ATV2
ATV2 is an Austrian commercial television channel focused on entertainment, films, series, news updates and selected cultural programming.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
ATV2, stylized as ATVII, is an Austrian commercial television station launched as a companion channel to ATV. It began broadcasting on 1 December 2011, initially through cable and satellite distribution, and later expanded to terrestrial television. The channel was created to broaden the ATV brand's programming portfolio and provide additional inventory for entertainment, film, television series, news and cultural content. The channel's launch was announced by ATV in September 2011. Its proposed schedule combined original programming, movies, imported television series, news bulletins and daytime children's programming. Early plans included dubbed anime such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, films from the catalogue associated with Herbert Kloiber's Tele München Group, and programming intended to complement rather than simply duplicate the main ATV service. The channel also planned to divide ATV's advertising offer between the two services and develop pricing intended to make the additional inventory attractive to advertisers. Before the formal launch, ATV2's satellite signal was activated on Astra 1KR on 3 October 2011. More detailed programming plans were presented in November. These included two editions of ATV aktuell, a shorter update at approximately 5:05 p.m. and a longer bulletin at approximately 6:25 p.m.; weekday prime-time films and series; and US series such as Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis and E-Ring. The schedule also contemplated cultural programming, including a planned opera strand featuring productions from the Zurich Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, as well as a cultural-news spin-off related to ATV's Highlights format. ATV2's terrestrial rollout began on 15 November 2012 in Vienna, Innsbruck and Bregenz before its terrestrial availability expanded more broadly. Satellite distribution was encrypted in a manner similar to the main ATV service, with reception available through compatible ORF or Sky viewing cards, while cable and terrestrial distribution provided additional access routes. In its early years, the channel's reach was constrained by the availability of its cable and satellite feed, although terrestrial coverage later reached a substantial share of Austrian households. The channel moved to high-definition transmission on cable and satellite on 11 October 2016. After ProSiebenSat.1 acquired the ATV channels in 2017, ATV2 was reorganized in early 2018. Repeats of original ATV programming were removed, and the service considered developing more channel-specific original content, including possible esports programming. ATV2 subsequently converted to high-definition terrestrial broadcasting on 22 November 2022. ATV2 remains positioned as an Austrian free-to-view commercial television service that complements ATV through a mix of acquired entertainment, films, series, news updates and selected special-interest programming. Its precise schedule and distribution arrangements have changed over time, but its core role has been to extend the group's television offering rather than operate as a standalone niche broadcaster.
History
ATV2 was developed by ATV as a second Austrian commercial television service. The concept was disclosed to the press on 12 September 2011, several months before launch. ATV described a channel that would combine original productions, movies, imported series, news and daytime children's programming. It was also intended to create additional advertising capacity and allow the ATV operation to segment its commercial offer across two channels. The satellite signal was activated on Astra 1KR on 3 October 2011, ahead of the scheduled service launch. During the planning phase, the exact audience profile and final programming mix were not fully defined, but the proposed daytime schedule included dubbed anime, while the broader service was expected to draw on films, series and news. In November 2011, ATV provided a clearer outline of the schedule. ATV2 was to carry two daily ATV aktuell updates, films and series in prime time, US imports including Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis and E-Ring, and additional cultural programming. Plans also included opera productions from the Zurich Opera House and the Metropolitan Opera in New York, together with a cultural-news format related to ATV's Highlights programming. Regular broadcasting began on 1 December 2011 through cable and satellite. Satellite reception was encrypted similarly to the main ATV channel and could be accessed using compatible ORF or Sky viewing cards. Terrestrial broadcasting followed on 15 November 2012, initially in Vienna, Innsbruck and Bregenz. This gradually improved the channel's reach, although the service continued to have different technical availability depending on the distribution platform. At one stage, the high-definition feed was available to around 1.2 million households through cable and satellite, while terrestrial coverage in standard definition reached a much larger proportion of Austria. On 11 October 2016, ATV2 converted its cable and satellite service to high definition. Its terrestrial service remained in standard definition temporarily. A major corporate change followed the 2017 acquisition of the ATV channels by ProSiebenSat.1. In early 2018, ATV2 was reorganized, with repeats of original ATV programming removed and consideration given to more distinctive content for the second channel, including esports-related programming. The technical modernization continued when ATV2 converted its terrestrial service to high definition on 22 November 2022. Throughout its development, ATV2 has served as an entertainment-oriented companion to ATV, using a combination of acquired programming, films, series, news updates and occasional cultural or special-interest formats. It is owned within the ProSiebenSat.1 group through ProSiebenSat.1 Media Puls 4.
- 2022
Terrestrial HD conversion
[1]ATV2 switches to high-definition terrestrial transmission on 22 November.
