Canale Nove, so with Crozza and Fazio aims to climb the share

They have already renamed it the test of 9. And as in fairy tales the wicked witch, this time mamma-Rai offers Prince Charming Fabio Fazio to the Cinderella of generalist TVs on a silver platter. Canale Nove thanks and prepares the great feast of programming. Now, it will be up to the father of “Che tempo che fa…” to bring a slice of advertising and a valuable public for advertisers. A refined coup by Alessandro Araimo, number one for Europe of Warner Bros Discovery, where there is no trace of politics but of mere industrial philosophy. Other than armchair wars as happens in Viale Mazzini, Nove’s horizon is to break into the Auditel with the Crozza-Fazio couple and gobble up part of the prime time on the Italian television weekend. A commercial-style operation that in the strategic algorithms of those who thought it up can yield several million euros a year. After all, in the challenges of the market, an extra point of share is worth millions (in euros) and commas and decimals make the difference, as explained by Giancarlo Leone, former Rai manager, when he remarks that Warner Bros Discovery is already the third largest publisher in Italy, after Rai and Mediaset, with an average daily share of 7.7%. Decimals that weighed both in Crozza’s transition to the net, years ago, and in Fazio’s today. For this reason they had long gestations in the negotiations and for this reason they respond to the industrial logic of a publishing group, insists Leone, «which already distributes its publishing products both in the generalist networks (9, Dmax and Realtime ed) and in satellite and on demand ». And therefore, in the logic that even half a point more weekly share is also worth from 2 to 4 million euros, we understand the advantages that television competition can derive from the farewell to Raitre by Fabio Fazio and Lucia Annunziata who make the one and a half to two million viewers a week. These are estimates, of course, but if it is true that Fazio on Raitre has an average share of 12% (the last episode was , followed by 2.8 million viewers and a 15.4% share ) and on Canale 9 were to make half of it, i.e. 6 percent, this would in any case bring ten to fifteen million euros more into Warner Bros. Discovery’s coffers every year, according to the well-informed. Not really crumbs for the generalist network at the last number key on the remote control which at the end of 2021 turnover (last balance sheet filed) had a turnover of 259 million euros from revenues (mainly advertising) with a net profit of 21 million euros. But “then – resumes the former director of Raiuno Giancarlo Leone – the arrival of Fazio will not only bring more ratings but will completely illuminate channel 9 again: in short, a truly excellent operation”. Yes, like the one scored a few years ago with Crozza who moved from La7 to the so-called “third pole” after a delicate negotiation with Rai that aborted one step away from signing the contracts. There too, Rai lost the opportunity, and Discovery took advantage of it, as it also tried to do 4 years ago when it signed a preliminary contract with Fazio himself if he could not find an agreement on the renewal with Viale Mazzini. Now that the deal is closed with Fazio, they let Warners understand that there won’t be any more excellent shots. But never say never also because Roberto Siliato of Studio Frasi argues “there is an important similarity between Lucia Annunziata’s audience and that of “Che tempo che fa”, and homogenizing “that audience into a single network would contribute even more to polarize the attention on il Nove and to retain that type of viewer», which according to the analyzes elaborated by “Studio Frasi” has a passion for talk shows dedicated to political debate and a predilection for the talks of the third public service network, from Il horse and the tower in direct grip, “but they show affection – says Siliato – even for half past eight and they don’t neglect Tuesdays which they prefer to #Carta Bianca”. In short, the Talk game – numbers in hand – is the one that will best characterize the next television season. And Canale 9 is ready to play the game. With Fazio who will have the same location (Sunday) and time slot that he had on Raitre without excluding a priori, however, a format also on Saturday as in the good old days of Rai. If this were the case Nove – which now gets a 1.3% share on Saturdays and 1.6% on Sundays – would bring home three peaks of great audiences starting from Friday with Crozza (4.3% share) until Sunday with Fazio: a game at which point to rise beyond the current 2% (even a lot) for a longer weekend of “big” audiences and revenues on the horizon. Certainly only in this way could Warner Bros. Discovery as a publisher (today at 7%) increase its share to more than 7.2% to surpass Sky at 7% and bring La7 closer together which, with its 4.5% share in prime time, remains anchored above Rete 4 at 4.2%. In short, as Giancarlo Leone says, there are at least three good reasons for closing the deal with Warner: «An important impact on audiences – explains Giancarlo Leone – with revenues that exceed the cost of the operation, a new light on the network and the impulse that this will also have on the rest of the entire programming». More simply: higher ratings, greater penetration in the generalist TV sector and more advertising revenues. In short, the test of 9 is perfectly successful. At least on paper.