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4w ago

German Broadcasting Fee Revenue Drops as ARD and ZDF Sue Over Proposed Hike

States declined to follow a KEF recommendation to raise the fee by €0.58, prompting ARD and ZDF to sue at the Constitutional Court.

Die Rundfunkbeitrag-Einnahmen sinken auf 8,7 Milliarden Euro
Firmengebäude des Beitragsservice
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Overview

  • Total fee revenue fell by 3.14% year-on-year to €8.74 billion in 2024, down from a record €9.02 billion in 2023.
  • The end of last year’s nationwide registration data audit caused the decline by reversing automatic apartment enrolments that boosted 2023 collections.
  • Operational costs for the Beitragsservice rose by 4.3% to €190.7 million as new wage, rent and IT expenses took effect.
  • Exemptions on social grounds climbed by 0.8% to reach 2.4 million people, while registered liable households fell by 0.4% to 40.5 million.
  • An independent commission proposed a €0.58 increase to €18.94 per month from January 2025, and the Bundesverfassungsgericht now considers ARD and ZDF’s lawsuit to compel states to adopt it.