MarketSport TV
Company Profile

Sport TV

Sport TV is a Portuguese sports-oriented premium cable and satellite television network with seven premium channels in Portugal, one sports news channel and one channel in Portuguese-speaking Africa. The first channel, then only known as Sport TV, was launched on 16 September 1998. It is owned by Altice Portugal, NOS, Vodafone Portugal and Global Media Group. It is available in almost all television distribution operators in Portugal as a premium subscription channel.

History
Sport TV started broadcasting on 3 September 1998 on TV Cabo's analog service on channel 39 and on channel 1 of the newly-launched digital satellite system. The channel launched as a free preview for interested subscribers, after which, on 15 September, the channel would formally commence its encrypted broadcasts. The channel was the first service to be created after the passing of a new Television Law. On 16 September 2005, seven years after the opening of the first channel, Sport TV launched a second channel, SportTV 2. It regularly broadcasts alternative sports such as mountaineering, cycling and radical sports. The channel was available only through ZON TV Funtastic Life package, but the model did not work. They relaunched the channel as a premium channel, also available on Cabovisão and Portugal Telecom's MEO. This was followed in June 2008 by SportTV 3. Sport TV shown UEFA Euro 2008 in HD, through ZON TV. On 22 January 2010 the thematic golf channel SPORT.TV Golfe and its HD simulcast, SPORT.TV Golfe HD were launched. On 13 August 2010 they launched SPORT.TV Liga Inglesa, an HD channel dedicated to the Premier League, broadcasting 380 games and 400 highlights per season, made by the Premier League (also broadcasting on other countries). On 7 January 2011 SPORT.TV1, SPORT.TV2 and SPORT.TV3 started to broadcast in 16:9. On 13 August 2011 all of the SportTV main channels started to broadcast in HD and it was launched a new channel, SPORT.TV4, that also is available in HD. At the same time, the Sport TV HD channel ended its two-year run. On 5 June 2013 Sport TV stopped broadcasting in the United States. On 1 August 2013 SPORT TV launched a new channel, SPORT.TV Live, replacing SPORT.TV4. On 14 August 2014 SPORT.TV Live was renamed to SPORT.TV4 again (there's also SPORT.TV4 HD). SPORT.TV Golfe was renamed to SPORT.TV5, which is also available in HD. In August 2019, Sport TV launched the SPORT TV Digital Hub, an interactive OTT platform developed in partnership with Portuguese technology company Magycal, available on mobile, web and smart TVs, featuring live broadcasts, video on demand, and AI-powered real-time facial recognition of players. The platform received the Best User Experience award at the SportsPro OTT Awards 2022 and the Best in Broadcast Distribution award at the SportsPro Media Awards 2025. On 20 October 2023, weeks after the network's 25th anniversary, Sport TV received a major rebrand. Sport TV 7 launched on 1 August 2024, airing minor sports. Sport TV 4 and 6 became the motorsport channels. The accumulation of seven matches at 6pm on 17 May 2025 forced Sport TV to air a quadruple simulcast of minor matches on Sport TV 4; these four matches being decisive for smaller teams facing promotion or relegation to the second league. Individual carriage of the matches was restricted to the app. == Broadcasting rights ==
Broadcasting rights
Football ;International competitions • FIFA World CupUEFA Nations LeagueUEFA European QualifiersUEFA Futsal ChampionshipUEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Europa LeagueUEFA Conference LeagueUEFA Super CupCopa AméricaCONMEBOL LibertadoresCONMEBOL SudamericanaCONMEBOL RecopaCONCACAF Champions Cup ;National competitions • Primera DivisiónCopa do BrasilFA CupFA Community ShieldEFL CupLigue 1Coupe de FranceTrophée Des ChampionsSerie ACoppa ItaliaSupercoppa ItalianaLiga Portugal 1 (except SL Benfica and Moreirense F.C. home matches) • Liga Portugal 2 (except SL Benfica B, FC Porto B and Sporting CP B home matches) • Taça de PortugalTaça da LigaSupertaça Cândido de OliveiraSaudi Pro LeagueSaudi King's CupSaudi Super CupCopa del ReySupercopa de EspañaSüper Lig Basketball EuroleagueNBA Rugby union 2023 Rugby World CupRBS Six NationsEuropean Rugby Champions CupCampeonato Português de Rugby Motorsports MotoGPWRCInternational GT OpenFIA GT ChampionshipDTMIndyCar SeriesNASCAR • Others, including Portuguese Rally Championship and Weekly magazines (SBK, etc.) Ice hockey NHL MMA UFC Golf Ryder CupU.S. MastersU.S. OpenBritish OpenEuropean TourPGA ChampionshipPGA TourWorld Golf Championships Tennis Davis CupBillie Jean King CupWimbledonATP World Tour Masters 1000ATP World Tour == Channels ==
Channels
Current channels Former channels • SPORT.TV HD • SPORT.TV LIGA INGLESA • SPORT.TV LIVE • SPORT.TV AMÉRICAS • SPORT.TV ÁFRICA 1 HD • SPORT.TV ÁFRICA 2 HD • SPORT.TV 4K UHD ==Controversies==
Controversies
A 2003 contract to create new Sport TV channels was rejected by RTP, who viewed the agreement as an "assassin". Sport TV is widely regarded as anti-competitive, since it is the only group of channels in Portugal with the rights to broadcast the Primeira Liga matches (except Benfica home games, which air on their in-house channel Benfica TV). In September 2007, Sport TV sent a cease and desist to a Portuguese live TV streaming website tvtuga.com because the latter was providing links to streams of UEFA Champions League matches that only SPORT TV had the rights to broadcast in Portugal. This has caused great public concern with regard to the monopoly abuse status of the SPORT TV channels. On 17 January 2011, Sport TV was criticized by Benfica after a match against Académica. Benfica's director of communications at the time, João Gabriel, accused the channel commentators of bias against the club. ==See also==
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