Television in Spain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Television in Spain was introduced in 1956, when the national state-owned public service television broadcaster Televisión Española (TVE) started regular analog free-to-air terrestrial black and white broadcasts. Colour transmissions started in 1972 after two years of test transmissions, with all programming transmitted in color in 1977, and colour commercials starting in 1978. TVE held a monopoly on television broadcasting until regional public channels were launched during the 1980s and commercial television started nationwide in 1990. Digital terrestrial television was launched on 30 November 2005 with analog service discontinued on 3 April 2010. Currently, television is one of the leading mass media of the country, and by 2008 was in 99.7% of households in Spain according to INE statistics.
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Until recently terrestrial television was considered an essential public service. Broadcasting is managed both directly by the State and indirectly, through controlled concessions to private companies. The Audiovisual Law of 2010 changed this by defining radio and television as commercial services that individuals pay for, fostering liberalization within some constraints.
History
Early broadcasts
Although television in Spain did not commence regular broadcasts until the 1950s, certain transmissions had taken place a couple of decades earlier. In 1932, engineer Vicente Guiñau received several foreign television signals in Barcelona using a television set acquired in England.[1] In 1934, the first telecommunications graduate in Spain, Joaquín Sánchez Cordovés, conducted several public broadcasts from the Sala Werner in Barcelona with equipment he had constructed himself. After the Spanish Civil War, during the 1948 Fira de Barcelona, Dutch company Philips simultaneously retransmitted the signal received from a nearby studio where various performers and singers were appearing. That same year, using the same technology, a bullfight was broadcast from the Vista Alegre bullring in Madrid.[2][3][4]
1950s
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Between 1 November 1950 and the spring of 1952, the first experimental broadcasts were carried out in a laboratory of Radio Nacional de España (RNE) at Paseo de La Habana in Madrid; these transmissions were received by only fifteen television sets in the city.[5] Starting in October 1952, test broadcasts were established under the auspices of RNE, and were therefore referred to as ‘Televisión de Radio Nacional de España'.
Initially, programs were occasional and produced on commission once a week. On 13 February 1953, broadcasts began to air twice a week for a couple of hours.[1] During this period, the first television broadcast of a Spanish football match took place, featuring a game between Real Madrid and Racing de Santander on 24 October 1954. Broadcasts progressively grew in both duration and variety until the summer of 1955, at which point they were suspended to allow for the installation of more advanced equipment, in anticipation of the launch of Televisión Española.
Televisión Española officially began broadcasting on 28 October 1956 at 6:15 p.m. CET, from the modest studios at Paseo de La Habana in Madrid. TVE launched its programming to approximately 600 television sets, all located in Madrid. During its first months, daily broadcasts did not exceed three hours, reaching four hours in 1957. Programming was transmitted mostly live. The news service was renamed Telediario on 15 September 1957. The remainder of the programming was devoted to variety shows, including comedy, drama, televised theater, and even some foreign films, mainly from the United States.
On 15 February 1959, Televisión Española began broadcasting in Barcelona, coinciding with the transmission of a football match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. A few months later, on 14 July 1959, the Miramar Studios were inaugurated in the city.
1960s
On 15 December 1960, the wedding of Baudouin of Belgium and Fabiola de Mora y Aragón marked the first time that TVE broadcast live content produced by a foreign country, demonstrating its integration into the European Broadcasting Union. The Prado del Rey Studios were officially inaugurated on 18 July 1964 to replace the Paseo de la Habana headquarters in Madrid, with the new studios being nearly three times larger than the original ones.
During this decade, TVE expanded its broadcasts to the rest of peninsular Spain. TVE also launched two regional channels that operated autonomously by its territorial production centers as they had no television link with peninsular Spain: TVE Canarias was launched on 12 February 1964 in the Canary Islands, and operated autonomously until 25 April 1971 when connected to the main channel; and TVE Guinea was launched on 20 July 1968 in the autonomous region of Equatorial Guinea, and closed shortly after the country declared independence on 12 October 1968.
On 1 January 1965, test broadcasts began for TVE’s second channel, La 2, which officially launched on 15 November 1966. Named UHF at the time, it was a channel with a smaller audience, focused on areas such as culture, sports, and music.
The first color broadcast took place during the 1969 Eurovision Song Contest, held in Madrid following Spain’s victory the previous year. Nevertheless, the majority of Spain’s television sets at the time, still fairly limited in number, lacked the capability to receive color broadcasts.
1970s
TVE started regular colour transmissions in 1972 after over two years of test transmissions, with all programming transmitted in color in 1977, and colour commercials starting in 1978.
1980s
These were the only authorized television channels in Spain, as TVE held a monopoly on television broadcasting, until the first regional public television channel was launched on 16 February 1983, when Euskal Telebista started broadcasting in the Basque Country. It was followed on 11 September 1983 by TV3 in Catalonia, on 24 July 1985 by Televisión de Galicia (TVG) in Galicia, on 28 February 1989 by Canal Sur in Andalusia, on 2 May 1989 by Telemadrid in Madrid and on 9 October 1989 by Canal Nou in the Valencian Community. The full liberalization of television with the law of 1989 permitted the establishment of private commercial channels.
