ARD Mediathek is a free multimedia app from Südwestrundfunk Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts where you can stream a variety of content from the public broadcasting network ARD. You have full access to movies, TV shows, news broadcasts, and documentaries at no cost.

It’s important to note, however, that ARD Mediathek is a little different from other streaming apps like Netflix. While the latter focuses more on uploaded content that you can readily stream, the former grants users the ability to watch television channels as they stream live. For these livestreams, you cannot pause or replay the videos freely.

All your favorite shows in one place

Whether you’re looking to check out a thrilling new film or an educational docuseries, ARD Mediathek enables you to watch a variety of films and series that span numerous genres. All of the videos available in the app can be watched in full HD quality, so you don’t have to worry about having to settle for grainy and unwatchable playbacks.

What makes this streaming app so great is that the service is completely free, so you don’t have to pay any additional fees just to watch a specific show. All you really need is to create an account. Once you’ve done this, you can pause any upcoming shows to watch later and save videos so you can access them even without having to connect to the internet.

With your account, you also have the ability to sync all of your preferences and watched titles across multiple devices. One aspect the app could improve on, however, is the readability of its subtitles. Some texts can be quite difficult to read, especially against darker backgrounds. In addition to this, there are also numerous titles in the app that do not offer subtitles.

Needs some polishing

While ARD Mediathek can be a great source of entertainment, there’s still some work to be done when it comes to accessibility, especially regarding subtitles. However, past this glaring issue, the app does still offer a great number of features like device synchronization and the ability to watch offline. With numerous genres to choose from, you’ll also be able to go through a large library of titles to explore.