At 11:00 on Monday 12 October, the parade moved along Madrid’s Paseo del Prado toward Plaza de Colón. Information from RTVE, La 1’s live broadcast drew the day’s largest television audience.
The parade averaged 2,722,000 viewers and a 50.5% share. RTVE’s wider special coverage on La 1 and Canal 24 Horas averaged 2,254,000 viewers, with a 47.5% share. The parade’s audience share was its highest since 2004, while its average audience was the largest since 2017.
RTVE put the route at 1,540 metres, from the Carlos V roundabout near Atocha to Plaza de Colón along Paseo del Prado. The ceremony lasted about two hours. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presided over the Armed Forces event, accompanied by Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. RTVE said the parade involved 4,380 participants from the armed forces, police and Civil Guard, as well as civilian services, alongside 82 aircraft and 183 vehicles. Its account listed 3,850 men and 530 women among the participants, and said the event took place amid calls for elections and the migration crisis in Ceuta.
RTVE began its special coverage at 10:00 on La 1 and Canal 24 Horas. From 11:00, the parade also aired on RTVE Play and RTVE Noticias. RTVE carried it on the corporation’s news social-media channels, too.
The strong ratings extended to La 1’s morning schedule. ‘Mañaneros 360’ averaged 1,445,000 viewers and posted a 21.6% share.
‘La Hora de La 1’ won its time slot with a 24.9% share and an average audience of 372,000. La 1’s morning segment recorded a 35.7% share, RTVE said.
The channel’s Telediario averaged 1,659,000 viewers and recorded an 18.3% share. Across the full day, La 1 led Spanish television with a 15.2% share.
RTVE had previewed preparations for the Madrid ceremony. Its Monday coverage featured the parade and the surrounding morning programming, with the live broadcast starting at 11:00.
