The return of “MasterChef Celebrity” to the Telefe screen is not just another premiere, but rather the channel’s last big bet to recover the unattainable leadership that it gave up to El Trece. “The Argentine Voice”in its latest edition, led by Nico Occhiatofails to sustain the expected rating and allows a dangerous approach by its competitors in that time slot.
In the corridors of the station it is said that this season will be decisive, since the current management of Telefe needs to demonstrate that it can generate success without depending solely on “Big Brother”, the tank that held the grid in recent years and that in its last edition had a turnover of no less than 94 million dollars.
The date chosen for the most famous stoves on television to be turned on will be Tuesday, October 14, with Wanda Nara again as host, accompanied by the most recognized trio of jurors of all the culinary broadcasts on the small screen: Donato De Santis, Damián Betular and Germán Martitegui.
To stir the hornet’s nest, Telefe bet heavily with an advertising campaign whose ironic nod to the famous “Icardi peanut” was a trend on social networks and caused it to spread on portals and gossip programs. That spot of a group therapy session led by Wanda marked the playing field, making it clear that when it comes to visibility, anything goes.
The expectation of the channel is very high. At management desks there is talk of 13 minimum rating points as a symbolic objective of success. If the program moves between 11 and 13 points, it will be acceptable but if it is around 10, as is currently the case with “La Voz Argentina”, it will be considered a failure and the “advance “Big Brother” protocol will be activated.
Below 10 points, some heads will roll and above 13, they will celebrate with French drinks. This has a clear reason: the investment is millionaires. The monthly cost of the program, at least in the first months with all active participants, is around $1.5 million, plus another $500,000 in licenses and production fees, equivalent to 15 percent and 18 percent of the final budget. For this structure to be sustained, it is essential to bill with advertising rounds, PNT and brands associated with the gastronomic universe, which accompany the performances of the participants. There is no room for half measures: either the rating supports or the economic equation becomes unbalanced.
Saints and sinners
The casting choice was not naive. Telefe put together a group of 24 participants designed to generate conversation on all fronts. There are traditional media figures, controversial personalities and young influencers with enormous digital reach. Among them: Pablo Lescano, Evangelina AndersonAlex Pelao, Valentina Cervantes, Luis Ventura, Sofía Martínez, The JoaquiDiego “Peque” Schwartzman, Momi Giardina, Maxi López, Esteban Mirol, Emilia Attias, Andy Chango, Susana Roccasalvo, Jorge “Roña” Castro, Ian Lucas, Marixa Balli, Eugenia Tobal, Agustín “Cachete” Sierra, Miguel Angel Rodriguez“Chino” Leunis, Julia Calvo and Sofía “La Reini” Gonet.
The plan is clear, Ventura (América TV) and Roccasalvo (Channel 9) They guarantee minutes on open television outside of Telefe in their respective programs; Maxi Lopezdue to his history with Wanda, ensures presence in portals and magazines, plus international litigation with Mauro Icardi from Turkey; and the influencers Ian Lucas (5.3 million followers on Instagram), Alex Pelao (2.5 M), Momi Giardina (1.6 M) and Sofía Gonet (726 thousand) guarantee circulation in networks. The logic is simple and pyramidal: traditional media install the program, networks amplify and search engines complete the visibility strategy.
The digital bet is also strong. Nati J and Grego Rossello They will be at the forefront of live streaming, with their online “react” for teenagers and young people who prefer to follow the program from their devices, commenting and giving their opinions in real time. It is a way to capture an audience that no longer sits in front of the television, but does actively participate from the platforms. Telefe knows that this type of complementary consumption can boost the linear rating and amplify the conversation on networks, a space where brands also want a presence.
intimate enemy
One of the great stars of the reality show is without a doubt, Maxi López. Not only because of his history with Wanda Nara, but because he has been taking cooking classes for weeks and perfecting techniques so as not to be exposed to the jury. The personal tension between the two is one of the ingredients that Telefe hopes to turn into rating fuel. On the networks there is already speculation with crosses, hints and spicy phrases that can mark memorable television moments. Wanda has already promised that if she wins the contest she will return the house in Santa Bárbara, while if she loses, she cannot get anything from him, “because I already took everything from him,” she confided in the official Instagram account of “MasterChef Celebrity.”
The jury, meanwhile, returns with the usual authority. Donato De Santis, Damián Betular and Germán Martitegui They make up a consolidated trident: one represents popular warmth, another the technical demand and the third extreme rigor. Unlike other seasons, this time they are also part of the communication strategy: they participated in the previous campaign and in spots where they appeared closer to Wanda, who positions herself as “the fourth musketeer.”
time bomb
However, not everything is euphoria. At Telefe there is concern about Wanda’s exposure and the risk that personal conflicts will overshadow the program. A media confrontation with Maxi Lopez It is manageable, but with Mauro Icardi and “China” Suárez as enemies, it is another level of “war”. Wanda has millions of followers, but also a legion of detractors. The hashtag #BlackoutAWanda After the peanut advertisement, it remained a trend on social networks for several days, and the channel’s management already asked him to moderate his public speech. Their advisors work along those lines, although the channel knows that its unpredictable nature is part of the charm and risk.
For Telefe, “MasterChef Celebrity” It is more than a cooking reality show. It is the litmus test of a management that needs to show concrete results before the renewal of authorities. If the program fails to prevail, a structural problem will be exposed, that a channel cannot depend exclusively on a reality show (“Big Brother”) and a single host (Santiago del Moro) to lead Argentine television. In addition to having figures that have recently become controversial, such as Marley, Lizy Tagliani and Jésica Ciriowho already left the signal. And all this without having found a replacement for the former news anchor. Cristina Perez.
The return of “MasterChef Celebrity” is not just the return of a proven format, it is a comprehensive operation that combines scandal, entertainment, digital strategy, ratings and money. A high-risk game in which Telefe bets all its chips to show that it can still cook a television hit from scratch. If he achieves this, he will strengthen his leadership. Otherwise, you will have to shuffle, rethink the identity of the signal and give it again.
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