TV audiences don't lie. They are bad at measuring the quality of a program, but they accurately gauge audience interest. Although Joaquín is no longer for big transfers in the world of football, on television he is 'worth' three million viewers, an outrage from other times. The Betis player has been able to exceed this figure in his visits to 'El hormiguero', on 'Antena 3', and 'Mi casa es la tuya', on Telecinco. Also in the videos on YouTube of his interventions in these programs and in others such as 'La Resistencia' and 'Late Motiv', on Movistar. The worst thing for Bertín Osborne's space is that these data never go unnoticed and the athlete will soon be a competitor.

«That Joaquín did television was a matter of time. If he hasn't done it before, it's because his schedule hasn't allowed it », assures Carmen Ferreiro, director of Entertainment Programs at Atresmedia. The footballer will make his debut this year as a presenter in his own program and will star in a documentary series about his career, both produced in collaboration with Proamagna. Despite the aforementioned agenda, even tighter than normal due to Betis' good record in the Copa del Rey, which ended up winning, the first episodes of 'Joaquín, el rookie' have already been recorded.

Joaquín Sánchez is a successful footballer, but he is not one of the most successful in Spain either. However, he ranks 14th among the most popular athletes in our country, not far behind Pau Gasol and Rafa Nadal, among others. He combines this fact with leadership in another no less important classification: he is the closest of all. These evaluations are prepared by the Personality Media consultancy, specialized in analyzing the image of public figures. It is no coincidence that Joaquín is also raffled off by advertisers. He has just released a campaign with Finetwork and has done advertising for brands such as Gillette and Pringles, among others.

Santiago de Mollinedo, general director of Personality Media, highlights Joaquín's greatest virtues and why he is so valuable: «Where the successful athlete can become a more distant and aspirational character, he achieves closeness, accompanied by a naturalness typical of characters from other backgrounds, such as actors and comedians. This generates a lot of value for a brand and for a television channel, always lacking new faces and claims for the audiences».

Carmen Ferreiro has it just as clear: «Beyond his sporting facet, Joaquín is a 'showman', with a great sense of entertainment, and is also much loved by the public." As if that were not enough, "his attitude of his has been exemplary" in the negotiations and during the sessions of the already recorded programs. "He really wants to learn from the world of television and he is very professional," highlights the board. It does not seem that his recent bullfighting controversy is going to take its toll on him in the long term.

The renewal with Betis is not something that worries Atresmedia too much either: «If he plays one more year, nothing happens; It will be the same scenario that we have had this year, in which we have taken advantage of the gaps in his busy schedule to record ».

Both spaces, the one for interviews and the documentary, are still in the production phase. «There are some programs already recorded and others still pending. We will release it this year. Regarding the documentary, we are working in parallel on the documentation part and taking advantage of some milestones to record sequences, but the calendar depends on how Joaquín's sports career evolves, since that facet is vital within a documentary of these characteristics, "he says. Ferrero.

The CEO of Personality Media considers that all successful athletes are highly valued in their studies "for aspects such as professionalism, role model, confidence and, of course, healthy living." Then, additional values ​​are added that make a difference: some are more attractive, others create trends and there is no lack of those that "stand out more in the leadership environment". "Athletes, like brands, awaken values ​​and the consumer knows perfectly how to differentiate them," explains the expert, whose company has been studying celebrities for 17 years thanks to more than 80,000 consumer interviews each year. In this time they have analyzed more than 2,900 public figures, of which more than 350 are athletes.

Joaquín's data is outstanding: he is known by 91% of the population, which is why he occupies the aforementioned 14th position. In closeness he achieves an average of 7.5, the highest among athletes, and is also the second most draws attention, with a 6.7. "These are abnormal values ​​for sport, especially in football," insists Mollinedo. "Others show the Ferrari first and hardly know how to interact with the fans. That is why they give Joaquín exceptional value. And if you add to this an unparalleled digital ability in their social networks, you have a very interesting and marketable brand in every way, with a double merit: this has not been prepared or scripted by anyone. Merit is being who you are and making everyone fall in love."

Another footballer with similar virtues is Pepe Reina, with the difference that he continues to play outside of Spain and his exposure has been less in recent years, although according to Mollinedo he is one of the most similar profiles. "I would bet on the couple for a television program in the future," he ventures. "It would be a sure hit."