Spanish television ratings saw significant shifts on December 21, 2024, showcasing both soaring successes and noticeable declines. Leading the day's viewership was Antena 3 Noticias 1 Fin de Semana, which drew 1,809,000 average viewers, achieving a 20.6% share of the audience. This impressive performance translates to more than 3 million individuals having tuned in for at least a minute of the news program, bolstering Antena 3's overall daytime performance with 0.8 points of share against the day's total of 9.7%, according to the latest reports.
The peak viewing moment, or El Minuto de Oro, occurred at 14:57 during the game show La Ruleta de la Suerte, where it peaked at 2,030,000 viewers. Meanwhile, the evening's prime-time performance revealed intriguing ratings, with the top contenders listed as follows: On LaLiga TV, the match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid commanded 10.1% of the audience share with 1,118,000 viewers; Telecinco's Got Talent España, which brought in 1,025,000 viewers for a 12.8% share; and La1’s ¡Familia al instante! film, attracting 943,000 viewers and 8.8%, among others.
Despite Got Talent leading the prime time ratings, this season’s final saw it achieve the lowest ever viewership numbers. Sources report the final gala only managed to attract 1,025,000 spectators, down from 1,224,000 last year, which was already considered low for the show. The drop is reflective of broader trends affecting longstanding programs, with many traditional formats experiencing dips in viewership. The general decline has been evident: the final edition for Got Talent witnessed both lower numbers and share ratings compared to its previous seasons, shrinking audience preference significantly.
Gone are the days when the talent show seemed unstoppable, as viewer engagement wanes season by season. The first season back in 2016 recorded over 2 million viewers and 17.7% share. Its finale had skyrocketed to 25.7% with nearly 2.9 million spectators. The consistent downward trend suggests not just fluctuated numbers but possibly decreasing competitiveness, highlighting how fewer viewers choose to watch each show as options proliferate. Each passing season, the finals have seen lower figures—with the tenth edition bringing just 10.9% share on average, and significantly underperforming at 948,000 per episode.
Competition notwithstanding, it was not only the talent shows suffering from viewership declines. Other programs, such as La Voz on Antena 3, have faced reduced audience engagement, demonstrating the overall impact of viewer fatigue and changing preferences across the entirety of Spanish television offerings. With social media and streaming services granting potential audiences more viewing alternatives, traditional networks have shown vulnerability to these shifts.
Looking at the broader television ecosystem, the total number of Spanish residents watching at least some television on December 21 was reported at 26,789,000, reflecting 57.5% of the population aged four and older. These viewing figures were encouraging, as they were up by approximately 939,000 from the previous day, indicating healthy viewing by some standards. Nevertheless, the total number of viewers across the month hints at 42,031,000 with approximately 9.9% of the population not engaging with television at all during December.
The viewing habits on this Saturday highlighted the average consumer watched 172 minutes, where eight of those minutes came from delayed viewing. Also noteworthy was the share average for specific shifts; 30.5% of viewers engaged with themed programming, and the highest performing regional network was TV3 with 9.8% share, indicating regional preferences remained strong. Meanwhile, the Temáticas de Pago channels topped with 15% audience share overall.
For informational programming, Antena 3 Noticias led the segment, reinforcing its status as the most viewed news program of the day, where the daytime and evening editions clocked 1,809,000 and 1,144,000 viewers respectively.
Given these shifting viewership patterns and the strong numbers for certain news formats, traditional broadcasters may need to rethink their content strategies moving forward to maintain audience engagement. The competition for viewers is fiercer than ever, and adapting to the changing media environment will be key to capturing the interest of the Spanish public.
