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ARD Renews Werwölfe for 2026, Eyes Broader Reality Slate

Budget pressures shape a cautious search for new formats under ARD’s revamped entertainment structure.

Overview

  • ARD confirmed a second season of Werwölfe for 2026 with narrator Michael Kessler returning.
  • The first season logged more than five million plays in the ARD Mediathek, reaching audiences beyond the broadcaster’s typical base.
  • Entertainment coordinator Andreas Gerling said ARD is actively soliciting new reality concepts and will test ideas beyond strategy games.
  • Commissioning now runs through newly created competence centers that bundle Reality, Comedy & Satire, and Show & Quiz.
  • The entertainment budget will not increase due to a paused rise in the Rundfunkbeitrag and inflation, with potential cuts to linear shows still under discussion.