Josep Pedrerol leaves Atresmedia after 13 years; El Chiringuito to air final show on 20 July with World Cup special
The presenter will close his tenure with a special World Cup final broadcast, ending a chapter that reshaped Spanish sports debate television.
The end of a long partnership
Josep Pedrerol and Atresmedia have agreed to end their professional relationship after 13 years. The separation, described as a mutual decision, takes effect on 20 July 2026. That night, Pedrerol will host a special edition of El Chiringuito dedicated to the final of the 2026 World Cup, marking the final broadcast of the programme.
They have been 13 fantastic years in which we have worked with absolute freedom. If, in addition to informing with exclusives and the best debate, we have managed to keep people company and draw a smile every night with El Chiringuito, we feel more than happy. And at midday with Jugones we have managed to be the benchmark for multi-sport information.
Pedrerol, a 60-year-old Barcelona-born journalist, has been the owner, creator and director of El Chiringuito as well as its on-air face. He also leaves his role presenting Jugones, the daily sports news programme on La Sexta. The Atresmedia statement confirmed the departure was reached "by mutual agreement."
Statements from Atresmedia
José Antonio Antón, director general of Atresmedia Audiovisual, thanked Pedrerol and his team. The statement highlighted the programme's consolidation as a reference point for sports analysis, information and debate, noting it connected with millions of viewers and became a digital phenomenon. El Chiringuito closed its latest season as the leader among thematic channels.
After 13 years of shared trajectory, we want to thank Josep Pedrerol and his entire team for their professionalism, commitment and the achievements reached during this time. We close this stage with the satisfaction of having reached a mutual agreement and we wish them the greatest success in the new projects they undertake in the future.
A programme that stirred debate
El Chiringuito debuted in January 2014 on the now-defunct channel Nitro, inheriting the format, team and collaborators from Punto Pelota on Intereconomía, where Pedrerol was dismissed. Over the years it moved across several Atresmedia channels, including La Sexta and Neox, before settling on Mega in 2021. The show became known for its viral moments and polarising style, likened by some to a sports equivalent of Sálvame. Regular contributors such as Pipi Estrada, Tomás Roncero, Alfredo Duró and Cristóbal Soria became characters in their own right, with personal storylines that fuelled social-media discussion for hours after each broadcast.
What comes next
The end of Pedrerol's tenure removes one of the longest-running fixtures in recent Spanish sports television. While Jugones is owned by Atresmedia, El Chiringuito belongs to Pedrerol. The split arrives as Mediaset searches for solutions to its own audience crisis, adding uncertainty to the broader television landscape. No specific details about Pedrerol's future projects have been disclosed.
