De Martino Takes Over Sanremo: What Changes for Italian Viewers in 2027

Italy's state broadcaster RAI has locked in a multi-year plan for its flagship Sanremo Festival, pivoting from the Carlo Conti era to a younger, showman-led model built around Stefano De Martino. The 36-year-old, already a ratings magnet on Affari Tuoi, will serve as both host and artistic director starting with the 2027 edition—a consolidation of power aimed at reshaping the format for digital-first audiences.

Why This Matters:

• Record advertising revenue: Sanremo 2026 pulled in €72M for RAI Pubblicità, up 10% year-over-year, even as live viewership softened.

• Generational handoff: De Martino's appointment signals RAI's bet on retaining under-35 audiences through social-native talent rather than veteran presenters.

• Regulatory clarity: The broadcaster has opened talks to define the role of music manager Fabrizio Ferraguzzo, Måneskin's producer, to avoid conflicts of interest in artist selection.

The Conti Exit: Graceful but Definitive

Carlo Conti officially stepped down after hosting Sanremo 2026, ending a tenure that delivered mixed results this year but capped the highest advertising haul in festival history. In a brief press briefing, Conti acknowledged the "gold and bronze medal" outcome—a nod to last year's record-breaking 12.5M average viewers versus 2026's more modest 10M. Still, the finale share hit 68.8%, the third-highest since 1995.

The handoff to De Martino was staged live during Saturday's broadcast, a first for RAI and what CEO Giampaolo Rossi called "an iconic moment for the company archives." Conti himself pushed for the on-air transition as a gesture of institutional cohesion, telling reporters he valued "respect and honesty" above all in the process. Whether he'll return to RAI in another capacity remains unclear—his parting line, quoting Renaissance poetry, was "Del doman non v'è certezza" (of tomorrow there is no certainty).

Conti's two-year run included a tribute to legendary host Pippo Baudo and a visible attempt to balance tradition with digital reach. RAI netted over 1.2B video views across social platforms during the five-night event, a 13% jump in engagement from 2025, even as linear TV numbers dipped.

De Martino's Blueprint: Showman First, Curator Second

RAI's CEO Giampaolo Rossi framed the appointment as a calculated investment, not a reactionary hire. "Stefano is not just a presenter but a true showman," Rossi said, emphasizing that De Martino's contract already included an option for Sanremo when he signed his "golden deal" with the network two years ago. The move mirrors RAI's 2024 gamble placing him on Affari Tuoi after Amadeus defected to a rival broadcaster—a risk that paid off with consistent double-digit ratings.

The format itself may evolve beyond the traditional song-selection model. Rossi hinted at structural changes tied to RAI's renewed convention with the city of Sanremo, which includes provisions for "collaborative experiments" that play to De Martino's strengths as an entertainer. Translation: expect more integrated sketches, guest segments, and possibly a lighter emphasis on the jury mechanics that have dominated recent years.

What This Means for Residents

For viewers in Italy, the shift carries practical implications beyond celebrity gossip. Sanremo remains the country's most-watched annual broadcast, drawing an 86% national reach when social media is factored in. The festival drives tourism revenue for the Ligurian coast, with hotels and restaurants in Sanremo typically booking solid through March. A format refresh could either extend that halo effect—if younger audiences convert to in-person attendance—or risk alienating the over-50 demographic that still dominates linear viewership.

On the industry side, the involvement of Fabrizio Ferraguzzo as music consultant has already raised eyebrows. Ferraguzzo manages Måneskin, Achille Lauro, and Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, all of whom have competed or appeared at Sanremo. RAI's Entertainment Director Williams Di Liberatore acknowledged "an open table" to define Ferraguzzo's role and prevent conflicts, particularly around artist selection and live production deals. Expect transparency mandates from Italy's communications regulator AGCOM if any selected acts share management ties with Ferraguzzo's roster.

The 2026 Winners: Sal da Vinci's Comeback and Sayf's Breakout

Neapolitan singer Sal da Vinci claimed the top prize with Saremo io e te, a track that became an instant earworm. The 57-year-old, returning to Sanremo after a 17-year absence, collapsed to his knees when Laura Pausini announced his name, later dedicating the win "to everyone who comes from the bottom." With over 450M career streams and a 2024 viral hit (Rossetto e caffè), Sal da Vinci now has the option to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna—a slot he's publicly embraced.

Second place went to Sayf, a 27-year-old Genoa native (Tunisian mother, Italian father) whose track Tu mi piaci tanto topped the televote with 26.4% of public support. The song's rapid-fire verses reference Liguria's 2024 floods, Berlusconi, and Tenco, wrapped in a hypnotic chorus. Sayf, who worked in a bakery to fund studio time, compared his performance to Leicester City's improbable 2016 Premier League title. His mother Samia, a former court interpreter, joined him onstage for the duet night—a moment he called "a photograph of everything that matters."

Third place: Ditonellapiaga, whose cover-night performance spiked social engagement. Arisa and the duo Fedez-Masini rounded out the top five.

The Numbers That Matter

Advertising: RAI Pubblicità CEO Luca Poggi confirmed the €72M total, crediting both legacy sponsors and a wave of tech and fintech brands targeting Sanremo's under-40 surge. Combined with Olympic revenues, RAI banked over €90M in February alone.

Linear TV: The finale averaged 11M viewers and 68.9% share (Auditel Total Audience), with the second half climbing to 74.8% as the field narrowed. Peak viewership: 14.6M at 10:00 PM; peak share: 83% at 1:40 AM. Earlier nights ranged from 9M to 10.7M, a sequential climb that kept advertisers satisfied despite the year-over-year dip.

Digital: RaiPlay logged 28M on-demand streams across 560 clips during the festival week, with a finale-night peak of 580,000 simultaneous devices during De Martino's announcement. Social video views hit 1.2B, driven by TikTok and Instagram Reels featuring Sal da Vinci's hook and Sayf's political verses.

Political Noise and RAI's Defense

Undersecretary for Culture Gianmarco Mazzi publicly endorsed De Martino ahead of the official announcement, prompting accusations of political meddling. Rossi dismissed the chatter as "morbid polemics," insisting the choice emerged from "complex market analysis and talent evaluation" by RAI's management team. He pointed to De Martino's Affari Tuoi performance as proof of concept: "Many called it risky two years ago; for us, it was an investment in the future of entertainment."

The political subtext is unavoidable in a country where RAI's governance structure includes parliamentary oversight and board appointments tied to coalition dynamics. Center-right lawmakers have pushed for programming that appeals beyond coastal elites, and De Martino's working-class charm fits that directive without triggering backlash from the cultural establishment.

What Comes Next

De Martino will continue hosting Affari Tuoi through the 2026-27 season, with RAI planning a larger studio to accommodate hybrid entertainment segments. The Sanremo prep begins in earnest this spring, with artist submissions likely opening by June. Ferraguzzo's exact title and veto powers remain under negotiation, but sources inside Viale Mazzini suggest a "music advisory" model rather than sole curation.

Sal da Vinci faces a Eurovision decision by mid-March. If he declines, runner-up Sayf would inherit the slot under EBU rules. Either outcome gives Italy a credible contender after years of inconsistent results in the pan-European contest.

For residents, the takeaway is straightforward: Sanremo remains a national ritual that drives commerce, shapes pop culture, and tests RAI's ability to straddle generational divides. The De Martino era starts with a €72M cushion and a social-media infrastructure that rivals Netflix's Italian engagement. Whether that translates to sustained linear ratings—or simply a faster migration to on-demand viewing—will define RAI's strategy for the next decade.