The World Cup Changes the Airwaves: How Football Reshaped the Schedules of La 1, Antena 3 and Telecinco. During the World Cup, Spanish TV channels are massively altering their programming. La 1 is canceling its daytime shows for football, while Antena 3 and Telecinco are adjusting their premieres. These changes are affecting millions of viewers.
Spanish television is facing a major broadcast reshuffle due to the World Cup: from Thursday until July 19, the usual programming on La 1, Antena 3, and Telecinco is being changed to either capitalize on football fever or minimize audience losses. Already today, as the Spanish national team meets Cape Verde, La 1 is completely canceling its daytime broadcasts: Directo al grano, Valle salvaje, La Promesa, Malas lenguas (except on La 2), and Aquí la tierra will not air. Instead, at 16:00, a special edition of Camino a NY will kick off, followed by the live match broadcast and post-game analysis. The regular schedule will only return at 20:55 with Telediario, La revuelta, and MasterChef.
On Tuesday, programming will change again: the France vs Senegal match moves La revuelta to prime time, while Al cielo con ella shifts to a late-night slot with reruns. Aquí la Tierra gives way to news and a football studio. The DAZN platform broadcasts all 104 tournament matches live and on demand, while RTVE airs one match a day free-to-air, including all games of the Spanish team, 17 group stage matches, and key playoff encounters up to the final on July 19.
Football is already boosting ratings for La 1, and the end of the season is traditionally marked by the finals of popular shows: Supervivientes 2026 wrapped up earlier than usual, MasterChef will determine its winner on June 22, and ¿A qué estás esperando? on Antena 3 has already finished. La isla de las tentaciones is nearing its finale, while Tu cara me suena and La Voz Kids will remain on air until mid and late July, respectively.
In June, La revuelta moves from Thursday to Friday, making room for the premiere of El perro andaluz with Manu Sánchez. The evening and late-night slots on La 1 will change most frequently. Among the summer premieres are El Grand Prix, Dog House, Maestros de la costura Celebrity, and a new project, Ordena tu vida with Inés Hernand. Antena 3 is sticking to its usual formats for now, but Telecinco is preparing a series of premieres: Amor o lo que surja launches on June 22, followed by El verano se mueve, De lunes a viernes, and El show de Paz with Paz Padilla on weekends. This Thursday, the Spanish series Ella, maldita alma is released.
The World Cup is affecting not only programming: RTVE has already aired the documentary series Denominación de origen. La forja de un sueño, while HBO Max is preparing the release of Ultras, a series about football fans. Movistar Plus offers documentaries such as El último duelo: Cristiano vs. Messi, El rey Puma, and El ascenso de Diego Forlán. For the nostalgic, VinTV has brought the animated Naranjito: Fútbol en acción back to screens for the first time since 1982. Among new fictional projects are Dear England (Movistar Plus) and Brasil 1970: The Third Star (Netflix). Even Canal Cocina is launching Picoteo futbolero with recipes for football evenings.
Alongside the changes on television, football fever is also reflected in other areas. For example, in Brazil, the discussion of the starting lineup continues amid the debut at the 2026 World Cup— details about Ancelotti's decisions and the intrigue surrounding the attack have already sparked interest among fans and experts.
For reference: The World Cup traditionally becomes the biggest television event of the year in Spain. According to data from previous years, broadcasts of the national team’s matches consistently attract audiences of over 8–10 million viewers. In 2026, free-to-air broadcasting rights once again belong to RTVE, while pay platforms are expanding their reach through digital services. For TV channels, this is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to relaunch their programming, test new formats, and keep the audience’s attention amid fierce competition.
