Television in the Netherlands was officially introduced in 1951. In the Netherlands, the television market is divided between a number of commercial networks, such as RTL Nederland, and a system of public broadcasters sharing three channels, NPO 1, NPO 2, and NPO 3. Imported programmes (except those for children), as well as news interviews with responses in a foreign language, are almost always shown in their original language, with subtitles.
Reception In the Netherlands, television can be watched analog or digital (the latter with the option of HDTV or UHD). Over 2018, 89.2% of Dutch viewers received television digitally. Analogue television is only available via some cable operators and some fiber to the home providers, since the Dutch government ended analogue reception via airwaves in 2006. Dutch largest cable company Ziggo began to phase out the analogue signal in 2018. Watching digital television is possible through a variety of ways, the most common being: Digital television over cable (in most cases through a set-top box with a smart card or through a Conditional-access module). Ziggo is the major supplier of cable television in the Netherlands. Other companies are Caiway, DELTA, Kabelnoord and a few smaller local companies. Satellite television Canal Digitaal is the only satellite provider. Digital terrestrial television KPN Digitenne is the only terrestrial provider. Internet television (IPTV) KPN, Tele2 and T-Mobile are the major suppliers of IPTV. Fiber to the home KPN is the major operator of FTTH with its subsidiaries KPN Glasvezel, Glashart and Reggefiber. Other companies are Caiway and DELTA.
Which television channels can be received is heavily dependent on the operator and in most cases also the channel package that is paid for. However, there is a small selection of channels that every operator must carry. Since 2014, these are the following channels: NPO 1 NPO 2 NPO 3 VRT 1 (Flanders (Belgium)) VRT Canvas (Flanders (Belgium)) Ketnet (Flanders (Belgium)) Regional (provincial) broadcasters (when available) Local broadcaster (when available)
Public channels The Netherlands has three nationwide channels for publicly funded television (NPO). These channels can only make a fixed maximum amount of money from commercials. These commercials never interrupt broadcasts, and are only shown in between shows. The broadcasting organisations that use these channels are basically representative of the Dutch society. Every broadcasting company has members and the number of members gives them a status that is connected to the number of hours of broadcasting. Acceptance or refusal of entry is decided politically on the guidance of public opinion.
In 2005, there was a sharp political debate over government plans to cut funding to public broadcasters and to abolish statutory broadcaster NPS.
National The three national television channels are: NPO 1 NPO 2 NPO 3 NPO Zapp NPO Zappelin
Thematic The three digital television channels that are provided by the Nederlandse Publieke Omroep organisation, are: NPO 1 Extra NPO 2 Extra NPO Politiek en Nieuws
International There is also an international public channel: BVN, It shows the best of Dutch public television for Dutch viewers abroad. It was also formerly shared with Belgium's publicly funded Flemish television channel VRT.
