It's official: Amadeus is leaving Rai

Official. Amadeus is leaving Rai. A meeting between the presenter and the general director of Viale Mazzini, Giampaolo Rossi, has sanctioned the divorce. A decision that has been in the air for some time now. And now made official. At the basis, from what leaks out, is the desire to engage in new professional challenges, which await him - it is now to be taken for granted as reported by Sole 24 Ore - on channel Nove of the Warner Bros Discovery group.

That of Amadeus was a choice that Rossi would take note of, despite the efforts made by Rai in recent weeks to retain the host of Affari Tuoi and the last five Sanremo festivals. A commitment that has, however, been carried out in parallel with the decision on Amadeus' successors in two of Viale Mazzini's flagship programmes. Within this framework Carlo Conti should reappear at the Festival. While for Affari Tuoi the choice would fall on Stefano De Martino, considered one of the most talented youngsters in the stable of Viale Mazzini.

"We are expecting Jovanotti at the last episode which will be on 10 May". And Amadeus will also be there "and I think it will be the last thing he does on Rai. It could be. Ama we are waiting for you'. In the morning, Fiorello, together with Biggio, Casciari and the whole 'VivaRai2!' gang, launched a final teaser, as he has done in all these days in which rumours have taken shape, also unveiling his season finale. But the indication already in the morning had dissolved the last doubts about the TV presenter's future.

As said, according to the Sole 24 Ore, Rai would have tried in every way to keep Amadeus on board, with a four-year proposal. After all, the presenter leaves behind unequivocal Midas King numbers that have turned the Sanremo Festival into a mine, certified by the 60.182 million euro collection of the last edition of the kermesse. And as far as the ratings are concerned, it is enough to look at last night, Sunday 14 April 2024, in which Rai 1 concluded the prime time access without rivals with 'Affari Tuoi' that continues to remain stable above 5.5 million (5.520 million) with a 28.4% share.

This is the possible plus for a Warner Bros. Discovery that - as told to the Sole 24 Ore by Warner Bros. Discovery in Italy and Southern Europe Alessandro Araimo - has long made it clear that it is in a position to grow its talent pool. In Italy, the US media bigwig has a multiplatform portfolio of 15 channels in addition to discovery+, the Ott on demand platform. The publisher - the third in Italy after Rai and Mediaset - in the first thirty-one weeks of this season, according to Auditel data processing by Studio Frasi, has scored a +14.25% in average day ratings (762,783, with an 8.82% share) and a 22.57% increase in prime time (1.73 million with an 8.63% share). Ahead are Mediaset (37.73% share) and Rai (36.94%) in the average daytime and Rai (37.65%) and Mediaset (36.87%) in prime time.