Italian TV Audiences: ‘La Ruota della Fortuna’ Dominates Saturday Night

Canale 5 Game Show Peaks as Major Networks Air Reruns

Saturday evening television in Italy saw a mixed bag of programming, with reruns largely dominating the schedules. Canale 5’s game show “La Ruota della Fortuna” (The Wheel of Fortune) emerged as a clear winner in the access prime time slot, drawing a substantial 3,093,000 viewers and capturing a 25.2% market share. This strong performance highlights a sustained appetite for established, familiar entertainment.

Primetime Battles: Nostalgia vs. Modern Classics

In the main primetime competition, Rai 1’s rerun of “From the Road to the Stage” attracted 1,630,000 viewers (16% share). Meanwhile, Canale 5’s replay of “Hi Darwin” secured 1,258,000 viewers with a 13.9% share. Cinema offerings also vied for attention, with Rai 2’s “Night of Lies” finding an audience of 714,000 (6.2%) and Italy 1’s “Jurassic Park – The Lost World” drawing 660,000 (6.2%). Rete 4’s “The Fish in Love” garnered 515,000 viewers (4.6%).

Daytime Dominance: Familiar Favorites Rule

The daytime hours showcased consistent performance from popular series and news programs. Rai 1’s “Weekend Chain Reaction” segments consistently performed well, with the later segment attracting 2,568,000 viewers (23.5%). Similarly, Canale 5’s “Free Fall” reruns maintained a strong viewership, with “Free Fall Weekend” capturing 1,513,000 viewers (14.9%). The news bulletins also saw significant engagement, with TG5 at 1 PM drawing 2,524,000 viewers (21.8%) and TG1 at 1 PM reaching 3,205,000 (26.1%).

In an interesting trend, a recent report by Statista indicated that in early 2024, Italian viewers spent an average of over four hours per day watching television, reflecting a continued high level of engagement with broadcast media (Source: Statista, 2024).

Access Prime Time Sees “La Ruota della Fortuna” Shine

Before the main primetime block, Rai 1’s “Techetechetè tapten” held a respectable 2,180,000 viewers (17.7%). However, Canale 5’s “La Ruota della Fortuna” significantly outpaced it, demonstrating the power of a well-loved game show. Other channels saw moderate success, with Italy 1’s “NCIS – Anti-crime units” attracting 830,000 viewers (6.8%) and La7’s “In Onda” garnering 717,000 viewers (5.8%).

Afternoon Successes: Sports and Dramas Capture Viewers

The afternoon schedule featured strong performances from sports coverage and popular dramas. Rai 2’s coverage of the Tour de France garnered significant attention, with the live broadcast attracting 1,156,000 viewers (12.4%) and the final segment reaching 1,634,000 viewers (20.2%). On Rai 1, “Blue – Sea Stories” achieved a 13.1% share with 1,046,000 viewers. Canale 5’s “Beautiful” and “Innocence” maintained high ratings, with 1,843,000 (16.6%) and 1,624,000 (16.9%) viewers respectively.

Late Night Offerings

Late-night programming saw varied results. Rai 1’s “Falcone and Borsellino – The Fire of Memory” attracted 397,000 viewers (8.8%). Canale 5’s rerun of “Paperissima sprint” achieved a 12.8% share with 346,000 viewers. Italy 1’s “Jurassic Park III” drew 342,000 viewers (7.4%).