Satellite TV Spain

Satellite TV in Spain, Freesat TV in Spain, Sky TV in Spain

UK Satellite TV is available in Spain. You require a satellite dish, aligned to the UK TV Astra 2 group of satellites at 28 east, and a satellite receiver (a Freesat set top box, a Sky Digibox, or a “generic” satellite receiver). Many UK TV channels are available subscription free on satellite. Channels like BBC ITV Channel Four and Channel Five are all available without any form of subscription or viewing card. However, if you want to watch the Sky pay channels, then you will require a Sky Digibox and a Sky card with a monthly Sky Subscription.

Freesat in Spain
UK Freesat and Freesat set top boxes allow you to receive and watch the main UK TV channels, including BBC ITV Channel Four and Channel Five, with no subscription or viewing card.

There are over 125 subscription free UK TV channels available on Freesat. There are also 11 subscription free HD TV channels on Freesat HD.

Sky TV in Spain

Sky TV and Sky Digiboxes allow you to receive and watch non-subscription and subscription UK TV channels. No subscription is required for the main UK TV channels, including BBC ITV Channel Four and Channel Five. But for pay tv channels like Sky One, Sky Atlantic, Dave, Discovery, National Geographic, Sky Sport, Sky Movies, then a Sky viewing card and a Sky subscription is required.

Intelsat 907 – BBC SATBACK system

In areas of Spain like the Costa del Sol that are unable to receive the main UK TV channels like BBC ITV and Channel Four without using a giant 4m+ satellite dish, people have been looking for alternate ways to receive their UK TV. One method being used is the Intelsat 907 BBC SATBACK system.

UK Satellite Television Options for UK TV

The main UK Television satellite channels are broadcast from the satellite constellation located between 28.2 and 28.5 degrees east of south. The channels are transmitted from three UK TV satellites: Astra 2E, Astra 2F, and Astra 2G. These satellites transmit a mixture of free to air (unencrypted and no subscription), free to view (encrypted by no subscription), and subscription (encrypted).

Free to Air Television Channels

There are over 200 FTA television and radio channels available including BBC, ITV and C4 which require no subscription.

You can use a Sky, Freesat or generic receivers to receive free to air channels.

Free to View Television Channels

Free to view (FTV) channels are channels that require a Sky viewing card but no monthly subscription. Currently the channels available on a FTV card are Five, Five US, Five US+1, Five Life, Five Life +1 and Sky Three.

You can only use a Sky viewing card to receive UK free to view television channels.

Sky Television Subscription

For Sky subscription channels you will require a Sky subscription card and a monthly payment to Sky TV.

High Definition Television Channels

There are many high definition channels available with UK TV channels. again, HD options include channels that are free, or subscription.

BBC One HD, BBC HD, ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and Five HD are available without a monthly subscription. They are free to watch on ANY HD satellite receiver.

You can only use a Sky viewing card to view the Sky package HD channels, which does require an additional monthly charge.

Cardsharing Systems in Spain

Cardsharing is a method to use one satellite subscription card with more than one satellite receivers in a same time. In practical terms an original legitimate subscription card could be used in a receiver; then another box that is in another room, or even a thousand miles away, could access the smartcard via ‘local network’ or ‘internet’ to clear channels that the subscription card allows.

Cardsharing may be cheaper than using an official viewing card and subscription, but it is ILLEGAL. And despite UK TV installers in Spain saying these systems offer “All Sky TV Channels for less”, they DO NOT offer ALL Sky TV channels, as the Sky HD channels are NOT available on these systems.

Choosing a Satellite Installer In Spain

Finding a satellite installer in Spain should not be such a problem, but choosing the right satellite installer can be.