The recent Copa del Rey match between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid has proven to be one for the books, drawing record-breaking audiences across several Spanish channels. Broadcasted on La 1, the match captivated viewers and became the most-watched telecast of 2025, reaching approximately 3.9 million viewers—an impressive share of 27.5% during its runtime from 21:30 to 23:29 hours.
This clash was even more remarkable considering the thrilling nature of the game, which ended with a spectacular 4-4 draw. The appeal of the match not only boosted its own viewership; it also created ripples through the television programming scheduled for the evening. Antena 3’s popular entertainment segment, El Hormiguero, faced stiff competition from the football broadcast, drawing its lowest viewership ratings of the season at 12.4% and 1.8 million viewers. It was clear: football was the dominant force on television on this night!
La 1's numbers were not only impressive on their own—they were buoyed by additional audiences from Catalonia’s TV3, which contributed 810,000 viewers and achieved a staggering 34.1% share, alongside more modest figures from Movistar Plus+ and Copa del Rey broadcasts. When aggregated, this led to a phenomenal total of around 5.2 million viewers tuning in to follow the dramatic match, reshaping the evening viewing dynamics across all networks.
Leading up to the match, the tremendous buzz around it forced programming adjustments on broadcasting channels. La 1 decided to shelve its show La Revuelta on the same evening, shifting focus entirely to the high-stakes game to maximize viewership. The stakes were evidently high, and the gamble paid off, netting La 1 the top viewing position for the entire day with 14% overall, trumping rivals like Antena 3, which settled at 13.6%.
This surge of viewership for La 1 came not just from diehard football fans but also indirectly helped boost La Revuelta, which aired right after the match, garnering 14.9% share from 23:31 onwards, benefiting from the residual excitement and audience turnout from the match. Whether this strategy of scheduling around prominent football events will hold long-term remains to be seen, but it demonstrated the power of live sports to command viewer attention.
Even with the significant decline faced by El Hormiguero, it still held its own compared to the evening’s competition. The consistently popular reality show GH Dúo couldn't escape the grasp of the match's allure either, recording one of its lowest viewership scores during the Copa del Rey match with just 683,000 viewers and 11.5%, indicating the immense shadow the match cast over regular programming.
The viewing figures reflect broader trends currently observed within the Spanish broadcasting scene, where live sports events capture audiences more effectively than many entertainment formats, often leading to shifts within prime-time programming. This pattern ensures sports broadcasts retain their supremacy, compelling networks to rethink their strategies to blend entertainment and sport seamlessly.
Data provided by Kantar Media shows significant audience shifts, giving insights not only about the sports event itself but also the immediate consequences on cultural programming throughout the following hours and the next day’s broadcasts, with shows facing competition from sporting events adjusting their schedules significantly. These drastic adjustments are indicative of the struggle for viewer share among television networks.
Reflecting on the evening, the football match not only thrilled fans but highlighted the broader impact of sports as entertainment across Spain. With La 1's Copa del Rey broadcast leading the national ratings, it emphasized the effect sports can have on media consumption, shifting viewer preferences and leading networks to take notice of their scheduling strategies.
Clearly, demand for live sports continues to grow, setting the stage for future events where football and television programming must find ways to coexist, appealing to the sports-loving audience without greatly sacrificing viewership for entertainment shows.