1990s
Commercial television was launched on 25 January 1990, when Antena 3 started broadcasting nationwide. It was followed by Telecinco on 3 March 1990 and Canal+ on 14 September 1990. Both Antena 3 and Telecinco were free-to-air analog terrestrial channels while Canal+ was a pay analog terrestrial channel obliged to broadcast six free-to-air hours a day.[6] Sogecable's pay analog satellite multichannel television provider Canal Satélite was launched on 1 January 1994.[7] Two pay digital satellite multichannel television providers were launched in 1997, Canal Satélite Digital on 31 January (controlled by PRISA) and Vía Digital on 15 September (controlled by Telefónica, TVE Temática, Televisa and minority shareholders),[8] only to merge six years later, on 21 July 2003, to form Digital+,[9] renamed Canal+ on 17 October 2011 after its flagship channel.
Through the 1990s and 2000s, more regional channels (most of them public, but some of them private) were launched. A number of them created FORTA, a union of public regional broadcasters. Many local channels were also launched, some of them created the Localia Network. During the 1990s, dozens of local channels started broadcasting without a license. The government declared that channels that proved to be operating for a long time could go on working, but blocked new unlicensed channels.
2000s
In the 2000s, the analog national and autonomic channels started simulcast on digital terrestrial television. In 2005, Canal+ stopped its analog service to move to Digital Plus and was substituted by Cuatro. Some weeks later, the last analog national private channel, La Sexta, started testing broadcasts, to begin its regular analog schedule in 2006. In 2009, the analog service started its closure in a process that lasted one year. The development of digital terrestrial television was very similar to the failure of ITV Digital in the United Kingdom. Digital terrestrial television was introduced in the country by the pay per view platform Quiero Television. In May 2002, statewide operators were required to start broadcasting in DVB-T. Yet, Quiero TV ceased transmissions in 2002 after a commercial failure. Unlike the UK, the three and half multiplexes left by the platform were not reassigned to other operators, and so 5 channels were squashed into a single multiplex.
On 30 November 2005, digital terrestrial television was relaunched as a free service with 20 channels and 14 radio stations, along with 23 regional- and local-language channels in their respective areas. Currently about 95% of the population can receive DTT. Each multiplex has a minimum of 4 SD channels each or one HD channel. Televisió de Catalunya and Aragón Televisión are using spare bandwidth in their own digital multiplex to broadcast test HD streams.
2010s
Modern free-to-air digital terrestrial television sector
Analog service was officially discontinued on 3 April 2010[10]. Since then, all national and regional terrestrial channels are digital. Together with the TDT transition and the process of absorption of channels in the late-2000s to early-2010s amid the Spanish financial crisis, the removal of commercials from RTVE by means of its 2009 Funding Law facilitated the creation of the duopoly formed by Mediaset España and Atresmedia,[11] that secures a 57% share of the audience and a 90% of advertising procurement.[12]
2013 Supreme Court ruling
On 28 April 2014, the Supreme Court of Spain ordered the immediate shutdown of 9 of 24 private television stations, considering the Ministry of Industry, then held by the first government of Mariano Rajoy from the People's Party, had not yet enforced a ruling issued on 18 December 2013. The ruling stated that these television channels had been granted their licenses without a public tender in 2010, under the second government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, despite the requirements of the Audiovisual Communication General Law that came into force a few months prior. As such, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a company that appealed that decision and declared the license permits null and void.[13] The ruling affected 3 Atresmedia channels (Nitro, Xplora and laSexta 3), 2 from Mediaset España (LaSiete and Nueve), 2 from NET TV (MTV Spain, which remained on cable television, and Intereconomía TV) and 2 from Unidad Editorial (AXN and Marca TV).
A strong campaign was then launched by private companies to prevent the closure of the channels. One of the most controversial cases was that of Mediaset España, which aired a powerful protest spot on all its channels where two of them, personified as part of a family, were run over by a speeding car, ending with the phrase 'They all killed them together.' The ad, which sparked major controversy, removed the hit-and-run scene on May 1.[14]
The channels ceased broadcasting on 6 May 2014, with the Supreme Court arguing that the closure of the channels did not violate freedom of expression.[15][AI-retrieved source]
The Council of Ministers, still under the government of Mariano Rajoy, approved a new public tender to obtain the licenses on 17 April 2015. The tender was resolved on 16 October 2015, granting one HD license to Atresmedia, Mediaset, and Real Madrid each, and one SD license to the Spanish Episcopal Conference, KISS Media (then Radio Blanca), and TEN Media (then Central Broadcaster Media) each.
2020s
Transition into 4K and DVB-2
The first television channel to fully broadcast in 4K in Spain was La 1 UHD, available on satellite television since 2015. It was followed by Andalusia's Canal Sur 4K on 25 April 2017 and Castile-La Mancha's CMM TV 4K on 11 December 2019. All of them were inaugurated as test-broadcast channels. During these test broadcasts, the channels do not air the regular programming of their respective channels, but instead show their own content prepared in 4K.
