ZDF
Source Passport
DE-M-00019-3
Issued and maintained by MJRC
- Legal name
- Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts (ZDF-Staatsvertrag vom 31. August 1991)
- Country
- Germany
- Type
- Multi-platform group
- Founded
- 1961
- Editor-in-chief
- Dr. Norbert Himmler (Intendant)
- Claim
- Not claimed by the organisation
- Last verified
- Not yet
0 of 6 layers verified
Transparency
Open
6 of 6 key disclosures on record, 0 of them checked by our researchers.
- Legal name and registration number on record, not yet checked
- Owners with influence on record, not yet checked
- Beneficial owners (the people behind the companies) not applicable
- State or public-body ownership stated on record, not yet checked
- State advertising or revenue mix on record, not yet checked
- Public contact address on record, not yet checked
- Official websites and accounts on record, not yet checked
- State-owned
The organisation has not claimed this passport. It is built from public records; every fact shows its source and whether a researcher has checked it. Something wrong? Report it · Represent this organisation? Claim the passport
Needs update: this passport has not been fully verified yet.
Who is it?
Origin
Not yet verified
EMFA Art. 6(1)(a)
- Brand names Pending check
- ZDF
- ZDFheute
- heute.de
- ZDFtivi
- ZDFneo
- ZDFinfo
- ZDF goes Schule
- Company registration number Pending check
- USt-IdNr. DE 149 065 327 (no Handelsregister number published)
- Registered address Pending check
- ZDF-Straße 1, 55127 Mainz (postal address: 55100 Mainz)
- Public contact email Pending check
- info@zdf.de
4 sources
- ZDF Impressum (zdf.de), read 2026-10-20 (provider list incl. the nine ARD Landesrundfunkanstalten in the ARD-ZDF streaming network: legal name 'Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts', address, legal representative, email, USt-IdNr; ZDF's own details, social accounts and brands)
- ZDF-Staatsvertrag (ZDF-StV) vom 31. August 1991, § 1 Trägerschaft, Name, Sitz (text valid from 01.12.2025), gesetze-bayern.de, read 2026-10-20 (the Länder are Träger of the gemeinnützige Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts 'Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)'; seat Mainz)
- bpb, '75 Jahre öffentlich-rechtlicher Rundfunk - von der Gründung der ARD bis heute', 10.06.2025, read 2026-10-20 (ARD founded 9 June 1950 by the Landesrundfunkanstalten; ZDF founded by the Länder in 1961; MDR began 1 January 1992; ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio mainly financed by the Rundfunkbeitrag; DW tax-financed)
- Niedersächsischer Landtag, Drucksache 19/10976 of 19.06.2026 (ZDF: 'Bericht an die Landesparlamente der Staatsvertragsländer über die wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Lage des ZDF', § 5a RFinStV), read 2026-10-20 (Intendant Dr. Norbert Himmler; ZDF share of the Rundfunkbeitrag 4,69 Euro; 'Ausgewählte ZDF-Beteiligungen': ZDF Studios GmbH, ZDF Werbefernsehen GmbH)
Who stands behind it?
Control
Not yet verified
EMFA Art. 6(1)(b) and (c)
- Owners with influence Pending check
Owner Holding Owner type Die Länder (the German Länder as Träger of the Anstalt under § 1 ZDF-StV) Direct State or public body - Beneficial owners
- Not disclosed
- State or public-body ownership Pending check
- Fully state-owned
- Parent group Pending check
- none (gemeinnützige Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts whose Träger are the Länder, § 1 ZDF-Staatsvertrag; supervised by Fernsehrat and Verwaltungsrat, legal supervision by the Land governments in two-year rotation)
2 sources
- ZDF-Staatsvertrag (ZDF-StV) vom 31. August 1991, § 1 Trägerschaft, Name, Sitz (text valid from 01.12.2025), gesetze-bayern.de, read 2026-10-20 (the Länder are Träger of the gemeinnützige Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts 'Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)'; seat Mainz)
- ZDF Impressum (zdf.de), read 2026-10-20 (provider list incl. the nine ARD Landesrundfunkanstalten in the ARD-ZDF streaming network: legal name 'Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts', address, legal representative, email, USt-IdNr; ZDF's own details, social accounts and brands)
Who pays?
