About the covert advertising (well, you can't really talk about sneaking anymore) for Microsoft in election coverage, there has already been written about. But it's quite shocking is the NDR's justification for why Microsoft had to be mentioned:
According to a statement by the Linux Association, the NDR argued in court that Infratest Dimap uses copyrighted databases and graphics from Microsoft for the projections.
Well, then they should just switch to free software, because I really can't imagine what copyrighted databases or graphics should be involved in election coverage - after all, only banal pie charts and bar charts are shown. And I certainly hope that the election itself is not sponsored by Microsoft - and that they therefore have some naming rights there. The whole thing is once again absolutely bananas, what the public broadcaster allows itself.