Telecinco is moving De Viernes out of its usual slot to make room for First Dates on Friday evenings. The change means a later start and likely shorter runtime for the magazine show, signaling a shift in Mediaset’s approach to prime time scheduling.
Telecinco is making a noticeable change to its Friday night lineup. Starting September 18, First Dates will air in the early prime time slot on Fridays, which means De Viernes will begin later and likely run for less time than viewers are used to.
Until now, First Dates—hosted by Carlos Sobera—aired Monday through Wednesday. De Viernes, with Santi Acosta and Beatriz Archidona, held the Friday evening spot. That setup is ending. With the new schedule, First Dates takes over the Friday access slot, and De Viernes is set to start around 23:00. Unless the show runs late into the night, it will lose about an hour of airtime.
According to El Mundo, the new Friday schedule places First Dates at approximately 21:50, with De Viernes following at around 23:00, aligning Telecinco's evening structure across most weekdays.
This isn’t just a minor adjustment. Mediaset is backing First Dates, a show that has quietly kept strong ratings for years. By making Friday’s schedule match the rest of the week—an access show followed by the main event—Telecinco is betting on consistency and audience habits. Thursdays remain the exception, still reserved for Supervivientes.
The changes go beyond Telecinco. Mediaset is making a similar move on Cuatro, where Horizonte, hosted by Beatriz Talegón and Paco Pérez Caballero, will now start even earlier on Fridays at 21:10. The goal is clear: focus on established shows and make the viewing experience more predictable across channels.
For De Viernes, the impact is immediate. A later start means less time for interviews and exclusives, and less room to build momentum. The team will have to adjust quickly to stay relevant with a shorter window. Meanwhile, First Dates strengthens its position as Mediaset’s most reliable access prime time show, a rare achievement in a market where formats often fade quickly.
Industry sources note that Horizonte recently outperformed First Dates in audience share, reaching 961,000 viewers and 8.6% share, compared to First Dates' 734,000 viewers and 6.5% share on September 9, as reported by PR Noticias and FormulaTV.
Mediaset’s willingness to shake up its own schedule is a calculated move: maximize audience flow, reduce risk, and double down on what works.
The message is clear. Mediaset is not waiting for trends to force its hand—it is actively reshaping prime time, even if that means pushing aside established shows. In the fight for Friday night, only the strongest formats stay, and old routines won’t get in the way of ratings.
