The appearance follows Mross’s emotional departure from his long-running ARD show and anchors a strategic programming push by RTL.
Stefan Mross Arrives on RTL Following an Emotional ARD Exit
Just after bidding an emotional farewell to his signature program Immer wieder sonntags—complete with a sharp public rebuke directed at his ARD bosses—veteran folk music star Stefan Mross is stepping straight onto the RTL stage. Rather than taking a break or retreating to a quiet holiday, the 50-year-old performer is making a high-profile appearance on a special broadcast of The Stefan Raab Show.
The timing of the crossover places two prominent television figures on the same stage for a prime-time entertainment special. According to reporting from BILD, Mross’s sudden jump to the competing network is far from a spontaneous coincidence or a casual scheduling quirk.
Inside the Strategy Behind the Oktoberfest Special
Thursday night’s broadcast at 22:30 is engineered around a distinct seasonal theme. With the famous Munich Oktoberfest on the horizon, Raab has designed a Bavarian-themed party atmosphere for the studio audience and home viewers, bringing in Mross to anchor the festive mood.
Beyond the guest appearance, the special broadcast will revisit recent network programming by reviewing the Jetski Star WM. That athletic event, produced by Raab and aired on RTL at the end of August, featured eight competing celebrity teams and pulled in a verified audience of 1.16 million viewers, a figure that executives viewed as a strong ratings success.
Balancing Weekly Broadcasts and Streaming Routines
While Raab’s occasional special events consistently deliver solid numbers for the network, his weekly television format has faced distinct ratings hurdles. The free-TV broadcast window has experienced fluctuating reach, forcing network schedulers to adjust time slots repeatedly until finding a stable routine.
At the same time, the production maintains a multi-platform presence. Regular weekly installments debut in advance on the streaming platform RTL+ every Tuesday—featuring guests such as singer Gentleman—before reaching the broader free-TV audience later in the week.
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