MEDIA
Globo may have shrunk, but it still towers over competitors
When a Globo program lands, it really lands. In 2013, bars and restaurants broadcast the final episode of the telenovela ‘Amor à Vida’ as if it were a World Cup match. Photo: Rubens Cavallari/Folhapress
Brazil's biggest reality show, Big Brother Brasil, recently wrapped a season with all the trappings of a hit. It received rave reviews. Over 130 million viewers tuned in at least once over its 100-day run. The show generated constant hum on social media. And 21 brands paid for 282 sponsored placements inside the house.
Even so, the current season got some of the lowest ratings in the program's history. Only the 2025 edition — which generated far less cultural conversation — performed worse on average since the franchise launched in Brazil in 2002.
The April 21 finale, which crowned journalist Ana Paula Renault, drew 20 “audience points” in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, according to Ibope Kantar Media. Each point represents roughly 700,000 people. That is about one-third of the 59 points that the first season finale pulled in back in 2002.
However, a different measure tells a more flattering story…
🔒 This was a free preview; the rest is behind our paywall
Don’t miss out! Upgrade to unlock full access. The process takes only seconds with Apple Pay or Stripe. Become a member.
Why you should subscribe
We’re here for readers who want to truly understand Brazil and Latin America — a region too often ignored or misrepresented by the international media.
Since 2017, our reporting has been powered by paid subscribers. They’re the reason we can keep a full-time team of journalists across Brazil and Argentina, delivering sharp, independent coverage every day.
If you value our work, subscribing is the best way to keep it going — and growing.
Interested in advertising with us? Get in touch.
Need a special report? We can do it.
Have an idea for an article or column? Pitch us