UHD Spain was founded on 26 January 2021 as a non-profit association made up of more than 30 major broadcasting companies (both public and private), with their goal being to achieve transition to a fully 4K television using the DVB-T2 standard by 2030. On 11 February 2024, La 1 UHD ended the test broadcasts and started to air La 1’s regular programming in 4K.[16]
Transition to HD finished on 14 February 2024 when all standard-definition versions of generalist channels were shut down and the remaining channels increased their resolution to 1080p.[17]
Since 27 March 2025, all televisions over 40 inches sold in Spain must have a resolution of 4K or higher and be compatible with the DVB-T2 standard.[18] One day later, on 28 March 2025, Galician TVG became the first regional channel to broadcast in 4K on free digital television.[19] Basque channels ETB 1 and ETB 2 started 4K broadcasting on 12 June 2025 via HbbTV.[20]
On 16 October 2025, the third government of Pedro Sánchez approved the public tender for a new television license, the first in 10 years.[21] A reorganization of the Digital Terrestrial Television bandwidth to allow new 4K channels will take place in 2026, with RTVE, Atresmedia and Mediaset expected to receive new licenses for 4K variants of their main channels.[22]
Nationwide broadcasters
Television Española
Televisión Española is the national state-owned public television broadcaster and the oldest television service in the country. Founded in 1956, it currently has five channels. It is one of the few state-run broadcasters in the European Union where citizens do not pay a licence fee to fund it, as it is financed through public subsidies and direct taxes on private television and mobile phone operators. As of 2024, it ranks as the third leading audiovisual group in terms of audience, although its flagship channel, La 1, is the second most-watched TV channel. La 1 is also the only nationwide channel broadcast in 4K resolution. Besides its main headquarters in Madrid, RTVE operates two production centers in Catalonia and the Canary Islands. It also offers regional news broadcasts for each of Spain's 17 autonomous communities. José Pablo López serves as Chair of RTVE since 2 December 2024.
Atresmedia
Atresmedia, which has been the largest free-to-air television network in terms of audience since 2022, emerged in 2011 from the merger of two major broadcasters: Grupo Antena 3 and GIA La Sexta .[24] It is owned by the Grupo Planeta.[25] and it is composed of 6 channels. Antena 3 and La Sexta are generalist channels, while the rest are focused on different target groups.
Grupo Antena 3 traces its origins to those of its flagship channel, Antena 3, one of the nationwide private television networks that received a broadcasting licence in 1989. Antena 3 airs general programs such as news, movies, reality shows, sport events and quizzes. Antena 3 has been the most-watched television channel in Spain since November 2021 (except summer 2024, when the title was claimed by La 1).
The network's secondary generalist channel, laSexta, traces its origins to the granting of another private license in 2005. It was then jointly owned by the Mexican giant Televisa (40%) and the Grupo Audiovisual de Medios de Producción (60%), which was in turn participated by Grupo Árbol-Globomedia (40%), Mediapro (38%), Drive (10%), El Terrat (7%) and Bainet (5%).[26]
| Channel | Type | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} Antena 3 | Generalist | 25 January 1990 | 12.8% |
 La Sexta | Generalist | 25 November 2005 | 6.2% |
 Nova | Female-audience | 30 November 2005 | 2.0% |
 Neox | Entertainment | 30 November 2005 | 1.8% |
 MEGA | Male-audience | 1 July 2015 | 1.3% |
 Atreseries | TV shows | 22 December 2015 | 1.9% |
| Atresmedia | 14 December 2011 | 26.0% | |
Mediaset España
Mediaset España has its origins in the Gestevisión Telecinco, a society created in 1989 that was granted one of the first licenses for private free-to-air analogic terrestrial TV private channels in Spain: Tele 5 (later branded as Telecinco). It was founded by Italian media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi's Fininvest (25%), Grupo Anaya (25%), ONCE (25%) and other shareholders (25%). In 2009, already in the TDT transition era, Gestevisión agreed with PRISA's Sogecuatro to merge their businesses (most notably their flagship channels Telecinco and Cuatro), with Gestevisión absorbing Sogecuatro in exchange of a minor participation of PRISA as shareholder of Gestevisión. In 2011, the media conglomerate was renamed Mediaset España Comunicación S.A.[27] PRISA eventually sold its remaining shares in 2015.[28] Owned by the Berlusconi family,[29] Mediaset España is part of MediaForEurope since 3 May 2023, which also includes the Italian group Mediaset S.p.A.
