Netanyahu Boosts Channel 14 Ratings but Loses to World Cup and Popular Israeli Shows

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent appearance on Channel 14's 'The Patriots' program significantly increased the show's ratings, reaching 9% viewership, the highest in two months. This marked a notable rise from the usual 5-7% range. Despite this boost, Netanyahu's interview was outperformed by Keshet 12's popular show 'Hatunami,' which garnered 14.2% of viewers, and the World Cup soccer match between Ivory Coast and Norway, which attracted 13.1%. Following the game, the news broadcast on Kan 11 maintained a 6.7% audience share, nearly matching Netanyahu's interview numbers. Conversely, Reshet 13's 'HaMakor' recorded a low 3.5% rating.

In the news segment at 8:00 PM, the World Cup coverage dominated, with Keshet 12's news dropping to 9.8%, Channel 14's news at 5.5%, and Channel 13's news close behind at 5%. Late-night programming saw Guy Pines on Keshet 12 achieving 8.2%, while the World Cup pre-game studio on Kan 11 drew 6.2%. Other late-night shows, including 'HaTzinor' on Reshet and Channel 14's late news, had lower ratings of 2.2% and 1.8%, respectively.

Channel 14 presenter described Netanyahu's interview as "the best in recent years," highlighting its significance despite the competition from major sporting events and popular entertainment shows. The data reflects the strong appeal of the World Cup and established Israeli programs over political interviews, even those featuring the prime minister.