La Séptima opens with 2.8% share and 4.99 million unique viewers

First-day audience

La Séptima began broadcasting at 12:00 on Thursday, 5 November, and averaged a 2.8% screen share across the day, according to a Barlovento Comunicación report based on Fifty5Blue data. The channel reached 4,990,000 unique viewers, equal to 10.5% of the population, and placed eighth in the daily ranking. Its target had been to top 1.5% on the debut day, while the business plan figure was 1.8%.

Before launch, chief executive José Miguel Contreras told verTele and other media that he expected 1.8% over the first two months, around 2.5% in 2027 and about 3% in 2028, a level he said would already bring sufficient profitability. He also said that launch curiosity could lift the opening numbers and that the figures could then fall.

Schedule and the Cuerpo interview

The schedule started at 14:55 with El pulso: El relevo and ended with La última hora, which occupies the late-evening slot. Its most-watched item was the interview with Carlos Cuerpo, first vice president and minister of Economy, Commerce and Business, which aired at 21:32 within La última hora. It drew 473,000 average viewers, a 3.7% share and 973,000 unique viewers, and El Confidencial reported that Cuerpo has also just taken over the Transport portfolio.

Javier Ruiz, the programme's presenter and the channel's editorial director, set out the project's aims in his opening remarks:

“We come to change points of view, to change the conversation, to pluralise the debate.”

Across the programmes, El pulso, presented by Verónica Sanz, led with a 3.6% share and 181,000 average viewers. La última hora followed at 3.2% and 320,000, then En línea at 3.1% and 274,000, where Sarah Santaolalla interviewed Gabriel Rufián. Sobre la mesa reached 3.0% and 227,000 viewers, and La diana 2.6% and 235,000.

El pulso3.6%

La última hora3.2%

En línea3.1%

Sobre la mesa3%

La diana2.6%

El pulso

3.6 %

La última hora

3.2 %

En línea

3.1 %

Sobre la mesa

3 %

La diana

2.6 %

Data from the article text

Rivals and the Atreseries frequency

La Séptima took over the frequency previously used by Atreseries, the Atresmedia fiction channel, which closed October with a 1.7% share. El Mundo calculated that the debut's 2.8% was 1.1 points above that monthly figure, a gap of 64.7%, and judged that a single debut day cannot yet be read as a consolidated trend. On the same day, the channel beat Nova (2.3%), FDF (1.9%), Energy (1.8%), Neox (1.6%) and Trece (1.3%), according to the same outlet.

La Séptima (5 November)2.8%

Nova2.3%

FDF1.9%

Energy1.8%

Neox1.6%

Atreseries (October)1.7%

Trece1.3%

La Séptima (5 November)

2.8 %

Nova

2.3 %

FDF

1.9 %

Energy

1.8 %

Neox

1.6 %

Atreseries (October)

1.7 %

Trece

1.3 %

Data from the article text

Regional and audience profile

By region, the channel was strongest in the Valencian Community at 4.3%, followed by Catalonia and Madrid at 3.7% each, then Asturias at 3.1% and Galicia at 3%. The average age of its audience was 57. Among age groups, it reached 3.4% of viewers aged 13 to 24, 3.3% of those aged 25 to 44 and 65 to 74, and 3.1% of those aged 45 to 64. Men reached a 3.3% share. The lunchtime and night slots both led at 3.1%, ahead of the afternoon at 2.9%.

Launch-day glitches

The launch also had technical problems. El Periódico reported that the signal went to black twice during the first hours of broadcasting. A bald male crew member strayed into a camera shot by mistake, and the channel's official X account responded with humour:

“We have made our first bald man on live TV.”

The channel's red logo, placed in the top-right corner, blended into the red graphics of several programmes, so the technical team switched it to white on those shows. It kept the original colour only on programmes with blue sets or distinct colour palettes.