The flagship channel of the network remains Telecinco, which is the third most-watched television channel in Spain. Telecinco experienced its best audience figures throughout much of the 2000s and 2010s, during which it remained the most-watched channel in the country. Its programming was focused on gossip and reality shows. The channel had a bad reputation due to accusations of ‘trash TV’, but still managed to achieve high audience ratings. After Paolo Vasile stepped down as CEO in 2023, the group decided to revamp the programming of its channels, moving away from any shows or content that might be considered controversial and aiming to offer family-friendly content. Since then, Telecinco's audiences have plummeted, falling from the most-watched channel in Spain to third place. As the second generalist channel in the Mediaset network, Cuatro airs general programs such as news, movies, documentaries, reality shows, sport events and quizzes. Mediaset has 7 television channels, more than any other group in the country. Mediaset remains as the second most-watched television group.
| Channel | Type | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|
 Telecinco | Generalist | 3 March 1990 | 9.4% |
 Cuatro | Generalist | 7 November 2005 | 5.8% |
 FDF | Entertainment | 18 February 2008 | 2.4% |
 Boing | Children | 1 September 2010 | 1.0% |
 Divinity | Female-audience | 1 March 2011 | 1.4% |
 Energy | Male-audience | 9 January 2012 | 2.5% |
 Be Mad | Movies | 21 April 2016 | 1.8% |
| Mediaset España | 14 April 2011 | 24.3% | |
Unidad Editorial
Unidad Editorial is a Spanish media company, emerged from the merger of Unedisa (controlled by Italian media conglomerate RCS MediaGroup) and Grupo Recoletos. Unidad Editorial is the owner of some of the major Spanish newspapers, such as El Mundo, Expansión and MARCA, as well as some radio channels such as esRadio. It has two nationwide television licenses, operated by its subsidiary Veo Televisión, which leases them to other companies.
| Channel | Type | Owners | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 DMAX | Variety | Unidad Editorial and Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA | 12 January 2012 | 1.7% |
 Veo7 | Generalist | Unidad Editorial and Mediapro | 18 June 2025 | 0.6% |
| Unidad Editorial | 2007 | 2.3% | ||
NET TV
Sociedad Gestora de Televisión NET TV, S.A., received its first national television license in 2000, which was used to broadcast local contents from Vocento, its major shareholder. In 2005, NET TV receives two more licenses, which would later become Fly Music and Intereconomía. By 2008, The Walt Disney Company becomes one of the major shareholders in the company, replacing Fly Music with Disney Channel, the first free-to-air Disney Channel in the world. In the early 2010s, the group uses one of its licenses for both La Tienda en Casa teleshopping channel and Paramount Channel, before finally choosing the latter in 2012. In May 2014, it lost one of its licenses (MTV) after a ruling from the Supreme Court of Spain. In 2021, Squirrel Media buys most of the group's shares from both Vocento and The Walt Disney Company. After Disney Channel's closure in 2025, Squirrel Media operates its first television channel: Squirrel. Following Paramount Network's closure on 1 January 2026, Squirrel launches its second channel: Squirrel 2.
| Channel | Type | Owner | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Squirrel | Movies | Squirrel Media | 7 January 2025 | 0.9% |
| Squirrel 2 | 1 January 2026 | - | ||
| NET TV | 2002 | 2.2% | ||
Spanish Episcopal Conference
The Spanish Episcopal Conference is an administrative institution of the Catholic Church in Spain. It has operated one of the major radio stations in Spain since 1979: COPE. The institution first leased a television license to Unidad Editorial in 2010, launching its first television channel: 13tv. In 2015, it was among the six companies chosen to receive its own broadcasting license. As such, 13tv was relaunched as TRECE, basing its programming on information, cinema, and religious affairs about Catholic Church and the Pope.
KISS Media
Originally founded as Radio Blanca in 1989, KISS Media Group operates radio stations such as Kiss FM and Hit FM. The company's first television channel was Kiss TV in 2005, available via pay television and later becoming free-to-air in some autonomous communities. It was one of the six companies to receive a nationwide broadcasting license in 2015. Ever since, KISS Media is in a joint-venture with Discovery Communications (now part of Warner Bros. Discovery), launching a co-branded channel together called DKISS.
| Channel | Type | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|
 DKISS | Variety | 28 April 2016 | 1.2% |
| Grupo KISS Media | 21 April 1989 | 1.2% | |
TEN Media
TEN Media was founded as Central Broadcaster Media in 2007 by a former major shareholder of Secuoya Content Group, the owner of many major radio stations such as Cadena SER, LOS40 and DIAL. It was one of the six companies to receive a nationwide broadcasting license in 2015. The channel imports content from other countries, such as reality shows, game shows, and television series. Starting in the mid-2020s, the group also focuses on celebrity news formats and sports programming.
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid TV was originally founded by Sogecable, part of PRISA in 1999. Since 2001, the channel has been directed entirely by Real Madrid CF. In 2016, it was granted a nationwide broadcasting channel. Despite its name, the channel not only broadcasts football matches, but also basketball matches from Real Madrid's male and female teams. It also broadcasts movies. It is, however, the least-watched nationwide television channel in Spain.
| Channel | Type | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid TV | Sports and movies | 1 May 2016 | 0.6% |
| Real Madrid TV | 14 February 1999 | 0.6% | |
Regional broadcasters
Many of the Spanish regions (comunidades autónomas) have their own network service. Most of these channels (popularly known as "las (cadenas) autonómicas") are public-owned and integrated in FORTA ("Federación de Organismos de Radio Televisión Autonómicos"), an association of 12 public regional network services allowing them to share their content and produce new formats together. Despite private regional broadcasters being allowed, most autonomous communities do not have one. On the other hand, four autonomous communities have a single private-owned regional broadcaster: Castile and León, Cantabria, Navarra and La Rioja, these channels cannot be integrated into FORTA, since it requires them to be public-owned. Canal Extremadura Televisión is the only public regional broadcaster not integrated in FORTA.