Regional Most regions and provinces have their own television channel as well. These also receive government funding: AT5 (Greater Amsterdam) Omrop Fryslân (Friesland), in West Frisian and Dutch RTV Noord (Groningen) RTV Drenthe (Drenthe) RTV Oost (Overijssel) Omroep Flevoland (Flevoland) TV Gelderland (Gelderland) RTV Utrecht (Utrecht) NH (North Holland) RTV Rijnmond (Rotterdam) TV West (South Holland) L1 (Limburg) Omroep Brabant TV (North Brabant) Omroep Zeeland (Zeeland)
Commercial channels
RTL Nederland RTL 4 RTL 5 RTL 7 RTL 8 RTL Z RTL Crime RTL Lounge RTL Telekids
Talpa Network Net5 SBS6 SBS9 Veronica
Paramount Networks EMEAA Comedy Central MTV Nickelodeon Nick Jr. Nicktoons Paramount Network
Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA Animal Planet Cartoon Network Cartoonito CNN International Discovery Channel Discovery Science Eurosport 1 Eurosport 2 HGTV Investigation Discovery TLC
The Walt Disney Company 24Kitchen BabyTV (Distribution only) Disney Jr, formerly known as Jetix & Disney XD Disney Channel ESPN (through Eredivisie Media & Marketing CV) Star Channel (through Eredivisie Media & Marketing CV) National Geographic National Geographic Wild
VodafoneZiggo Ziggo Sport Ziggo Sport 2 Ziggo Sport 3 Ziggo Sport 4 Ziggo Sport 5 Ziggo Sport 6
AMC Networks International AMC Networks International UK Extreme Sports Channel ShortsTV, joint venture of AMC and Shorts International
NBCUniversal International Networks DreamWorks Channel E! Sky News
Versant CNBC Europe
SPI International DocuBox FightBox Film1 Film1 Premiere Film1 Action Film1 Family Film1 Drama FilmBox+ One
BBC Studios BBC News BBC NL
A&E Networks Crime & Investigation History
Stingray Digital Stingray Classica Stingray Djazz Stingray iConcerts Stingray Lite TV
Muziekkiosk Nashville TV SchlagerTV TV Oranje
RadioCorp BV 100% NL TV Slam!TV
Viaplay Group Viaplay TV Viaplay TV+
Other The following (international) commercial channels broadcast localized versions of their programs:
192TV Canal+ Action Curiosity Channel DanceTelevision Duck TV Euronews Family 7, conservative Christian channel FashionTV Horse & Country TV Love Nature Moonbug Njam! ONS, Dutch Nostalgia Channel OutTV, lesbian lifestyle Pebble TV, Dutch Children's Channel Telegraaf TV Top 40 TV Xite, Dutch Music Channel AFTV-African Television (English), available in The Hague and online, targeting Africans in the Netherlands NOS TV (Papiamento), available on Bonaire and online; local Bonaire TV station. RTV-7, (Papiamento, English); Rebroadcast of Antillian TV Channels in the Netherlands
Foreign domestic channels While there are many localised versions of international channels meant for the Dutch market, many television providers also broadcast 'domestic television' networks as part of the basic subscription package. Other 'domestic' channels may be received as part of extended packages. Many basic subscriptions include:
Belgium VRT 1 (Flanders) VRT Canvas (Flanders) Ketnet Junior (Flanders) Ketnet (Flanders) La Une (Wallonia) Tipik (Wallonia) La Trois (Wallonia) RTBF Auvio Kids TV (Wallonia)
United Kingdom BBC One BBC Two BBC Three CBBC BBC Four Cbeebies
Germany Das Erste ZDF WDR Fernsehen NDR Fernsehen RTL Sat.1 3sat Arte Deutschland
France France 2 France 3 France 4 Okoo France 5 TV5 Monde Europe Arte France Mezzo
Italy Mediaset Italia Rai 1 Rai 2 Rai 3
Spain Antena 3 TVE Internacional
Other TRT Türk (Turkey) Al Jazeera English CGTN Utsav Gold Utsav Plus
High-definition In the Netherlands customers can receive high-definition television channels by cable or satellite. Until 2018 there was no terrestrial HD service available. KPN started to switch its digital terrestrial television platform to the DVB-T2 HEVC standard in October 2018, this transition completed on 9 July 2019.
The first trials with high-definition television in the Netherlands began in 2006 with the broadcast of the 2006 World Cup in HD. After the trial the larger cable companies continued a HD service with a small number of channels such as National Geographic Channel HD, Discovery HD Showcase, History HD, Film1 HD and Sport1 HD. The demand for HD was low because no Dutch network had made the move to HD. Broadcasting in widescreen and the quality of the standard-definition PAL signal was good enough for most people.
