After almost 20 years in Cuatro's morning lineup, 'Alerta cobra' is being replaced by morning reruns of 'El chiringuito', the sports talk show led by Josep Pedrerol. The police series first aired on the channel in 2007. The change takes effect immediately, with 'El chiringuito's' first morning broadcast scheduled for 08:15 on Cuatro.
The move comes as 'El chiringuito' makes its Mediaset debut after more than a decade on Atresmedia. The show will air live late at night on Energy from Monday to Thursday at 23:45, and on Sundays at 00:00 on Cuatro. Mediaset will rebroadcast each episode the following morning on Cuatro, aiming to reach a broader audience and strengthen its morning ratings. Cuatro's new schedule opens at 07:45 with 'Toma salami'. 'El chiringuito' follows at 08:15, while 'En boca de todos' is scheduled for 10:30.
Television listings published for 22 and 23 October 2026 also included 'Alerta cobra' on Cuatro. El Correo scheduled “Tras el rastro de mi padre” from 08:15 to 09:00 on 22 October, while El Comercio listed “Código fantasma” from 09:00 to 10:00 the following day. Las Provincias and El Norte de Castilla also carried episodes in their schedules during that period. These listings show the series remained in published guides around the schedule change, but they do not establish a permanent renewal or a definitive end date.
The change means 'Alerta cobra', a fixture in Cuatro's mornings that often filled gaps in the schedule, will lose its three daily episodes and disappear from the channel's lineup. The series has faced interruptions and replacements over the years. Its removal now marks the end of an era for Cuatro's daytime viewers.
Mediaset hopes to use 'El chiringuito's' popularity to attract sports fans and boost viewership in a time slot that has traditionally relied on imported series. The company has also announced the possibility of special Saturday editions during major sporting events, following an approach Atresmedia previously used, but with greater visibility on Cuatro. Spanish television audience reporting commonly measures performance by viewers and audience share, allowing comparisons between programs and time slots.
A separate German example illustrates the value of extending established series across platforms, though its results cannot be assumed to apply to Mediaset or Cuatro. At MIPCOM in Cannes, RTL Deutschland chief executive Stephan Schmitter and YouTube executive Pedro Pina discussed the release of more than 200 episodes of Germany's 'Alarm für Cobra 11' on YouTube. A 2026 report put the series' total above 30 million views. It said about 83% of viewers were male, with an average age of roughly 30, and reported a 123% rise in first-time views on RTL+ alongside a 26% increase in subscriptions associated with the series. Schmitter described YouTube as an additional channel that pairs RTL's content and brand with the platform's reach and ability to attract new audiences.
The arrival of 'El chiringuito' is being positioned as one of the first major launches of the new television season. The dual-channel approach, with the show airing live on Energy and rebroadcasting on Cuatro, is intended to capture different audience segments. Spanish networks are increasingly testing cross-channel strategies to extend their reach and adapt to changing viewing habits.
Spanish television has seen several shifts in recent years as channels compete for audience share in prime-time and morning slots. Prioritizing a sports debate program over a long-running police series reflects the growing influence of live sports content and its ability to lead ratings. As noted in a recent report on how Spanish cities compete for major entertainment events, broadcasters are increasingly focused on programming that can deliver immediate audience engagement and social media buzz.
Mediaset's gamble on 'El chiringuito' signals a new direction for Cuatro's mornings. Its performance may shape future scheduling decisions across Spanish television as networks respond to changing viewer preferences and competition for ratings.
