The Saturday night television ratings battle in Italy on , saw a narrow victory for Mediaset’s C’è Posta per Te, though the gap is closing with Rai1’s The Voice Kids. Maria De Filippi’s long-running emotional show garnered 3,590,000 viewers and a 23.9% share, edging out Antonella Clerici’s talent competition, which attracted 3,207,000 viewers and a 21.6% share.
While C’è Posta per Te maintained its position as a Saturday night staple, several reports indicate a slight dip in viewership, raising questions about the show’s long-term trajectory. The performance of The Voice Kids is particularly noteworthy, as it demonstrated a strong showing and is steadily gaining ground on its competitor. This suggests a potential shift in audience preferences, or at least a growing appetite for alternative programming on Saturday evenings.
The broader primetime landscape revealed a strong performance for Rai across several key slots. Affari Tuoi on Rai1, airing in the access prime time slot, led with 4,172,000 viewers (22.5%), surpassing Canale 5’s La Ruota della Fortuna, which reached 4,010,000 viewers (21.5%). Rai also dominated the preserale with L’Eredità attracting 3,733,000 viewers (23%) and Caduta Libera drawing 2,181,000 viewers (14.2%).
Beyond the head-to-head competition, the evening’s programming offered a diverse range of options for viewers. The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, broadcast on Rai2, drew significant interest, with the Curling event attracting 1,989,000 viewers (10.7%) and the Figure Skating competition reaching 2,088,000 viewers (12%). La7’s talk show, In altre parole, also performed well, reaching 1,215,000 viewers (6.6%) in its first segment.
Other notable performances included Miami Supercops on Rete4, which entertained 506,000 viewers (3%), and Una notte al museo 2 – La fuga on Italia 1, which drew 757,000 viewers (4.4%). However, Rai3’s La città ideale struggled to gain traction, reaching only 571,000 viewers (3.5%).
Looking at the daytime programming, Rai1’s Unomattina in Famiglia led the morning with 1,078,000 viewers (19.7%), while Canale5’s TG5 Mattina attracted 1,067,000 viewers (21.5%). The afternoon saw strong numbers for the Olympics on Rai2, with events consistently drawing over 2 million viewers. Forum on Canale5 also performed well, reaching 1,026,000 viewers (11.8%).
In the second evening programming block, Rai1’s I Vinili di… Vittoria Puccini garnered 794,000 viewers (15.5%), while Canale5’s Speciale TG5 attracted 719,000 viewers (14.4%). Rai2’s continued coverage of the Winter Olympics drew 1,056,000 viewers (7.6%).
The telegiornali (news broadcasts) saw Rai1’s evening edition leading with 4,057,000 viewers (23.2%), followed closely by Canale5’s TG5 with 3,127,000 viewers (17.7%).
the evening’s ratings demonstrate a competitive television landscape in Italy. While C’è Posta per Te remains a popular choice, the increasing strength of The Voice Kids and the consistent performance of Rai’s programming suggest a dynamic market where audience preferences are constantly evolving. The ongoing Winter Olympics coverage also proved to be a significant draw for viewers, adding another layer of competition to the Saturday night schedule.
