The Masked Singer Soars While Roni Kouban Slumps in Weekend Ratings
The Masked Singer surged to lead Israeli weekend television ratings with 17.5%, while Roni Kouban's interview program in Israeli media suffered a steep 32% drop following a recent controversial episode.
Saturday night television viewing figures delivered a decisive victory for Keshet 12, anchored by a strong surge from its flagship entertainment format, while public broadcaster Kan 11 experienced a sharp slump following a week of heated public debate.
The weekend prime-time battle saw "The Masked Singer" climb to an impressive 17.5% rating with 482,000 viewers, improving upon its 16.6% showing the previous week. Meanwhile, competition in the reality sector tightened as "Survivor" on Reshet 13 slipped from 13.9% down to 11.3%, drawing 338,000 viewers. Across the entire prime-time strip, Keshet 12 maintained a commanding average of 14.9%, followed by Reshet 13 at 7.6%, Channel 14 at 6.6%, and Kan 11 trailing at 3.2%.
Roni Kouban's Sharp Decline Follows Controversial Broadcast
One of the most notable regressions of the evening hit Kan 11's interview program hosted by Roni Kouban, which featured stand-up comedian Nadav Abokasis discussing his coming out and family reactions. The episode secured just 4.1% and 96,000 viewers—a steep 32% tumble resulting in the loss of roughly 45,000 viewers compared to the previous week's 5.3% and 141,000 viewers.
The program's downturn arrived on the heels of severe public scrutiny surrounding last week's guest, journalist Shlomi Eldar, who discussed personal details regarding his ex-wife. The segment drew sharp rebukes from media figures over privacy concerns, though analysts noted there is no definitive statistical link connecting the controversy directly to the latest ratings decrease.
News Race and Late-Night Lineup Shifts
In the news bulletins, Keshet 12's weekend edition anchored by Dana Weiss captured the top spot with 14% and 383,000 viewers. Channel 14 secured second place with Lital Shemesh at 6.1% (160,000 viewers), outperforming Reshet 13's news at 4.6% (127,000 viewers), while Kan 11's news rounded out the table with 3.3% and 92,000 viewers.
The late-night slots reflected similar competitive dynamics, with Keshet 12 maintaining its edge through "Avri and Sharki" at 6.5% (170,000 viewers). Channel 14's program hosted by Oded Harush closely followed with 6% (163,000 viewers), while Reshet 13's late block registered 3.4% (114,000 viewers) and a Kan 11 repeat performance drew 1.1% (24,000 viewers).