Money
Not yet verified
EMFA Art. 6(1)(d), plus revenue mix
- State advertising and third-country public revenue
- Not disclosed
- Revenue mix Pending check
Source Share of revenue Public funding Over 50% - Named funders Pending check
Funder Type Note Rundfunkbeitrag (statutory household broadcasting contribution, collected by the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice) Other 2025 Gesamterträge EUR 2,226,810,320.59 (Beitragsservice Jahresbericht 2025, p. 10); ZDF share of the monthly fee 4,69 Euro (Drs. 19/10976)
3 sources
- ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, Jahresbericht 2025, p. 10 table 'Gesamterträge 2025', read 2026-10-20 (Rundfunkbeitrag income 2025 per broadcaster, with and without Landesmedienanstalten shares; fee EUR 18.36 per month)
- KEF, 25. KEF-Bericht (handed over 20 February 2026), Tab. 1 p. 15 'Festgestellter Finanzbedarf von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio 2025 bis 2028', read 2026-10-20 (angemeldete Erträge 2025-2028 and Erträge aus Rundfunkbeiträgen: ARD 28,423.7 / 25,137.6, ZDF 10,636.0 / 9,179.5, Deutschlandradio 1,087.7 / 1,013.5 Mio. EUR)
- Niedersächsischer Landtag, Drucksache 19/10976 of 19.06.2026 (ZDF: 'Bericht an die Landesparlamente der Staatsvertragsländer über die wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Lage des ZDF', § 5a RFinStV), read 2026-10-20 (Intendant Dr. Norbert Himmler; ZDF share of the Rundfunkbeitrag 4,69 Euro; 'Ausgewählte ZDF-Beteiligungen': ZDF Studios GmbH, ZDF Werbefernsehen GmbH)
Where does it appear?
Channels
Not yet verified
- Official social accounts Pending check
Platform Link YouTube youtube.com/zdf Facebook facebook.com/ZDF Mastodon zdf.social/@ZDF Instagram instagram.com/zdf.de TikTok tiktok.com/@zdf
How does it travel?
Distribution
Nothing disclosed
- Distribution partners
- Not disclosed
Who is connected?
Networks
Not yet verified
- Sister outlets in the same group Pending check
- ZDF Studios GmbH (ZDF-Beteiligung; stake not read)
- ZDF Werbefernsehen GmbH (ZDF-Beteiligung; stake not read)
- funk (joint offer of ARD and ZDF as equal broadcasters; SWR holds the Federführung)
- Deutschlandradio (ZDF is a member of the Körperschaft, § 1 DLR-StV)
- Documented public-office or party roles
- Not disclosed
3 sources
- Niedersächsischer Landtag, Drucksache 19/10976 of 19.06.2026 (ZDF: 'Bericht an die Landesparlamente der Staatsvertragsländer über die wirtschaftliche und finanzielle Lage des ZDF', § 5a RFinStV), read 2026-10-20 (Intendant Dr. Norbert Himmler; ZDF share of the Rundfunkbeitrag 4,69 Euro; 'Ausgewählte ZDF-Beteiligungen': ZDF Studios GmbH, ZDF Werbefernsehen GmbH)
- ZDF Impressum (zdf.de), read 2026-10-20 (provider list incl. the nine ARD Landesrundfunkanstalten in the ARD-ZDF streaming network: legal name 'Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts', address, legal representative, email, USt-IdNr; ZDF's own details, social accounts and brands)
- Deutschlandradio-Staatsvertrag (DLR-StV) vom 17. Juni 1993, last amended by Art. 4 of the Siebter Medienänderungsstaatsvertrag (26 March 2025), BRAVORS Brandenburg, read 2026-10-20 (§ 1: the Länder establish the gemeinnützige rechtsfähige Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts 'Deutschlandradio', members are the ARD Landesrundfunkanstalten and the ZDF, no further members; seats Köln and Berlin; § 2 programmes Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Deutschlandfunk Nova, no advertising, no sponsoring; § 29 financed from the Rundfunkbeitrag)
Change history
| Version | Date | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 November 2026 | First published |
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