La 1 led Spanish TV ratings with a 15.7% share, driven by the Ecuador-Germany World Cup match and live coverage of Venezuela’s earthquakes. Entertainment and news programs also posted strong results across key time slots.
La 1 secured the highest television audience share in Spain this Thursday, reaching 15.7% and outperforming competitors across all major time slots. The channel’s dominance was anchored by the live broadcast of the Ecuador-Germany World Cup match, which became the most-watched program of the day, and by comprehensive coverage of the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela.
The Ecuador-Germany clash, part of the third round in Group E of the 2026 World Cup, drew a 24.7% share and averaged 2.6 million viewers, with over 6.7 million tuning in at some point. Ecuador’s 2-1 victory over Julian Nagelsmann’s side not only led its time slot but also set the pace for the day’s television landscape. This match’s impact on Spanish viewership echoes the heightened interest seen in other key World Cup fixtures, such as the recent high-stakes encounter between Portugal and Uzbekistan, detailed in this related report.
Entertainment also played a crucial role in La 1’s performance. The third episode of ‘El perro andaluz by Manu Sánchez’ maintained its lead in the late-night slot, attracting 13.7% of the audience and averaging 711,000 viewers. The show’s appeal spanned all age groups, with particularly strong numbers among viewers aged 13 to 24 (21.4%) and 25 to 44 (18%). Regional audiences in Andalucía (16.9%), Castilla y León (16.4%), and Madrid (14.8%) contributed significantly to its success. The program’s guest lineup, including Pastora Soler, Xavier Sardà, and María Galiana, further boosted its reach to over 3 million unique viewers.
News programming was another pillar of La 1’s Thursday results. The ‘Telediario Matinal’ led its slot with a 24.8% share, providing real-time updates on the Venezuelan earthquakes of magnitudes 7.5 and 7.2. ‘La hora de La 1’ continued the coverage, drawing a 23.7% share and an average of 425,000 viewers, with more than 1.6 million unique contacts. The midday ‘Telediario 1’ reached 1.68 million viewers (18.2% share), while the evening ‘Telediario 2’ attracted 1.49 million (17% share). A special edition of ‘La noche en 24h’ on La 2 and Canal 24 horas, focused on Venezuela, registered a 4.3% share and over 2.7 million unique viewers.
Daytime and afternoon programming also contributed to La 1’s strong showing. ‘Mañaneros 360’ approached half a million viewers with a 15% share, while ‘Directo al grano’ led its slot with 11.8% and nearly 1 million average viewers. Afternoon series such as ‘La Promesa’ (13.5% share, 1.4 million unique viewers), ‘Valle Salvaje’ (11.5%, 1.5 million contacts), and ‘Malas Lenguas’ (10.4%, 1.9 million unique viewers) maintained their leadership, especially among viewers aged 45 to 60. On La 2, Jesús Cintora’s program doubled the channel’s daily average, reaching a 7.3% share and 530,000 viewers.
Other notable results included ‘Aquí la tierra’ with Jacob Petrus, which posted a 12.1% share and 925,000 average viewers, and quiz shows on La 2. ‘Saber y ganar’ led with 599,000 viewers (6.6% share), while ‘Cifras y letras’ and ‘Trivial Pursuit’ followed with 541,000 (4.9%) and 427,000 (4.6%) viewers, respectively.
For context, Spain’s television landscape in 2026 remains highly competitive, with major sporting events and breaking news driving audience spikes. Public broadcasters like La 1 continue to leverage a mix of live sports, timely news, and popular entertainment to secure leading positions in national ratings. The strong performance of both news and entertainment formats highlights the ongoing demand for diverse programming, especially during periods of international crisis or major sporting tournaments.
