The programming schedule for Rai 1 is set to change significantly on February 15, 2025, to make room for a special extended episode of the popular talk show Domenica IN, hosted by Mara Venier. This decision follows the climax of the 75th Festival della Canzone Italiana, which will take place just before the new changes go live.
Starting at 2 PM, the special episode of Domenica IN will be broadcast live from the Teatro Ariston, featuring all 29 contestants of this year's Sanremo Festival. Unlike its standard time slot, this episode is scheduled to run until 7:55 PM, effectively leading right up to the evening news segment, Tg1.
Due to this extended airing, the regular programming will experience notable interruptions. Most prominently, the beloved quiz show L'Eredità, hosted by Marco Liorni, will not be aired on February 16, nor will Affari Tuoi, helmed by Stefano De Martino. Instead, the slot previously held by Affari Tuoi will be replaced with Dietro Festival, showcasing behind-the-scenes content from the Sanremo Festival's five-day extravaganza.
Marco Liorni has enjoyed considerable success with L'Eredità, achieving viewership peaks of nearly 5 million and a 29% share during its standard time. While his new prime-time talent show Ora o mai più has struggled, pulling only around 2.2 million viewers and 16-17% share, Liorni's popularity remains high with the general public.
Meanwhile, as the world prepares for the Sanremo Festival, which begins officially the night of February 15, the network's audience is bracing for changes. Sanremo, known for capturing the collective attention of Italians during its week-long event, will render Affari Tuoi absent from the airways from February 15 to February 21. During this time, Rai 1 will instead air special segments related to the festival and will kick off the event itself with the PrimaFestival show hosted by Gabriele Corsi and others, before the festival kicks off at 8:40 PM with Carlo Conti at the helm.
The absence of Affari Tuoi during this period is not alarming to fans, though it does maintain expectations on how the Sanremo Festival will perform against the regular programming. The expectation is for the festival to bring substantial viewer engagement, continuing the show's historic trend of capturing viewer interest.
Originally, this adjustment is made annually for Sanremo when traditional programming prepares for the influx of festival viewers, but the departure of popular shows like Affari Tuoi, which frequently exceeds 6 million viewers, will undoubtedly be felt.
Looking back historically, Sanremo has become synonymous with the Italian cultural calendar, and its ability to dominate the airwaves during this period is no small feat. Experts predict the festival's ratings will surpass those typically garnered by regular programming, ensuring high engagement levels.
Fans of Rai 1 can look forward to the event's rich lineup and riveting performances, as the channel sacrifices some of its high-performing shows temporarily to create space for this quintessentially Italian celebration of music and culture.
This balancing act of programming demonstrates Rai 1's commitment to offering viewers compelling content, even if it requires pauses for fan-favorite shows.
With the promise of captivating performances and the emotional resonance of the festival, audiences eagerly await what promises to be another unforgettable Sanremo Festival.