In the unforgiving world of traditional media, TVA Sports executives are currently on a tightrope dealing with the challenges posed by Jean-Charles Lajoie's show.
Journalist Maxime Truman's recent revelations shine a harsh light on the show's disastrous ratings and highlight a thorny dilemma for the network's decision-makers.
Viewer ratings JiC vs Le 5 à 7 (excerpt from @DLCoulisses) ➡️ pic.twitter.com/jcgzVoXM98
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) January 23, 2024
With an average of just 21,000 viewers per broadcast, Lajoie's show appears to be the worst return on investment for TVA Sports, even though the famous host is the network's highest-paid employee.
Compared to RDS's 5 à 7, which draws an average of 36,000 viewers, the difference in popularity is significant and highlights the challenge facing those in charge of TVA's sports programming.
Like Brendan Gallagher of TVA Sports, Jean-Charles Lajoie represents a thorn in the side of managers because his contract, which runs until 2026, effectively protects him from early dismissal.
This situation leaves those responsible at the station little scope to remedy the situation and adjust their programming schedule.
The parallel to the ice hockey world is striking, where players like Brendan Gallagher are sometimes considered too expensive in relation to their performance on the ice. In Lajoie's case, his high fee does not seem to be justified by the meager viewership of his show.
The traditional media landscape is in crisis, and these viewership numbers reflect a deeper malaise. TVA Sports managers must therefore juggle financial issues while trying to maintain a balance between honoring current contracts and the need to adapt to a changing and demanding audience.
At a time when traditional media is experiencing turmoil, it remains to be seen how TVA Sports will approach this thorny challenge, perhaps hoping to find innovative solutions to breathe new life into its programming niche. Nothing is going well in this area and the future of Lajoie's show could well be the epicenter of the crucial decisions that lie ahead for the network.