Telecinco moves First Dates into Friday's early evening slot, delaying ¡De Viernes! and shortening its airtime. The change comes as Antena 3 brings back La Voz, raising the stakes for Friday night ratings.
Telecinco is shifting its Friday night schedule, moving ¡De Viernes! to a later slot and putting First Dates at the start of the evening. The change is a direct response to Antena 3’s new season of La Voz, which led Friday nights last year with a 13.5% average share and regularly outperformed Telecinco’s own shows. According to Spanish media and the Movistar Plus programming guide for September 14, 2026, First Dates will now air at 21:50, while ¡De Viernes! moves to 23:00. This confirms the network's new approach for the night.
By expanding First Dates to Fridays, Mediaset is relying on one of its most stable shows to help weather the competition. Hosted by Carlos Sobera, the dating show will now lead into nearly all of Telecinco’s main evening programs: La isla de las tentaciones on Mondays and Wednesdays, Supervivientes All Stars. Tierra de Nadie on Tuesdays, and now ¡De Viernes! on Fridays. Only Thursday nights remain unchanged, still reserved for the main Supervivientes All Stars gala. Industry sources, including El Periódico and El Televisero, note that this move is meant to "block" Friday nights ahead of La Voz's return, keeping ¡De Viernes! from going head-to-head with the talent show in the opening slot.
The timing is deliberate. This Friday, Antena 3 brings back La Voz with Eva González and a coaching panel of Mika, Lola Índigo, Melendi, and Pablo López. Last season, La Voz was a tough rival, at one point drawing a 15% share against ¡De Viernes!’s 10.8%, which was its lowest of the year. Telecinco’s new schedule is designed to keep ¡De Viernes! from starting at the same time as La Voz, letting First Dates take the initial hit from the talent show’s return. As El Confidencial points out, Telecinco has struggled in this slot, with First Dates sometimes drawing only about 6.5% share, behind other channels.
The result is that ¡De Viernes! will now start about an hour later and run for less time. The goal is to keep Telecinco’s late-night programming competitive, while giving First Dates the key early slot where audience numbers can swing quickly. The network is using its most reliable show as a buffer, hoping to steady viewership before handing off to its more vulnerable late-night content. Trade publications say the later start for ¡De Viernes! is meant to catch viewers who have already been "filtered" by the lead-in, possibly reducing the impact from La Voz's strong start.
El Confidencial
Mediaset’s new weekly structure now centers on First Dates. The show is no longer just another entry in the lineup—it now anchors Telecinco’s entire evening schedule. Mondays and Wednesdays pair First Dates with La isla de las tentaciones, Tuesdays with Supervivientes All Stars. Tierra de Nadie, and Fridays with ¡De Viernes!. Only Thursdays are different. This approach is meant to reinforce the network’s prime time and protect its main shows from being undercut by rival launches. As reported by El Periódico, this kind of defensive scheduling is common in Spanish television, aiming to keep viewers and limit losses to aggressive competition.
These programming changes are familiar territory for Spanish networks. As reported earlier, broadcasters often adjust their lineups to counter big launches and hold onto their audiences. Telecinco’s current shake-up is a clear example, with the network choosing stability and brand recognition over riskier new formats.
Mediaset’s decision to build its nights around First Dates is a cautious but practical move. Instead of chasing new ideas, the network is sticking with proven shows to hold its ground against Antena 3’s push. The real test will come as the new Friday lineup goes up against La Voz. If First Dates can provide a steady lead-in and keep Telecinco’s late-night share from slipping further, the strategy will have worked. If not, the network may have to rethink its approach in the ongoing fight for Spain’s prime time viewers.
