History of Benfica TV in Timeline

Benfica TV (BTV) is a premium sports television channel owned and operated by the Portuguese sports club S.L. Benfica. Launched in October 2008 with regular broadcasts starting in December of the same year, BTV is headquartered at Estádio da Luz with a secondary studio at Benfica Campus. Initially offered freely by cable operators, it transitioned to a premium subscription model after June 2013. The channel focuses on content related to S.L. Benfica, broadcasting live games, news, and other club-related programming.

2005: Concept of a Television Channel

In 2005, the concept of a television channel specifically covering Benfica and its members was first mentioned with Luís Filipe Vieira's announcement of a new membership campaign called Kit Sócio ("Member Kit").

April 2008: Benfica Selects Production Companies

In April 2008, Benfica selected the first production companies to create Benfica TV channel's content.

October 2008: Benfica TV First Broadcast

In October 2008, Benfica TV (BTV), a sports-oriented premium cable and satellite television channel operated by S.L. Benfica, had its first broadcast from its headquarters at Estádio da Luz.

2008: Experimental Broadcast

In 2008, Benfica announced an experimental broadcast showing the second leg of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup first round against Napoli. The test occurred without any incidents, and 100,000 people tuned in to watch the game.

January 2009: Benfica TV Broadasting Through Cable Providers

In January 2009, Benfica TV began broadcasting through the Cabovisão, AR Telecom and Clix cable providers.

March 2009: ZAP Added

In March 2009, the cable provider ZAP was added to the Benfica TV broadcasting list.

July 2010: Dish Network Added

In July 2010, the Dish Network was added to the Benfica TV broadcasting list.

July 2011: Purchase of 180 Games

In July 2011 Benfica began broadcasting more than just their own games with the purchase of 180 games from various teams, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool.

March 2012: Rejection of Five-Year Offer

In March 2012 Benfica announced that they had rejected a five-year, €111 million offer (€22.2 million per year) from Olivedesportos for TV rights, asking for €40 million per year instead.

April 2012: Benfica TV Enters French Network Orange

In April 2012, Benfica TV entered the French network Orange.

August 2012: Purchase of TV Rights

In August 2012 Benfica purchased the TV rights for 82 Brasileirão matches.

October 2012: Transmitting Primeira Liga Home Games on Benfica TV

On 25 October 2012 Benfica publicly confirmed they were transmitting their Primeira Liga home games on Benfica TV.

June 2013: Expiration of TV Rights Deal

The TV rights deal between Benfica and Olivedesportos, valued at €7.5 million, expired on 30 June 2013.

June 2013: Benfica TV Made Available for Free

Until June 2013, Benfica TV was available for free on all cable operators.

July 2013: BTV Becomes a Premium Channel

In July 2013, BTV transitioned to a premium channel and began purchasing content such as the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the French Ligue 1, and Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

January 2014: Addition of LiveMatch and Subscriber Milestone

In January 2014, Benfica TV added LiveMatch, an internet pay-per-view option for live streams of home games, and surpassed 300,000 subscribers.

2014: International Availability

By the end of 2014, BTV was available internationally in Portuguese-speaking countries such as Angola, Cape Verde, and Mozambique, as well as to Portuguese populations in France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, England, Canada, and the United States.

2014: Broadcast of the Taça de Honra

From the start, Benfica has also broadcast its home matches for the five best-known amateur sports: basketball, futsal, roller hockey, handball and volleyball, plus the 2014–15 edition of the Taça de Honra, with teams in both senior and youth categories, male or female.

July 2015: Addition of Serie A and Ligue 1 to Programming

In July 2015 Benfica added two more major leagues to its programming, Serie A and Ligue 1, signing a three-year deal that would last until 2018.

December 2015: Sale of TV Rights to NOS

On 2 December 2015, Benfica sold its first-team TV rights as well as the distribution and broadcasting rights to NOS in a three-year deal, receiving €40 million per season, with the option to extend the contract to a maximum of ten seasons, totalling €400 million.

2015: Transmission of Sports Events

From the start, Benfica has also broadcast its home matches for the five best-known amateur sports: basketball, futsal, roller hockey, handball and volleyball, plus mixed martial arts company Ultimate Fighting Championship. From the start, Benfica has also broadcast its home matches for the five best-known amateur sports: basketball, futsal, roller hockey, handball and volleyball, plus the 2015 Copa del Rey Final, 2015 Supercopa de España, 2015 Supercoppa Italiana

2015: Acquisition of Premier League TV Rights

On the club's 109th anniversary in 2015, Vieira divulged that Benfica had acquired the Premier League TV rights through 2015–16.

June 2016: End of Second Channel Broadcast

In June 2016, Benfica ended the broadcast of its second channel, which featured content like the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the French Ligue 1, and Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

June 2016: Closure of BTV2

On 30 June 2016, NOS opted to remove all premium content, namely the UFC, Ligue 1 and Serie A, subsequently closing the second channel (BTV2).

July 2016: BTV Rights Belong to NOS

Since July 2016, BTV rights belong to NOS until the end of June 2027.

February 2017: Prémio Cinco Estrelas (Five Star Award)

On 9 February 2017, BTV was awarded with the Prémio Cinco Estrelas (Five Star Award) for the best TV Sports Channel in Portugal.

2018: End of Serie A and Ligue 1 Programming deal

In July 2015 Benfica signed a three-year deal to add Serie A and Ligue 1 to its programming, that lasted until 2018.

2020: Criticism for Lack of Electoral Coverage

In 2020, BTV was criticized by Bernardo Silva, António Bagão Félix, and other Benfica members for not covering the club's elections that year or promoting debates between candidates for presidency.