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Barça TV, freeview on TDT

This December, FC Barcelona will satisfy their long-awaited desire for the club’s television station to be made available to all of its fans, from its members in particular all the way down to its general fan base.

Barça TV will be broadcast via thematic channel number 2 of terrestrial digital television, which is included in the multiplex channel Emissions Digitals.

Where can it be seen?

Broadcasting on this new platform will commence at the end of the year and will be seen in 98% of the Catalonia on the following frequencies: in the Barcelona are on 33 UHF; in the counties of Girona on 36 UHF; in Tarragona on 51 UHF; and in Lleida on 53 UHF, once the Consell de l’Audiovisual de Catalunya (CAC) has provided its definitive validation. In fact, days before the launch, pictures will already be available in the form of a test signal, which will allow Barça fans to tune into Barça TV and be ready for when it starts broadcasting content.

What will be on?

The agreement means FC Barcelona will be able offer even more services to its members and fans, who from now on will enjoy free access to Barça TV content from anywhere in Catalonia. Barça TV’s programmes place the main emphasis on information, and with the arrival of TDT, FC Barcelona’s own channel will be the finest point of reference for its supporters, and therefore the amount of information on offer is set to increase even more.

For instance, there is the daily news bulletin called ‘Barça Notícies', and on the hour every hour there will be summaries of the most important headlines, always bang up to date. At the weekend, the same kind of immediacy will be available, with the programme called ‘El Marcador' being the one to look out for. It is a flexible format show, which will be providing information based around the match broadcasts, which will particularly focus on Barça Atlètic, youth football and the other sports teams.

Apart from news, Barça TV will also be broadcasting directly from the Miniestadi, the Ciudad Deportiva and the Palau Blaugrana. Another aspect Barça likes to highlight are its more historical contents, with special programmes dedicated to the memory and careers of some the previous greats that have appeared for the club.

The club is also looking into ways of taking advantage of the benefits offered by TDT through the development of interactive content. Examples of this are the EPG (Electronic Program Guide), SI (Service Information) and Teletext, which are offered as added value services.

A growing agreement

The implantation of TDT, which has been spoken about for months, has now become a reality. Nothing will ever be quite the same again, and Barça, who have always killed to keep up with the times, have no intention of being left out of it. That is why FC Barcelona and Emissions Digitals de Catalunya, which belongs to the Grupo Godó, have come to this agreement for Barça TV to broadcast in freeview to every corner of Catalonia. The agreement was signed at the Camp Nou, in the television studio next to the club museum, where Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona and Javier Godó, the Count of Godó, signed the agreement in the very location where the nightly broadcasts of the ‘Barça Notícies’ new bulletin are recorded.

Proximity and service

President Joan Laporta explained that this agreement "is yet another step forward in our desire for openness and a service-oriented vocation” and added that “the broadcasting of Barça TV in freeview will bring thousands of Barça fans closer. I am convinced that this plurality that we know of as our audience will validate and approve of what comes into their homes. The idea of television that seeks to inform and provide a service is in keeping with the Barça spirit." Javier Godó also commented on the importance of the agreement, saying “we feel very honoured, it is a huge honour, but more than anything, this project is a major responsibility ".