Regional broadcasters have their own programming adapted to the regions they broadcast. For instance, Televisión Canaria uses Western European Time, the local time zone. Some other broadcasters, such as Catalonia's TV3, Balearic IB3, Galicia's TVG, Basque Country's ETB 1 and Valencian Community's À Punt mostly broadcast in their regional language, instead of Spanish.
Since the 2010s, most regional broadcasters have plummeted in terms of audience. Regional broadcasters still have high audience rates in Catalonia (which is the only region were the regional generalist broadcaster has a higher audience share than national broadcasters), Galicia, Aragon and Andalusia.[30]
| Channel | Type | Regions | Language | Ownership | Owner | Launch date | Average audience share (2025)[23] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canal Sur | Generalist |  Andalusia Ceuta Melilla Gibraltar | Spanish | Public | RTVA | 28 February 1989 | 9.5% |
 Canal Sur 2 | Sign-language simulcast of Canal Sur | 5 June 1998 | N/A | ||||
 Andalucía TV | Generalist | 28 February 2015 | 0.4% (2024) | ||||
 Aragón TV | Generalist |  Aragon | Spanish | Public | CARTV | 21 April 2006 | 12.2% |
 TPA 7 | Generalist |  Asturias | Spanish and Asturian | Public | RTPA | 20 December 2005 | 4.3% |
 TPA 8 | 1-hour timeshift of TPA 7 | 26 May 2007 | 0.8% | ||||
 IB3 | Generalist |  Balearic Islands | Catalan and Spanish | Public | ERPTVIB | 1 March 2005 | 4.8% |
| Fibwi4 | Generalist | Private | Fibwi | 2 July 2021 | N/A | ||
 Televisión Canaria | Generalist | .svg){kind=small} Canary Islands | Spanish | Public | RTVC | 21 August 1999 | 6.2% |
 TV3 | Generalist |  Catalonia Andorra | Catalan and Aranese | Public | CCMA | 10 September 1983 | 14.2% |
 SX3 (daytime).svg){kind=small} 33 (nighttime) | Kids and teens (daytime) Culture (nighttime) | 10 October 2022 10 September 1998 | 0.7% (2024) | ||||
 3CatInfo | News | 11 September 2003 | 1.6% | ||||
 Esport3 | Sports | 5 February 2011 | 1.3% (2024) | ||||
 La 7 | Generalist |  Castile and Leon | Spanish | Private | CyLTV | 9 March 2009 | 1.4% |
 La 8 | Generalist | 1.1% (2024) | |||||
 CMM TV | Generalist |  Castile-La Mancha | Spanish | Public | CMM | 13 December 2001 | 5.9% |
 Canal Extremadura | Generalist |  Extremadura | Spanish | Public | CEXMA | 15 February 2006 | 4.8% |
 TVG | Generalist |  Galicia Northern Portugal | Galician and Spanish | Public | CSAG | 24 July 1985 | 8.4% |
 tvG2 | Generalist | 2 February 2009 | 1.0% | ||||
 Telemadrid | Generalist |  Madrid | Spanish | Public | RTVM | 2 May 1989 | 5.1% |
.svg){kind=logo} LaOtra | Generalist | 19 March 2001 | 0.9% | ||||
 La 7 | Generalist |  Murcia | Spanish | Public | TAM | 14 April 2006 | 3.2% |
 Televisión Murciana | Generalist | Private | Grupo Zambudio | 1995 | N/A | ||
 Navarra Televisión | Generalist |  Navarra | Spanish and Basque | Private | Promecal | 14 May 2012 | N/A |
 Navarra TV 2 | Generalist | 14 May 2012 | N/A | ||||
 TVR | Generalist |  La Rioja | Spanish | Private | Vocento | 1997 | N/A |
.svg){kind=small} À Punt | Generalist | .svg){kind=small} Valencian Community | Valencian and Spanish | Public | Valencian Media Corporation | 25 April 2018 | 2.9% |
 ETB1 | Generalist |  Basque Country Navarre | Basque | Public | EITB | 31 December 1982 | 2.1% |
 ETB2 | Generalist | Spanish | 31 May 1986 | 8.3% | |||
 ETB1 On | Kids and teens Contents from ETB 1 | Basque | 10 October 2008 (ETB3) 18 March 2026 (ETB1 On) | 0.2% | |||
 ETB2 On | Sports and entertainment from ETB 2 | Basque and Spanish | 29 October 2014 (ETB4) 18 March 2026 (ETB2 On) | 1.0% (2024) | |||
 BOM Cine | Movies | Andalusia Madrid Murcia Valencian Community | Spanish | Private | Squirrel Media | 30 April 2014 | 0.3% |
 El Toro TV | Generalist | Balearic Islands Madrid Valencian Community | Spanish | Private | Intereconomía Corporation | 14 March 2019 | N/A |
Defunct channels
Nationwide defunct channels
The following table lists the television channels that have ceased broadcasting in Spain. Green color indicates that the channel continued its broadcasts on pay television.
