and documentaries, free worldwide. Not the Das Erste programme.
Das Erste in Spain, the Netherlands and Italy
Das Erste itself: rights decide. Official alternative: DW (Deutsche Welle) (worldwide, free). Germany's international broadcaster: news and documentaries, free worldwide. Not the Das Erste programme. On a short trip from Germany, paid streaming plans keep working under the EU portability rule; free apps do not have to.
Apps for Das Erste: TV, phone and laptop
What is Das Erste?
Das Erste is the main channel of ARD, the association of Germany's regional public broadcasters. It carries the Tagesschau news, the Tatort crime series, the Sportschau and big events.
It is paid mainly by the broadcasting fee, with a few adverts before 8 pm.
Das Erste: common questions
Is Das Erste free to watch online?
Yes, in the ARD Mediathek, without an account.
Can I watch Das Erste abroad?
Partly. Programmes without international rights, such as most sport, are blocked outside Germany.
What is the Rundfunkbeitrag?
Germany's broadcasting fee: €18.36 a month per household. It pays for ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio.
Which app do I need to watch Das Erste live?
ARD Mediathek (Germany; abroad depends on rights): web, phones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming sticks.
Can I watch Das Erste on a smart TV?
Yes. ARD Mediathek has an app for smart TVs and streaming sticks (Germany; abroad depends on rights).
Can I watch Das Erste in the USA?
Das Erste itself: rights decide. Official alternative: DW (Deutsche Welle) (worldwide, free). Germany's international broadcaster: news and documentaries, free worldwide. Not the Das Erste programme.
Where the facts come from
We check every fact on the broadcaster's own pages, or on two independent sources that agree.
- Rundfunkbeitrag (official): the broadcasting fee
- ARD Mediathek: live
- netzwelt: live streams and Mediatheken abroad
Last checked: 2 November 2026. Prices and rules change: the official pages always win.
