ZDF postpones Saturday crime series to 10 PM for World Cup match

Germany’s public broadcaster ZDF moved the repeat of its popular Saturday‑night crime series “Erzgebirgskrimi – Die Tränen der Mütter” from its usual primetime slot to 22:00 on 4 July 2026. The shift makes way for coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup round‑of‑16 match between Canada and Morocco, with pre‑match analysis starting at 18:00 and the game itself at 19:00. The episode features Kommissar Robert Winkler (Kai Scheve) and Karina Szabo (Lara Mandoki), who has announced her departure from the series and will be succeeded by Mathilda Switala.

At the same time, ARD also altered its primetime schedule, broadcasting the TV film “Tod in der Bucht – Ein Kreta‑Krimi” at 20:15 as a crime‑drama alternative to the football coverage. Both broadcasters prioritized the World Cup, which is being staged across North America, over their regular crime‑programming line‑up.