“ante Factor” crowns a Winner Amidst Industry Debate on Music’s Metrics
Naples, Italy – Rob, representing Paola iezzi’s team, emerged victorious in a special episode of “Ante Factor” hosted by Mariasole Pollio, concluding a season marked by record viewership adn a critical discussion about the evolving landscape of the music industry.
The final pitted Rob against eroCaddeo (Achille Lauro’s team), PierC (francesco Gabbani’s team), and Delia (Jake La furia’s team). Bookmakers had favored rob leading into the competition.
The finale followed a heated exchange between Gabbani and Lauro, who publicly reconciled after a fiery argument during the Semifinal, playfully demonstrating their renewed camaraderie with a staged embrace.
Throughout the event,industry figures debated the influence of quantifiable metrics on artistic success. Giorgia emphasized that rankings don’t always reflect merit, stating, “The rankings do not necessarily follow dynamics of merit, but frequently enough record dynamics, which are true industrial dynamics.”
Achille lauro underscored the importance of perseverance, asserting, “The career of a musician is to insist, it is to resist. Whoever resists wins.” He also shared an update on Lorenzo Salvetti,a finalist from his 2023 team,who has since joined “Amici,” noting,”I stayed in touch with the mother with whom we spoke. He is 17 years old and we need to let him have all the experiences that life offers him.“
Giorgia and Paola Iezzi both acknowledged talent shows as a modern scouting ground, with Giorgia observing, “Talent has become the main vehicle for making oneself known.” though, Jake La Furia criticized the industry’s obsession with digital numbers, claiming, “Music gratitude is now measured only in numbers. It’s our fault, the majors’ fault, the entire system’s fault.” Francesco Gabbani countered, arguing, “From my personal perspective, there is still room to build careers based on credibility, which do not depend exclusively on big numbers.“
The season culminated with an average of 2 million total viewers during the Live Show phase, a 3% increase on pay television and a 4% increase on free-to-air television compared to 2024. Over 20.2 million votes were cast throughout the Live shows, a 21% increase from the previous season. The semi-final achieved a record 5.3 million votes, and social TV interactions exceeded 5 million, a 34% increase year-over-year.
