According to the dts news agency, the Commission on determining the financial requirements of ARD and ZDF recommends raising the public‑service broadcast fee. The 25th report, released on Friday, sets a new fee recommendation of €18.64 per month for the 2025‑2028 period, effective 1 January 2027. This amount is lower than the €18.94 per month advised in the 24th report, but still above the current fee of €18.36.
Because the fee will remain unchanged at €18.36 during 2025 and 2026, the new recommendation translates into a single‑time increase of €0.28 per month for the remaining “rest period” of 2027 and 2028. The expected improvements in revenue and a rise in equity will be fully reflected by a reduction relative to the 24th‑report recommendation, which had been scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2025.
In February 2024, the 24th report had proposed raising the fee to €18.94 from 2025, but not all of the 16 participating Länder approved the change, so the rate stayed at its current level.