- 2018
Channel restructuring
[1]ATV2 removes repeats of ATV's original programming and considers developing more distinctive content for the channel.
- 2017
ATV channels acquired by ProSiebenSat.1
[1]ProSiebenSat.1 acquires the ATV channels, leading to a later restructuring of ATV2.
- 2016
Cable and satellite HD conversion
[1]ATV2 switches its cable and satellite feed to high definition on 11 October.
- 2012
Terrestrial broadcasting begins
[1]The channel starts terrestrial transmission in Vienna, Innsbruck and Bregenz on 15 November.
- 2011
ATV publicly presents ATV2 plans
[1]ATV announces a second commercial channel intended to carry original content, films, series, news, children's programming and additional advertising inventory.
- 2011
Satellite signal activated
[1]The ATV2 satellite frequency is activated on Astra 1KR on 3 October, ahead of the channel's formal launch.
- 2011
ATV2 launches
[1]ATV2 begins regular broadcasting on 1 December through cable and satellite.
Products and positioning
A complementary Austrian commercial television channel providing entertainment-led programming, films, series, news updates and selected cultural content alongside the main ATV service.
Commercial television channel · 2011
ATV2 television service
The core ATV2 service is an Austrian commercial television channel designed to complement ATV. Its programming mix includes entertainment, feature films, television series, news updates and selected cultural or special-interest content. Distribution has included cable, satellite and terrestrial television, with the channel progressively moving to high-definition transmission across platforms.
News programming · 2011
ATV aktuell on ATV2
ATV2's planned news offering included two daily ATV aktuell editions: a shorter afternoon update and a longer early-evening bulletin. The format helped give the entertainment-focused companion channel a regular news component connected to the wider ATV operation.
Entertainment programming · 2011
Film and series programming
Films and imported television series formed the principal prime-time offer. Early plans included US series such as Supernatural, Stargate Atlantis and E-Ring, alongside feature films and movies from the catalogue associated with Tele München Group.
Brand decisions
2022
Convert terrestrial broadcasting to HDGeneration changeBackground
After the earlier HD transition on cable and satellite, terrestrial transmission remained to be upgraded.
Action taken
ATV2 converted its terrestrial service to high definition on 22 November 2022.
Aftermath
HD transmission became available across the channel's terrestrial distribution, subject to platform and household reception conditions.
2018
Restructure ATV2 after the ProSiebenSat.1 acquisitionStrategyBackground
Following ProSiebenSat.1's 2017 acquisition of the ATV channels, the group's channel portfolio was reviewed.
Action taken
ATV2 removed reruns of ATV's original programming and considered developing channel-specific original formats, including esports-related content.
Aftermath
The service was repositioned as a more distinct companion channel within the expanded ProSiebenSat.1 television portfolio.
2016
Move cable and satellite transmission to HDGeneration changeBackground
ATV2 was modernizing its technical distribution while maintaining multiple transmission platforms.
Action taken
The channel converted its cable and satellite feed to high definition on 11 October 2016.
Aftermath
Terrestrial standard-definition broadcasting continued temporarily before the later terrestrial HD conversion.
2011
Launch a second ATV commercial channelProduct launchBackground
ATV sought to broaden its programming portfolio and create additional advertising capacity through a companion service.
Action taken
It developed ATV2 with a schedule combining entertainment, films, series, news, children's programming and cultural content, then launched the channel on 1 December 2011.
Aftermath
ATV2 became a separate Austrian commercial television service and later expanded from cable and satellite distribution to terrestrial broadcasting.
Recent events
- 2022
ATV2 completes terrestrial HD conversion[1]
Product generation
ATV2 began terrestrial high-definition broadcasting on 22 November 2022.
- 2018
ATV2 is reorganized after ProSiebenSat.1's ATV acquisition[1]
M&A
Following ProSiebenSat.1's acquisition of the ATV channels in 2017, ATV2 was restructured and removed repeats of ATV's original programs while considering channel-specific programming such as esports content.
- 2016
ATV2 launches high-definition distribution[1]
Product generation
The channel switched to high-definition transmission on cable and satellite on 11 October 2016, while terrestrial standard-definition transmission continued for a period.
- 2012
ATV2 expands to terrestrial television[1]
Other
Terrestrial distribution began on 15 November 2012, initially covering Vienna, Innsbruck and Bregenz.
- 2011
ATV announces the planned launch of ATV2[1]
Product launch
ATV publicly outlined plans for a second channel featuring films, television series, news, children's programming and original content, with the service intended to complement ATV and expand its advertising offer.
- 2011
ATV2 begins broadcasting[1]
Product launch
ATV2 officially started broadcasting on 1 December 2011 after an earlier satellite signal activation in October.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/atv2 · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled