Broadcasting Contribution Service Reports Stable 2019 Revenue

Germany's broadcasting contribution collection agency, ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, has released its annual report for 2019. The report indicates that revenue from broadcasting contributions remained stable at approximately 8 billion euros, consistent with the previous year. A total of 7.916 billion euros was allocated to public broadcasters ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio, with an additional 152 million euros going to state media authorities.

The number of households registered for the broadcasting contribution saw a slight increase of 0.9 percent, reaching 39.9 million in 2019. This growth is attributed largely to a nationwide data matching initiative, launched in May 2018 and continued throughout 2019. This initiative led to the registration of approximately 2 million new households, with nearly 480,000 identified through the data matching process, thereby ensuring contribution fairness and stability.

The number of individuals granted exemptions from the broadcasting contribution for social reasons temporarily decreased to around 2.7 million by the end of 2019. However, this figure is expected to rise again as retroactive extensions can be granted. The service has also enhanced its digital offerings, including a new online portal for secondary dwelling exemption applications, launched in November 2019. This update aligns with new state legislation allowing spouses to apply for exemptions for their secondary residences.

Usage of the Beitragsservice's online platforms remained strong, with 2.88 million accesses to online forms and nearly 33 million visits to the rundfunkbeitrag.de website. The service portal for businesses also saw continued growth, with registered users increasing to approximately 229,582. The agency plans to further advance its digital services in the coming year.