Fight for quotas: ZDF pulls the connector on a new reality show!

Fight for quotas: ZDF pulls the connector on a new reality show!

On May 10, 2025, ZDF took the new reality show “Witness around the World” from the program scheme after just one episode. The show, which was started on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, could not convince the audience, as was found in a report by Quotenmeter . The ratings were very disappointing, which led to the decision to show the remaining consequences on ZDFneo.

The format itself originally comes from Great Britain and was designed by Studio Lambert. It follows an approach that combines adventure with imparting knowledge. Among other things, the participants deal with the salt mining on site, which should give the viewer a special insight into local conditions. However, this connection between entertainment and education could not have been clearly worked out, according to Mario Thunert. In an interview, Thunert expressed concerns that the format does not clearly determine whether the focus is on entertainment or imparting knowledge.

The context of reality TV in Germany

The withdrawal of “Witness” reflects the challenges with which reality TV formats are confronted in Germany. Reality TV is now an integral part of the non-fictional entertainment sector. In 2023, programs of this genre made up more than a third up to almost 40 percent of the program on the broadcasters Sat.1, RTL and VOX, as reported.

proven formats such as "The Voice of Germany", "Let’s Dance" and "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" still attract large number of spectators. In “Let’s Dance”, 1.16 million people from the advertising -relevant target group switched on average in 2023, while “The Masked Singer” also met with a high level of interest with 1.14 million viewers. In comparison, the new ZDF format does not seem to have fulfilled many expectations.

reality programs are often divided into three categories: narrative formats, performative formats and scripted formats. The mixture of entertainment and knowledge transfer could have been too bulky or unclear for the audience of “race for the world”. Streaming services have also started to penetrate this segment, which further tightened the competition.

The first episode of “Witness” has not left the desired impression in an already saturated market and raises questions about how successfully similar formats can be in the future.

With the decision to deduct the “race for the world”, the ZDF shows that the audience preferences and ratings are also of crucial importance for the continued existence of a format in reality TV.