DFB Cup on Free TV: These games can be followed free of charge

Finally DFB Cup again! The season has already started for the second division teams, but the first Bundesliga clubs complete the first competitive games of the 2025/26 season from Friday, August 15th. Because then the first round of the DFB Cup begins. The league starts the following week.

The last cup season should have encouraged Underdogs. As a third division team, Arminia Bielefeld threw four first division clubs from the competition: Union Berlin, SC Freiburg, Werder Bremen and the double winner Bayer Leverkusen. In the final, the East Westphalia failed at VfB Stuttgart (final score 2: 4), but were at least allowed to celebrate the promotion to the second Bundesliga.

Which Bundesliga clubs stumble in this cup season? When do the games take place? What games run on free TV? How high are the premiums? All important information at a glance:

Most of the first round games will be held from Friday, August 15th to Monday, August 18. A total of 30 out of 32 games take place during this period. On Friday and Monday, three games will take place at 6 p.m., another game is scheduled at 8:45 p.m. on both days. Saturday and Sunday are played at 1 p.m. (two games), 3:30 p.m. (six games) and 6 p.m. (three games).

VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich only complete the first round a week and a half later, on Tuesday and Wednesday after the Bundesliga start. As the reigning cup winner and German champion of the pre -season, the clubs first meet in the Supercup on Saturday (8.30 p.m./Sat.1 and Sky).

ARD and ZDF broadcast selected games in every round. Arminia Bielefeld and Werder Bremen start on Friday. The duel between the finalist of the last cup season and the Bundesliga club runs on ZDF. The transmission begins at 8:15 p.m., kick -off is at 8:45 p.m.

The game between third division Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Dortmund runs on Monday (8:45 p.m./ARD) also on free TV, followed by the game of VfB Stuttgart at the second division club Eintracht Braunschweig on August 26 (8.45 p.m./ARD) and Bayern Munich at the third division SV Wehen Wiesbaden on August 27th (8:45 p.m./ZDF).

The Pay TV provider Sky is the only media partner to broadcast all games as usual. Summaries can also be seen at the streaming provider DAZN and on linear television at Sport1.

Nothing changes in the mode of the DFB Cup, but there are changes in the new season for the new season. The so-called eight-second rule should reduce time game. In the future, a team will be awarded a corner kick if the opposing goalkeeper controls the ball for more than eight seconds.

Due to the KO system from the first round, little things can already be decisive in the cup. Maybe also the change of the rules of a double touch in the penalty: If the shooter accidentally hits the ball twice or shoots his other leg, it was automatically a mistake – in the event of a hit, a repetition will follow in the future. If the penalty is shot, an indirect free kick for the opposing team continues. In the event of a false shot, it would be the other team’s turn.

Compared to the pre-season, the DFB premiums for the participating clubs in the 2025/26 season are a bit more lavish. Nothing changes for the finalists. According to the association, the premiums are now around 75 million euros – that is 800,000 euros more than in the previous year. The overall release is distributed as follows on the individual clubs:

Which duels will rise in the second cup round is certain on August 31. Then the draw in the German Football Museum in Dortmund is shown as part of the ARD sports show. The 16 games for the 28th and 29th October are scheduled.