The current television season has sparked more debate than any in years. Critics and viewers alike wonder who will shape the prime-time landscape: Pablo Motos and, above all, David Broncano’s arrival on TVE. Since the premiere of the show Resistance, public expectations for the state broadcaster reached a fever pitch. Will the host keep the same no-holds-barred humor? Will the show’s format thrive on Movistar Plus+? Can the program’s approach work in a new prime-time setting? Questions about sex, money, and bold topics swirl. At the heart of the chatter is the possibility of dethroning El hormiguero, the undisputed king until now. The question on everyone’s lips is whether audience figures will reflect a lasting shift. After all, last year Bars and Barrancas overtook Jorge Javier and his program Chinese Tales in less than a month.
In the opening week of the clash between Rebellion and The Revolt, the duel was surprisingly balanced and ended in a draw, with two wins for each side. In fact, both programs posted their weekly highs on Thursday: 3,107,000 viewers and a 23.3% share for Motos (the strongest figure since June 2023) and 2,601,000 viewers and an 18.3% share for Broncano.
Motorcycles prevail in weekly averages
Across the Monday-to-Thursday window, El hormiguero led in both programs, averaging 2,583,000 viewers with a 20.5% audience share, while La Revolt averaged 2,355,000 viewers and 18.4%. Broncano signaled his readiness to challenge, and Motos faced the pressure, even resulting in days when advertising was trimmed to keep pace with the competition.
Barlovento Comunicación reports that in the overlap window, El hormiguero captures 19.6% of screen share, compared with The Revolt at 18.8%, per Kantar. The audience split shows El hormiguero leading among women, seniors, and several regional markets, including Andalusia, Galicia, Castile-La Mancha, the Canary Islands, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, Murcia, and Castile and León.
The Revolt leads among men aged 13-64, in Catalonia, the Basque Country, Madrid, the Valencian Community, Asturias, Navarra, and the commercial audience.
Guest appearances matter
Both shows benefited from high-profile guests, and Broncano created an element of surprise by keeping the interview guest under wraps until the moment of arrival.
Monday featured Victoria Federica on El Hormiguero, while La Revolt welcomed a blind surfer, Aitor Francesena.
Tuesday brought Javier Camara to El Hormiguero and Najwa Nimri to La Revolt.
Wednesday highlighted Malú, Luis Fonsi, Antonio Orozco, and Pablo López on The Voice judges, while La Revolt invited Juan José Millás and Juan Luis Arsuaga.
Thursday showcased Laminated Patch on El Hormiguero and comedian Raul Cimas on La Revolt.
Brighter expectations
Brιncano’s debut translated into strong numbers. On Monday, September 9, the program drew 2,152,000 viewers with a 17.1% share, placing second to El Hormiguero, which drew 2,893,000 viewers and 23%.
The following day saw Broncano rise to first place with 2,127,000 viewers and 17.4%, a position he repeated on Wednesday with 2,548,000 viewers and 19.9%, even earning a moment of peak popularity (2.8 million) that briefly outpaced El Hormiguero by 3.7 points. On Thursday, Broncano finished behind its rival with 2,601,000 viewers and 19.2%.
El Hormiguero maintained momentum on its home turf with Victoria Federica’s appearance on Monday and a repeat on Wednesday, achieving 2,257,000 viewers and 18.2% share. Tuesday placed the show in a comfortable second position at 2,103,000 viewers and 17.5%, while Thursday again secured the top figure of the week at 3,107,000 viewers and 23.3%.
Youth and rebellion
It is important to note that Broncano’s strong premiere on TVE La 1 did not spell doom for El Hormiguero. In fact, the former enjoyed what is described as its strongest week to date, with a figure of 2,583,000 viewers and 20.5% share against the prior week’s 2,274,500 and 20.5%.
The reason, according to observers, is not merely rivals losing ground. The Revolt managed to capture the attention of a younger audience, an audience that had largely abandoned linear television. Dos30 notes a 13.9% increase in TV consumption among the young in the access prime-time slot compared with 2023, and Barlovento Universidad records a 12.9% rise. Among viewers aged 13 to 44, the uptick nears 40%.
Ultimately, the clash between Broncano and Motos shows that television remains a winner when the audience is engaged and varied, with both shows contributing to a broader, more dynamic prime-time landscape.