| Channel | Type | Owner | Launch date | Closing date | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canal Nostalgia | Archive programming | RTVE | 15 September 1997 | 30 November 2005 | TVE 50 Años |
 TVE 50 Años | Archive programming | RTVE | 30 November 2005 | 1 January 2007 | Clan |
| Telehit | Music | Televisa and GIA La Sexta | 18 June 2006 | 31 July 2007 | Hogar 10 |
| Telecinco Estrellas | Entertainment | Gestevisión Telecinco | 30 November 2005 | 17 February 2008 | FDF |
| Telecinco Sport | Sports | Gestevisión Telecinco | 30 November 2005 | 17 February 2008 | Telecinco 2 |
| Net TV (Spain) | Generalist | NET TV | 1 June 2002 | 3 March 2008 | Intereconomía TV |
 Fly Music | Music | NET TV | 30 November 2005 | 30 June 2008 | Disney Channel |
 Docu | Documentary | RTVE | 10 October 1994 | 23 April 2009 | Cultural·es |
 Telecinco 2 | Mixed-format | Gestevisión Telecinco | 18 February 2008 | 18 May 2009 | La Siete |
 Hogar 10 | Entertainment | GIA La Sexta | 31 July 2007 | 14 August 2009 | Gol Televisión |
 Sony TV en VEO | Entertainment | Sony Channel and Veo Televisión | 12 June 2006 | 1 May 2010 | AXN (Spain) |
 40 Latino | Music | PRISA | 23 April 2009 | 23 August 2010 | None |
| Cultural·es | Documentary | RTVE | 23 April 2009 | 10 September 2010 | None |
 Canal Clásico | Classical music | RTVE | 8 January 1994 | 10 September 2010 | None |
 CNN | News | PRISA | 27 January 1999 | 28 December 2010 | Gran Hermano 24 horas |
 Gran Hermano 24 horas | Reality show | Gestevisión Telecinco | 28 December 2010 | 1 March 2011 | Divinity |
 La 10 | Generalist | Vocento | 22 March 2010 | 30 March 2012 | Paramount Channel |
 La Sexta 2 | Varieties | GIA La Sexta | 1 October 2010 | 1 May 2012 | Xplora |
 MARCA TV | Sports | Unidad Editorial and Mediapro | 28 August 2010 | 31 July 2013 | La Tienda en Casa |
 TVE HD | Generalist test-channel | RTVE | 6 August 2008 | 31 December 2013 | La 1 HD |
 La Sexta 3 | Movies | GIA La Sexta | 1 November 2010 | 6 May 2014 | Shut down after a ruling by the Supreme Court of Spain |
 La Siete | Entertainment | Mediaset España | 18 May 2009 | ||
 MTV | Music | Paramount Global | 10 September 2000 | ||
 Nitro | Male-audience | Atresmedia | 23 August 2010 | ||
 Nueve | Entertainment | Mediaset España | 31 December 2012 | ||
 Xplora | Documentary | Atresmedia | 1 May 2012 | ||
.svg){kind=logo} AXN (Spain) | Movies and TV series | Sony Pictures | 5 November 1998 | ||
 Gol Televisión | Sports | Mediapro and Atresmedia | 19 September 2008 | 30 June 2015 | MEGA |
| Intereconomía TV | Generalist | Intereconomía Corporation | 1 July 2005 | 14 March 2019 | El Toro TV |
 Disney Channel | Animation and TV series | The Walt Disney Company | 17 April 1998 | 7 January 2025 | Squirrel |
 GOL PLAY | Sports and TV series | Mediapro | 1 June 2016 | 17 June 2025 | Veo7 |
 Paramount Network | Movies | Paramount Global | 30 March 2012 | 31 December 2025 | Squirrel 2 |
| Disney Jr | Childrens | The Walt Disney Company | 11 June 2011 | 1 April 2026 | Disney Channel |
Defunct regional channels
| Channel | Type | Autonomous community | Owner | Launch date | Closing date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Nou 2 | Generalist | Valencian Community | Radiotelevisió Valenciana (Public) | 9 October 1997 | 5 July 2013 |
 Nou | Generalist | Valencian Community | 9 October 1989 | 29 November 2013 (succeeded by À Punt in 2018) | |
 Nou 24 | News | Valencian Community | 3 February 2009 | 29 November 2013 | |
 8tv | Generalist | Catalonia Andorra | Emissions Digitals de Catalunya (Private) | 23 April 2001 | 17 October 2023 |
Relaunched channels
As of 2026, only three television channel have been re-released after its shutdown.
