Spanish television programming has undergone a major shift in recent months, with the access-to-prime-time slot becoming the new battlefield for viewership, attracting the attention of media and audiences alike. Since the premiere of La Revuelta (2024—), broadcast on the public channel “La 1” and hosted by David Broncano, each day, audiences tune in to see whether this, or the long-running talk show El Hormiguero (2006—), which airs on Antena 3 and is hosted by Pablo Motos, has dominated the ratings, with the conversation often expanding onto social media.

Fig. 1: Pablo Motos (left) hosting El Hormiguero; David Broncano (right) hosting La Revuelta (Source: Xataka).

Talk shows are anything but new to television programming. However, in Spain, they have been catapulted to the forefront of the access-to-prime-time slot and become the go-to format for several generalist channels (i.e. non-thematic channels targeting a large, diverse audience). This transformation is driven by several factors: a very competitive media industry, a transformation in audience consumption patterns, the influence and familiarity of US formats and narrative codes, and the specificities of Spanish programming strategies.

Regarding the latter, Spain’s prime time greatly differs from other European programming by starting much later in the evening, typically around 10:30 pm, with some flagship shows starting even later and access-to-prime-time programmes overlapping with the “official” start of prime-time. This poses a growing issue as audience consumption patterns change. Spanish viewers are increasingly reluctant to commit to watching shows that start that late in the evening and run until the early morning hours, particularly on workdays when they have an early start the next day. As a result, many turn to on-demand services with diverse catalogues that not only offer them tailored content, but also allow them to watch at their convenience. This context forces networks to rethink established formats and programming decisions, and consider the question: is access-to-prime-time becoming the new prime time?

In this context, networks face the important challenge of securing viewers in the earlier broadcast window and preventing them from turning to competitors, which include both linear TV channels and streaming platforms (or even short-form content platforms). Talk shows then become the perfect solution to overcome said challenge due to their high-energy and dynamic content that keeps viewers engaged into later-night hours.

Networks seem to have noticed this change this season, betting on this format more heavily than ever with the aforementioned La Revuelta in RTVE, El Hormiguero in A3Media, and Babylon Show, hosted by Carlos Latre and aired in Telecinco, which belongs to the media group Mediaset. The latter had a very short run, though, due to the other two programmes capturing most of the viewers’ attention. It is very significant that all three major media groups (one public—RTVE —and two commercial ones) decided to start the season battling in access-to-prime-time with talk shows for the first time.

Although this scenario is very specific to Spanish television, there are strong similarities to US late-night-show dynamics. In fact, the origins of the talk show genre, in all its formats and subgenres, is in the United States market (Bondebjerg, I. et al., 2008). Some of the elements that can be identified as late-night style, despite being aired in Spanish access-to-prime-time, are a blend of information and entertainment, the use of humour, discussion of current affairs and being a host-driven format (Munson, 1993).

Fig. 2: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and guest Seth Meyers (Source: Scott Kowalchyk/CBS).

It is also because of this that the format is well-known for its ability to build viewer loyalty, as hosts are usually very popular among audiences and become household names themselves due to their charisma and comedy background. Much like the United States, the talk show hosting landscape in Spain remains a male-dominated field.

Although European broadcasters import US television talk shows, regions adapt the genre to their own cultural idiosyncrasies. For instance, in France, rather than the live studio audience being in front of the stage, it is common for programmes to set up a surrounding seating area, creating a more immersive setup and atmosphere. In Spain, the main successful reference that was clearly inspired by US programming and aired during prime time or late-night hours was the show Buenafuente, which was shown on Atresmedia from 2005 until 2011 with the host later continuing his late-night career. However, then, there was less evidence of the fierce competitive scenario of this season, where Spanish networks have chosen to place them in the access-to-prime-time slot, a much earlier period, pointing to a strategic shift.

Until now, El Hormiguero was the to-go show for well-known national and international celebrities to promote their work in a relaxed, casual atmosphere, as well as for political figures to engage with audiences in light-hearted interviews that allowed them to showcase a more personal side. The latter was particularly common during presidential campaigns, with candidates hitting what in the US is referred to as “the talk show circuit”, with the objective of attracting potential voters that might not be as politically active and keep up with political news in platforms different from more formal news programmes.

The arrival of La Revuelta disrupts this scenario and presents a strong alternative for high-profile guests seeking to connect with a broad audience. The programme is an evolution (so to say) of the extremely popular show La Resistencia, aired on the pay television platform Movistar Plus+ from 2018 until July 2024. This year, RTVE acquired the programme and, although they had to change the name and brand identity for legal reasons, the team, production company, structure and show dynamics are the same, which ensures continuity.

This familiarity, along with the perk of it being aired on the main publicly owned channel on Spanish broadcast television (DTT) has meant a positive reception from audiences and they have reflected on this new scenario on social media, sharing their impressions and comparing both programmes not only in terms of ratings, but also content. For instance, during the first episode of this season, El Hormiguero had a member of the Spanish royal family (Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbón) whereas La Revuelta featured Aitor Francesena, a world champion in adaptive surfing. This contrast sparked a lively debate around both programmes aligning with specific values and even political ideologies, which reinforces both the social and political relevance of talk shows and the role of audiences as active participants shaping and reacting to the television landscape. This social conversation is likely to be amplified, as the programmes leverage the fragmented nature of the late-night talk show format to craft their digital promotional strategies and upload short-form content to social media, expanding viewer engagement.

One of Spain’s leading media consultancy firms has also noticed the spotlight that these shows have and contributed to the conversation by creating an infographic that directly compares audience data of both shows revealing that, although there is some demographic overlap, the profile of audiences is distinct enough to warrant sustained competition for (at least) the remainder of the season.

Fig. 3: Audience data confronting La Revuelta and El Hormiguero on their first week of broadcast competition (Source: Barlovento).

This new scenario and the emergence of talk shows as a central component of Spanish access-to-prime-time programming reflects not only a shift in television strategies but also a broader transformation in how audiences engage with media. The battle for viewership in this new slot is not merely about ratings, but also about capturing the pulse of the public, adapting to changing cultural currents, and shaping the discourse in a way that resonates far beyond the screen.

 

Dr. Elisa Paz is a Communication Researcher and Lecturer with a PhD in Audiovisual Communication from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain). Her research interests are in media studies and popular culture, and she has published on topics such as social media marketing and television strategies, OTT services, gender representation, and digital audiences. Currently, she is a lecturer at EU Business School and UOC and serves as a Communication Officer for ECREA. Dr Paz has participated in state-funded research projects in Spain and regularly presents her work at international conferences. She can be reached at elisa.epz@gmail.com.

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