Due to lack of audience, TF 1 deprograms “Gladiators” after only two issues

Two short laps and then leaves. TF 1’s “Gladiators” didn’t rock the French Coliseum for long. This Saturday, January 4, the channel announces the cancellation of the sports program hosted by Denis Brogniart, Hélène Mannarino and Jean-Pierre Foucault.

Offered since December 27 in prime time on Fridays, this entertainment from ITV will see its last three numbers next week land in the second and third parts of the evening, instead of “Friday anything goes with Arthur”. On January 10 in prime time, TF 1 will replace “Gladiators” with a show by ventriloquist Jeff Panacloc (“Jeff Panacloc Adventure 2024”), then the following week with “Touristes”, Arthur’s show.

“We try things, sometimes it works, sometimes not”

La Une could not even console itself with a good score on the commercial target of Women responsible for purchasing aged under fifty (FRDA-50). With 10.2% market share on this indicator, “Gladiators” was well ahead of “Beauty and the Beast” on M 6 and its 22.1% FRDA-50 market share. Unacceptable for the leading PAF channel.

On December 27, the launch of the Anglo-Saxon format had already disappointed, intriguing only 1.57 million curious people for an 11.2% audience share among the general public and a market share of 16, 6% on FRDA-50.

A sign that the mayonnaise with the French public had not taken off, the novelty of TF 1 had lost no less than 700,000 people between the first and the second part of this launch evening. “We try things. Sometimes it works, sometimes not,” sums up, philosophically, a TF 1 employee this Saturday morning.