“Piazza virtuale” was not a ratings hit, but it did have a measurable audience, which was not a given for a niche programme on a channel that ran only on cable. The shows were generally watched by 10,000 viewers in the first month that the programme ran, according to data from the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK), which was between 0.6 and one per cent of the total measured audience, depending on the day. 3Sat seems to have been quite satisfied with the response to the programme.

The possibility to call in to “Piazza virtuale” was apparently very popular. Viewers from that time remember that it was often possible to dial the programme’s number non-stop during the entire show without ever getting through. Among the most fantastic followers were the people who called when “Piazza virtuale” was broadcast via the Olympus satellite. This gave rise to a veritable fan club, whose members even came to Kassel to meet the programme’s makers. In Kassel, too, attempts were made to involve the audience. Between the containers there was a small café that served as a physical piazzetta in the physical space and “Access Points” that allowed for interaction with “Piazza virtuale” via video and audio.