nuNov 15, 2026, 09:06

More than 2.1 million people watched Gijs Naber as the new Sinterklaas during arrival ceremony

More than 2.1 million viewers watched the televised arrival of Sinterklaas, which served as the official debut for actor Gijs Naber in the role. Despite high anticipation, audience numbers were lower than the 2.4 million viewers recorded last year.

The recent national arrival of Sinterklaas drew over 2.1 million television viewers, marking the debut of actor Gijs Naber in the role. Media analyst Tina Nijkamp reported that while the numbers were significant, they fell short of the previous year's viewership of 2.4 million, which remains the record set in 2014. The transition was highly anticipated, as the identity of the new Sinterklaas was kept a mystery during the lead-up in Het Sinterklaasjournaal following the departure of Stefan de Walle.

Alongside the festive coverage, other programs performed well in the daily rankings. The show Even tot hier attracted 1.8 million viewers, while Het Sinterklaasjournaal on NPO 3 secured 1.3 million. Additionally, a late-night special regarding the current political crisis drew 652,000 viewers. The selection of Naber concluded weeks of speculation, with the new actor revealed shortly before the main event took place in the Brabant region.

Culture

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Based on reporting by nu. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.

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