Advanced Television

Two new DTT channels launch in Spain

June 30, 2015

From David Del Valle in Madrid

Two new DTT channels, the male-orientated channel Mega and the Al Jazeera-backed BeiN Sports, will be available in Spain from July 1st.

Mega, operated by Atresmedia, is replacing the football-themed pay-DTT channel Gol TV, owned by Mediapro, which is closing down due to the arrival of Al Jazeera-backed BeiN Sports with La Liga and other European football Leagues like the Premier League, the French Ligue 1, the Champions League and Europa League.

Mega will be targeted at a male audience aged 25-54 – a segment already aimed at by Atresmedia with its former channels Nitro and Xplora which had to be closed down as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision to shut down 9 DTT channels in the market.

Spanish production company Mediapro and Qatar’s Al Jazeera have signed an agreement to launch the Sports TV channel beIN Sports in Spain.

The channel will be made available to all the main pay-TV operators and will broadcast the main international football competitions such as the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League, among other sports.

BeIN Sports is the former Al Jazeera Sport and currently operates four channels in France as well as several more in the US, Canada and Asia.

Al Jazeera is reportedly interested in acquiring a stake in Spanish pay-TV platform Canal + from Telefonica to ease regulatory concerns about the operator’s proposed takeover.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Content, DTT/DSO