| Channel | Type | Owner | Launch date | Closing date | Relaunch date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 La Tienda en Casa | Teleshopping | El Corte Inglés and several broadcasters | 15 December 2006 (as La Tienda en Casa by Unidad Editorial) | 29 November 2010 (replaced by Trece) 30 September 2010 (Shut down for legal reasons) 1 April 2011 (replaced by Paramount Channel) 31 December 2012 (replaced by Nueve) 6 May 2014 (Shut down after a ruling by the Supreme Court of Spain) | 1 January 2008 (as Cincoshop by Gestevisión Telecinco) 2008 (as Promo then Canal Club by PRISA) 1 January 2010 (by Vocento) 1 April 2011 (by Mediaset España) 1 August 2013 (as Tienda by Unidad Editorial) 14 February 2014 (as LTC by Vocento) |
 Veo7 | Generalist | Veo Televisión | 30 November 2005 | 1 January 2012 (replaced by DMAX) | 18 June 2025 (replacing GOL PLAY) |
| Disney Channel | Children’s | The Walt Disney Company | 17 April 1998 | 7 January 2025 | 1 April 2026 ( replacing Disney Jr) |
Streaming platforms
Streaming platforms available in the country consist of foreign video-on-demand platforms and Spanish platforms (mostly subscription-based), as well as television channel platforms (free in the case of public channels, and operating under a mixed model for private channels).
| Platform | Owner | Type | Launch date |
|---|---|---|---|
 Filmin | Filmin | Paid subscription | October 2008 |
 Movistar Plus+ | Telefónica | Paid subscription | 8 July 2015 |
 Netflix | Netflix, Inc. | Paid subscription | 20 October 2015 |
.svg){kind=logo} Amazon Prime Video | Amazon | Paid subscription | 14 December 2016 |
 Rakuten TVformerly Wuaki.tv (2010-2018) | Rakuten | Free, with paid subscription content | 24 May 2018 |
 FlixOlé | FlixOlé | Paid subscription | 8 November 2018 |
 DAZN | Access Industries | Paid subscription | 27 February 2019 |
 Atresplayer formerly Nubeox (2013-2019) | Atresmedia | Free, with paid subscription content | 8 September 2019 |
 Disney+ | Disney Streaming | Paid subscription | 24 March 2020 |
 Pluto TV | Paramount Skydance | Free, with paid subscription content | 26 October 2020 |
 RTVE Playformerly RTVE a la carta (2008-2021) | RTVE | Free | 22 June 2021 |
.svg){kind=small} HBO Maxformerly HBO España (2016-2021) | HBO | Paid subscription | 26 October 2021 |
| CanalSur Más | Radio y Televisión de Andalucía | Free | 15 March 2022 |
 SkyShowtime | Comcast Paramount Skydance | Paid subscription | 28 February 2023 |
 3Cat | Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals | Free | 30 October 2023 |
.svg){kind=logo} Mediaset Infinity formerly Mitele (2011-2025) | Mediaset España | Free, with paid subscription content | 24 June 2025 |
Cable
Digital cable is slowly replacing the aging analog service of the major cable provider Vodafone. Telecable, a cable ISP operating in Asturias has begun trials for 1000 mega bytes per second service and is the first to broadcast HD channels. R, a cable operator in Galicia, has completely switched pay TV to digital (DVB-C) by 2008 but free channels are simulcast as analog services, so users without a set-top box can watch them (including most free-to-air channels available on digital terrestrial TV in each location).
Satellite
Digital satellite services has existed since 1997 from Astra and Hispasat satellites. The Movistar Plus+ pay platform has carried some HDTV tests on Astra 19.2°E on 16 June 2005. This platform (before Canal+) has a lot of exclusives channels as "#0" by February 2016 without having to pay the licence of the brand Canal+.[31]
A high definition version of Canal+ 1 (Canal+ 1 HD) formerly called "#0"; started on 29 January 2008, and ended on 31 July 2023, which is now replaced by Movistar Plus+, which is started broadcasting on 1 August 2023, together with HD versions of Canal+ Deportes (now Movistar Deportes) and Canal+ DCine (now Movistar Drama) broadcast from Astra 1KR.
Teletext
Teletext was officially introduced in Spain on 16 May 1988 for RTVE channels. The corporation had invested over 500 million pesetas since the tests began during the 1982 FIFA World Cup.[32] The system is based on a palette of eight colors and 24 lines of 40 characters each, with pages extending from 100 to 899. Teletext content typically includes current news, stock market values, weather forecasts, horoscopes, channel programming and cultural content. In the 1990s, Antena 3, Telecinco and most regional channels created their own versions. During its first few years, over 10 million people accessed teletext daily.
Teletext popularity fell by the 2010s. In 2013, Telemadrid's Teletext was closed since most of its information was already available on their webpage.[33] In 2018, RTVE Teletext was maintained by 10 workers, whose main focus was immediacy in the news rather than creating exclusive content. By the end of the decade, over 99.7% of the Spanish population had access to Teletext, but only 2 million people used it daily, mainly for access to subtitles for people with hearing impairments.[34] RTVE invested €20,570 for the renewal of Teletext system in 2025.[35]
Programming
News broadcasts
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Spain's main news programmes are La 1's Telediario, Antena 3's Antena 3 Noticias and Telecinco's Informativos Telecinco. They are among the most watched TV programmes in the country and have a fixed place in the daily programming, with Antena 3 Noticias leading since 2020. They are broadcast three times a day at 6:00 AM, 3:00 PM and 9:00 PM. The morning edition is not broadcast on weekends. Telediario also broadcasts regional news on weekdays at 1:55 PM (25 minutes) and 3:40 PM (10 minutes). News programs usually begin with political news (unless there is other breaking news), then move on to general news and sports news, finishing with a weather forecast for a total duration of between 45 minutes and 1 hour. Most newscasts make use of advanced graphics, including augmented reality.
