Mediaset in front and Rai to chase. The results of the TV ratings of October 2022 present what is an absolute novelty: during the whole day the group from Cologno produced more views than public TV. Going back in time, Studio Frasi’s elaborations on Auditel data reveal a public service in the lead at least since October 2004 (and it would be very difficult to find a different result in previous years).
October is an important month of the television season: the first month to be analyzed in its entirety to verify strategies and refine objectives, listening and advertising. The first month with new productions, actually increasingly rare, rather than re-releases, new seasons, new editions of fiction and programs that have already passed. «The planning strategies of the two main publishers – explains Francesco Siliato, media analyst at Studio Frasi – are always the same, a bit like the programs. What differs is the overall strategy, the breadth of its offer to the public. Rai has chosen to stop, block the development of thematic and specialized channels. The service contract even seems to provide for their reduction ».
The appeal of TV content
A first important indication is given by Studio Frasi data on the television market itself in the sum of acknowledged and “unrecognized” TV ratings (a new category baptized by Auditel starting from 1 May and which includes streaming, but also playing with Playstation, watch a DVD, watch a movie downloaded from your PC, listen to music, scroll through the photos of your PC or smartphone on the small screen). Well, combining the data of recognized and unrecognized TV, in October 2022 the average audience – and therefore the consumption of television products – is growing compared to a year earlier both on the average day (+209.577 to 9.89 million) and in prime time (+ 560 thousand to 23.87 million media viewers). The message is clear enough (and in some ways heartening): fruition is changing, but it does not affect the appeal of television content.
Going into the details of the publishers and channels, in October for the first time Mediaset was therefore above Rai on an average day: 3.149 million media listeners for Mediaset (37.97% share) and 3.084 for Rai (37, 19%). Warner Bros. Discovery (628,129; 7.47%), Sky (623,516; 7.42%), La7 (399 thousand; 4.75%) and ViacomCbs (42,091; 0.50%) follow. In prime time Rai is still ahead of Mediaset (7.617 million equal to 37.86% share for Viale Mazzini against 7.595 million equal to 37.75% share of Mediaset. Followed by Sky (1.55 million equal to 7, 70% share); Warner Bros. Discovery (1.463 million; 7.27%); La7 (1.16 million; 5.76%) and ViacomCbs (84.327; 0.42%).
Rai can console itself with the prime time and with the primacy of Rai 1 among the channels, both on the average day and in the early evening, in front of Canale 5. The fictions are good (“Mina Settembre” and “Imma Tataranni” are the programs most viewed of the month; both on Rai 1), but on the contrary we find programs such as “What’s new” with Ilaria D’Amico on Rai 2 far below expectations. Not that these things only happen in Rai, as shown by the unfulfilled expectations of “La notte di Scherzi a parte” on Canale 5 and “Emigratis” with Pio and Amedeo.