A free‑to‑air showcase channel for the German Football Association’s new TV service has gone live on Astra (19.2° East), giving DTH satellite households an early look at the forthcoming official DFB channel, DFB.TV.
The promotional service, DFB.TV Free, began broadcasting on 15 April 2026 and is available unencrypted to Astra satellite viewers on the frequency 11,954 GHz H (SR 27,500, FEC 3/4). It offers previews of the formats and coverage that will feature on the full 24/7 channel when it launches on 22 May.
The main service, DFB.TV, marks the first official TV channel in the history of the German Football Association. Operated as a joint venture between DFB and Sportainment Media Group, the channel will be carried on HD+ via satellite and IP, with HD+ customers able to add it as a paid option from mid‑May.
DFB.TV Free serves as a temporary showcase, highlighting the breadth of programming that will define the new channel. This includes live matches from youth national teams, the 2. Women’s Bundesliga, the Finaltag der Amateure, regional leagues, Futsal, Beach Soccer and the DFB eCup, alongside training insights and talent‑development content.
The full channel will go live on 22 May, the eve of the men’s DFB Cup final. The following day, DFB.TV will carry live coverage from the Finaltag der Amateure. The channel will also follow the national team through the FIFA World Cup 2026 with reports from the team base camp and the “German House of Soccer” in the United States.
“DFB.TV is a milestone for football fans in Germany. Together with DFB, we are making the official association channel easily accessible via satellite – with live football, exclusive insights and background reporting. Personally, I am particularly looking forward to the DFB ‘insides’ around the men’s DFB Cup final and, of course, to the reports from the FIFA World Cup 2026,” said HD Plus Managing Director Christoph Mühleib.