Since the 2006 trials, none of the main Dutch networks made the move to HD. This changed in the summer of 2008 when from 1 June 2008 until 24 August 2008, the Netherlands Public Broadcasting (NPO) organisations made their primary channel, Nederland 1 temporary available in HD. This made it possible to broadcast Euro 2008, the 2008 Tour de France, and the 2008 Summer Olympics in HD and additionally allowed them to test their systems before the scheduled launch of their permanent HD service in early 2009. The NPO planned to launch their permanent HD service with HD versions of their three channels Nederland 1, Nederland 2, and Nederland 3. Most of the programming in the early stages consisted of upscaled material from their SD channels as in time more programs became available in HD. , the company responsible for the technical realisation of the broadcasts of the NPOs television and radio channels, began the summer 2008 test broadcast of Nederland 1 HD in 720p/50 as the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) recommends. During the test period an additional 1080i/25 version of the channel was made available to the cable companies because of quality complaints from viewers. In 2009 the NPO decided to adopt the 1080i/25 HD standard.
The main commercial broadcasting organizations in the Netherlands the SBS Broadcasting Group (Net5, SBS6, Veronica) and the channels of RTL Nederland followed in HD via cable and satellite, using the same HD standard as the NPO.
Ultra-high-definition The first television channels in 4K UHD were officially launched in the Netherlands in 2017. In April 2017, satellite provider CanalDigitaal added Insight TV 4K UHD in its channel line-up. After more than a year of testing, KPN launched ultra-high-definition television on 1 July 2017, with Xite 4K and Hispasat 4K TV. Eurosport 4K launched in the Netherlands on 5 June 2018. NPO 1 launched its first trials with ultra-high-definition television through KPN, CanalDigitaal and some minor networks on 14 June 2018, using the HLG standard. Ziggo Sport is available in UHD from March 2021.
Defunct or rebranded channels 13th Street (30 May 1998 – 1 July 2016) Action Now! (16 May 2006 – 31 May 2009) A-Tivi (January 2003 – 1 February 2008) Adventure One (1999 – 2007), replaced by National Geographic Wild (2007–present) BBC Prime (1995 – 2009), replaced by BBC Entertainment (November 2009 – 31 March 2024) Boomerang (5 June 2005 – 18 March 2023), replaced by Cartoonito (18 March 2023 – present) Brava3D The Box/The Box Comedy (1995 – 30 April 2007), replaced by Comedy Central (30 April 2007 – present) CineNova (18 May 2000 – 18 May 2005) CMT Europe (October 1992 – 31 March 1998) Comedy Central Extra (1 November 2011 – 31 December 2022) Comedy Central Family (1 October 2008 – 31 May 2018), its programmes merged with Comedy Central Extra Consumenten 24 (formerly Consumenten TV) DanceTrippin TV (2011 – May 2018), rebranded by DanceTelevision (May 2018 – present) Discovery Civilisation (1 October 1998 - 18 April 2008), rebranded by Discovery World (18 April 2008 - 31 December 2020) Discovery Travel & Living (September 1999 – 4 July 2011), replaced by Investigation Discovery and TLC (4 July 2011 – present) Disney Cinema (1 November 2000 - 30 April 2020) Formerly Toon Disney & Disney Cinemagic Disney XD (2 August 1997 - 1 May 2025), replaced by Disney Jr. (1 May 2025 - present) ESPN America (5 December 2002 – 1 August 2013) ESPN Classic (13 March 2006 – 1 August 2013) Euro 7 (19 October 1994 – 28 March 1997) Familie 24 Film1 Sundance (1 March 2012 – 31 August 2017) / Film1 Festival (1 February 2006 – 1 March 2012) Filmnet (1984 – 1997), replaced by Canal+ (1997 – 2006), followed by Film1 (1 February 2006 – present) Fine Living (1 September 2015 – 31 January 2019) Food Network (22 April 2010 – 31 January 2019) Fox (19 August 2013 - 31 October 2023), rebranded by Star Channel (1 November 2023 - present) Fox Kids (2 August 1995 – 13 February 2005), rebranded by Jetix (13 February 2005 – 1 January 2010) followed by Disney XD (1 January 2010 – 1 May 2025) Fox Life (7 September 2009 – 31 December 2016) Fox Sports Eredivisie, 3 pay-TV channels (29 August 2008 – 1 January 2021), rebranded by ESPN