La Sexta Noticias, Noticias Cuatro and most regional channel news programmes are typically broadcast one hour earlier than the main news programmes, so as not to coincide with them. Channel 24 Horas is RTVE's public 24-hour news rolling service and its news are also broadcast on La 1 during programming gaps. Most generalist channels interrupt their regular programming to broadcast special reports when necessary.
Game shows
Despite their introduction in the late 1950s, game shows were not particularly popular in Spain until the 1970s, when Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez debuted on RTVE channels. Saber y ganar (1997–present), La 2's flagship quiz show, is the longest-running quiz show on Spanish television, being broadcast daily since 1997. Its host, Jordi Hurtado, is also the longest-running TV game show host in Spain. Cifras y letras has been broadcast on both RTVE channels (1991-1996, 2024–present) and regional channels (2002-2013). Atrápame si puedes has had several regional versions on FORTA channels since 2014.
Some internationals adaptations have been broadcast on several channels, such as El precio justo (1988-1993, 1999-2001, 2021), an adaptation of the American format The Price is Right, La ruleta de la suerte (1990-1997, 2006-), an adaptation of the American format Wheel of Fortune or ¿Quién quiere ser millonario? (1999-2001, 2005-2009, 2020-present) an adaptation of the British format Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. Pasapalabra is the most popular TV game show in Spain and one of the very few that are not broadcast on prime time (airing instead at 8:00 PM, just before Antena 3 Noticias).
On the other hand, Antena 3's Tu cara me suena is the most popular Spanish TV game show worldwide, with over 45 adaptations in different countries under the Your Face Sounds Familiar franchise.
Since the 2020s, some broadcasters have focused on international adaptations rather than original productions, such as Antena 3's Mask Singer and La 1's The Floor.
Reality shows
Gran Hermano, the Spanish adaptation of Big Brother was first broadcast in 2000 and quickly became one of the most popular TV shows in the country. It is one of the international adaptations with the most seasons, with more than 30. Telecinco, one of the main three generalist channels, is also widely known as a reality show channel. In addition to Gran Hermano, the channel also broadcasts the Spanish versions of Survivor (Supervivientes, 2000–present) and Temptation Island (La Isla de las Tentaciones, 2020–present).
Talent shows
Operación Triunfo, the very first edition of Star Academy, was first broadcast in Spain in 2001. It is one of the most important talent shows in the country. Its many seasons have been broadcast on La 1, Telecinco and Amazon Prime Video.
There has also been several adaptations of international talent shows, such as La Voz (2012–present), based on Dutch format The Voice; Factor X (2007-2008, 2018, 2024), an adaptation of British format The X Factor; Fama, ¡a bailar! based on the Chilean format Fama, or Got Talent España (2016–present).
Fiction
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During the more than three decades of TVE's monopoly over TV broadcasting, TVE delivered a diverse fiction offer, both in terms of dramas and comedies as well as different production standards, although there was no special interest in an extended run of their series, and many of them simply often fit a prototypical one season & 13 episode profile.[36] TVE also imported fiction series from the United States.[36]
During the 1960s and 1970s, the scope of domestic fiction focused on theatrical and literary adaptations as well as region-themed fiction; in the particular case of comedy, productions underpinned the sense of costumbrismo and everyday life.[37] Verano azul (1981-1982), broadcast on La 1 (then one of two television channels in Spain), is the most-watched television series in the country's history, with up to 20 million viewers.
By the early 1990s, in the context of the entry of the private channels, domestically produced comedy fiction series seized on the prime time slot, until then a dominion of game shows, foreign series and domestic dramas.[38] A tendency to lengthen the duration of the episodes of comedy series manifested in this transitional period.[38]
Most of Spain's most popular national fiction series were released in the 1990s and 2000s, such as Médico de familia (1995-1999), Cuéntame cómo pasó (2001-2023), Los Serrano (2003-2008), Aída (2005-2014), El Internado (2007-2010), Aquí no hay quien viva (2003-2006) and its spiritual successor: La que se avecina (2007–present)
After its kickstart in 2018, Turkish soap operas had become popular in Spain by 2021.[39] Also in the 2020s, low-budget "uplifting" German films had become a staple of the sobremesa timeslot on weekends (on TVE and Antena 3).[40] Driven by appeals to nostalgia, 2021 saw a number of projects remaking or reviving former Spanish fiction series.[41] Despite evening Spanish soap operas such as La Promesa and Sueños de libertad gathering great audience figures on La 1 and Antena 3, national fiction on prime time has mainly lost its popularity in the 2020s, with television channels broadcasting movies, game shows or live shows instead. Spanish fiction has moved to Internet platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix, with series like Élite, Money Heist and Alpha Males.