21 state cup finals with more than seven hours of soccer in the biggest live TV conference in German soccer: The eleventh edition of the amateur finals day will once again take place live on "Das Erste" on 23 May 2026 with a great tradition and attractive pairings.
Coverage of Germany's biggest amateur football event starts at 11:20 am. The broadcast of the 21 state cup final matches, in which the finalists will not only be competing for the title but also for the coveted starting places for the first main round of the 2026/2027 DFB Cup, will be divided into three sub-conferences with four different kick-off times. The first seven matches will kick off at 11:30 am. The second broadcast block begins at 13:30 with six more matches. In the afternoon, four matches will follow in the third sub-conference, kicking off at 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm respectively. Coverage of the amateur final day will end at 6:55 p.m., leading directly to the 83rd DFB Cup final between FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart, which will also be broadcast on TV this year.
In 2026, DFB GmbH & Co. KG, in cooperation with best boys tv-factory GmbH, will take over the technical implementation of the TV production of all 21 national cup finals for the first time. ARD and its regional broadcasters will retain the free TV rights to the amateur final day(further information on the new marketing agreement). This year, the TV conference on ARD will again be supplemented by an extensive live streaming service with 16 individual matches in full length on the ARD Mediathek, sportschau.de and the online portals of the state broadcasters. In addition, four matches will be broadcast live and in full length on DFB.TV for the first time.
Peter Frymuth, DFB Vice President Match Operations and Football Development: "On May 23, we have another day of celebration in store for German soccer - both at amateur and professional level. I am pleased and proud that we are able to offer amateur soccer a special stage for the eleventh year in a row with the support of ARD. The final day always impressively demonstrates the emotion and passion that soccer unleashes everywhere, regardless of league affiliation."
Axel Balkausky, ARD Sports Coordinator: "The multi-hour live conference from the amateur final day is a unique event. We are therefore delighted to continue broadcasting it on ARD for the next five years - on TV and in our livestream offerings in the ARD Mediathek. The amateur finals day combines excitement, emotion and authentic soccer culture from all regions of Germany. Together with the men's DFB Cup final in the evening, it will make May 23 an absolute highlight for every soccer fan in Germany."
Bernd Schultz, President of the Berlin Football Association, says: "All fans in the stadiums and in front of the screens can look forward to a rousing final day of the 2026 Amateurs. In Berlin, VSG Altglienicke and BFC Dynamo, two established regional league clubs that have shaped soccer in the capital for years, will face each other in an intense duel for the COSY-WASCH State Cup title and a place in the DFB Cup. I wish both finalists every success in their encounter on the big stage of the amateur final day!"
