Turkish Dizi Exports and Ratings Wars — 2026-09-23
The new 2026-27 season ratings battle has intensified as schools reopened, with Star TV's "Tuzlu Kahve" seizing the Tuesday-night lead and weekly channel leadership changing hands. Domestic cancellation watch is focused on "A.B.İ." amid reported final decision rumors, while distributor MediaHub added a new Turkish drama to its global slate — a small but notable MIPCOM-season distribution signal.
Turkish Dizi Exports and Ratings Wars — 2026-09-23
Top developments
Star TV's "Tuzlu Kahve" leads the Tuesday ratings war
On September 22, 2026, Star TV's new-season production "Tuzlu Kahve" emerged as the night's leader in Turkey's ratings race, with TGRT Haber noting the lead changed amid tightened competition and that the season's new dramas "shook the thrones" of established rivals. The following night's tables (reported September 23) again named "Tuzlu Kahve" and "Haysiyet" among the night's key winners, with several heavily promoted launches reportedly stumbling.
"A.B.İ." faces final decision claims — then rebounded
Turkish media report that "A.B.İ." is heading toward a finale, with claims that the drama "Hamal" will replace it in the slot; the reports cite declining ratings as the trigger. However, in the September 22 tables the series rose in all three metrics (Total, AB and ABC1) despite a reported lead-actor change, complicating the cancellation narrative. Turkish outlets are framing this as a live decision rather than a settled one.
Weekly channel leadership flipped as schools reopened
Onedio reported that in the week of September 13–19 the channel-level weekly ratings summit changed hands, with the previous leader falling to third — evidence that the months-long rivalry among networks is recalibrating as the new season's lineup beds in. Monday-night figures from the same stretch showed "Uzak Şehir" recovering while "Altı Üstü İstanbul" surged toward a record.
MediaHub adds Turkish drama "Roses" to global distribution slate
BroadcastPro ME reported (September 22) that distributor MediaHub has added the Turkish drama "Roses" to its global distribution slate — a timely addition ahead of the autumn pre-MIPCOM selling window, when international buyers pick up newly launched dizi titles. For producers, early distributor pickups in the launch weeks of the 2026-27 season are an important indicator of which series will travel.
Local view
Turkish entertainment media is squarely focused on the nightly ratings table battle and the "A.B.İ." final claims. Onedio ran the A.B.İ. rebound story ("Final was claimed — but it rose in three categories at once") and the channel-leadership shakeup, while TGRT Haber and MedyaFaresi are publishing daily ratings breakdowns naming the night's "absolute winner". The framing among local outlets is that early-season momentum will decide which new dramas survive and which get pulled — the mechanism behind Türkiye's high early-cancellation rate.
Context & numbers
HaberGo reported within the past week that Turkish dizi export revenue in 2026 has surpassed the $600 million level, positioned as a record for the industry and paired with claims about the sector's role as a tourism driver. This tracks with the broader trajectory — exports exceeded $500 million from 300+ productions sold to roughly 200 countries in 2024, and the Culture and Tourism Ministry has cited over $1 billion in cumulative export figures — making the $600M annual claim a figure to verify against official İHB/İTO data.
On the radar
- Resolution of the "A.B.İ." final question — whether "Hamal" indeed replaces it in the slot, per widespread Turkish press claims (flagged as claims, not confirmed by the broadcaster).
- Pre-MIPCOM distribution announcements such as MediaHub's "Roses" pickup — watch for further slate additions from Turkish producers over the coming weeks.
- Whether "Tuzlu Kahve" holds the Tuesday lead into October, and whether the September 13–19 channel-leadership change proves durable.
- Rumor watch: Turkish trade press chatter about producers eyeing new markets following Latin America and Middle East success (flagged as rumor-level reporting until confirmed deals emerge).
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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