Presenter Chantal Janzen secured a television hit with her RTL 4 music game show Hitster, maintaining an audience of 877,000 viewers in its second week, according to a report by mediacourant.nl. The figures arrive after a prolonged series of ratings flops for the Dutch presenter, providing relief for the network but creating immediate pressure for competitor SBS 6 ahead of a major launch.
Hitster Holds Audience Despite Competition
The music format debuted with over a million viewers before dropping roughly 15 percent to 877,000 for its second episode. Television ratings expert Tina Nijkamp noted the performance establishes the show’s viability, stating via mediacourant.nl that Hitster is a HIT!
and adding that after crossing the million-viewer threshold in week one, the program is effectively shielded from becoming a major failure. The second-week retention came even as RTL 4 scheduled the program against the return of NPO 1’s popular entertainment show Even Tot Hier.
Breaking a Long Record of Program Disappointments
The sustained numbers mark a sharp departure from Janzen’s recent broadcasting history on the channel. Over previous years, the presenter fronted a succession of cancelled or underperforming formats including Janzen & Van Dijk, &Chantal, Chantal Komt Werken, Doe Het Lekker Zelf, Chantals Pyjama Party, Chantals Beauty Camper, De Piano, Fout Maar Goud, Blow Up, All Together Now, Time to Dance, and Beat the Best. Among those, De Piano dropped from 884,000 to 446,000 viewers across three episodes, while Fout Maar Goud hit a low of 393,000 viewers. Television critic Victor Vlam previously characterized Janzen as the flopkoningin onder de televisiepresentatoren,
a designation challenged by the performance of Hitster.
Chantal Janzen pakt miljoen kijkers met nieuwe RTL-show Hitster https://t.co/NiBAt1RxHg
SBS 6 Prepares Rival Talent Show Sing With Me
While RTL 4 maintains its Sunday-adjacent music offering, SBS 6 prepares to launch its own large-scale music format, Sing With Me, hosted by Jaap Reesema. Network director John de Mol recently identified the new talent contest on Radio 538’s Edwin Evers program as his primary current project, intended for international distribution. Nijkamp criticized the scheduling strategy, pointing out to mediacourant.nl that launching two weeks after Hitster established its audience creates an uphill battle. Dit gaat nog een héle kluif worden voor Jaap Reesema en zijn talentenjacht Sing with me op SBS 6,
Nijkamp stated, calling the scheduling window a questionable choice for such a costly production.
Viewer Questions About the Weekend Ratings Battle
How many people watched the second episode of Hitster?
The second episode drew 877,000 viewers on RTL 4, according to figures cited by mediacourant.nl. This followed a premiere audience of over a million.
What did John de Mol say about Sing With Me?
John de Mol described the talent show during an appearance on Radio 538 with Edwin Evers as his most important current project, noting that the format is designed to be sold internationally.
When does Sing With Me premiere on SBS 6?
The Jaap Reesema-hosted talent show is scheduled to broadcast on Saturday, entering the television schedule two weeks after Hitster began its run.
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