La Sexta
Spanish privately owned free-to-air television channel operated by Atresmedia.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
La Sexta is a Spanish privately owned free-to-air television channel and one of the principal broadcast brands within the Atresmedia group. Its identity combines general-interest programming with a particularly strong emphasis on humour, entertainment, current affairs, political debate, American television imports and sports. Although the channel is designed for a broad national audience, its information and debate output has generally been associated with a left-leaning editorial orientation. The brand has roots in an earlier broadcasting project. A channel known as Beca TV was established in 2001 and began broadcasting on 1 April of that year, but it accumulated debt and closed in July 2003. A new project using the La Sexta name emerged after a broadcasting licence was obtained in 2005. Test transmissions began toward the end of 2005, initially concentrating on Madrid and Barcelona before expanding its coverage. The service developed its schedule through promotional material, technical tests, documentaries and entertainment content, and carried its first live football broadcast in March 2006. Official programming began on 27 March 2006. La Sexta entered the Spanish market with a deliberately distinctive tone. Its schedule mixed comedy and satirical programmes with reality formats, series, films, sports and factual programming. This helped the channel compete in a crowded commercial television environment while giving it a recognizable voice separate from more traditional generalist broadcasters. Programmes such as El Intermedio, Sé lo que hicisteis..., Salvados, Pesadilla en la cocina, Zapeando and Al rojo vivo became important parts of the channel's public identity. Its use of humour and satire was especially visible in programmes addressing Spanish politics, media and public life. Current affairs became increasingly central to the channel. Weekday schedules have often been built around news, interviews and debate, while evening and weekend schedules provide a wider mix of factual entertainment, films, repeats and other general-interest programming. Three programmes have been particularly important in its political and electoral coverage: Al rojo vivo, El objetivo and Salvados. Together, they have given La Sexta a strong presence in discussions of elections, government, parties and major political controversies. The channel has also relied on a substantial catalogue of acquired international programming. Its schedule has included American comedy, drama, animation and procedural series, alongside sports rights and locally produced formats. Examples of imported titles associated with its programming include The Office, My Name Is Earl, The Sopranos, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Futurama, Bones, Prison Break and The Walking Dead. The balance between domestic original productions and internationally sourced content has allowed La Sexta to maintain a broad entertainment offer while retaining a strong Spanish editorial identity. In 2012, La Sexta was acquired by Grupo Antena 3, which was subsequently renamed Atresmedia. The transaction placed the channel within a larger Spanish commercial television portfolio and integrated it with the group's broader advertising, production and digital operations. La Sexta continued to operate as a distinct channel rather than being absorbed into the Antena 3 brand, preserving its established programming profile and editorial positioning. The channel progressively adopted widescreen and high-definition distribution. Most programming has been produced or transmitted in 16:9, although some older material and selected films continued to appear in 4:3. Its high-definition feed launched in August 2010. On 14 February 2024, Atresmedia completed the transition to HD-only terrestrial broadcasting for La Sexta, ending the parallel standard-definition and high-definition distribution of the service. La Sexta remains an active Spanish television brand with a schedule centered on informat…
History
La Sexta's history includes both an unsuccessful predecessor and the later launch of the channel that carries the brand today. The first project was established as Beca TV in 2001. It began broadcasting in April of that year, but financial difficulties and accumulated debt led to the service being closed in July 2003. The later La Sexta project was developed after a new broadcasting licence was obtained in 2005. The new channel began test activity in late 2005. Its initial technical operations focused on Madrid and Barcelona, with the service subsequently expanding across Spain. During the preparation period, La Sexta used promotional videos and test transmissions before moving into regular content. Documentary material and specialist entertainment, including programming related to automobile tuning, formed part of the early output. A football match between Croatia and Argentina in March 2006 marked the channel's first live broadcast. The official launch followed on 27 March 2006. From its early years, La Sexta pursued a generalist strategy but gave unusual prominence to humour and entertainment. The channel combined locally produced comedy, satire, reality and factual formats with films, sports and imported series. Its programming library included American comedy, drama, animation and procedural titles. This mixture helped create a broad schedule while maintaining a tone that was more irreverent and entertainment-led than that of many established Spanish generalist broadcasters. The channel's identity increasingly became linked to news and political discussion. Weekday schedules emphasized information and debate, while evenings and weekends retained more general programming, including films, repeats and reporting formats. Al rojo vivo, El objetivo and Salvados became central to the channel's coverage of political events and elections. Their formats combined interviews, analysis, field reporting and debate, and collectively established La Sexta as an important forum for political conversation in Spain. The channel's news and debate output has commonly been described as left-leaning. Other original programmes strengthened the brand's entertainment profile. El Intermedio used satire to comment on politics and the media, while Sé lo que hicisteis... developed a distinctive approach to television and celebrity commentary. Pesadilla en la cocina adapted the restaurant-rescue factual format for Spanish viewers, and Zapeando provided a lighter entertainment and television-review offering. Salvados also combined investigative reporting and interviews with a highly recognizable presenter-driven format. A major corporate turning point came in 2012, when Grupo Antena 3 acquired La Sexta. The parent group later adopted the name Atresmedia. La Sexta remained a separate channel in the enlarged portfolio, allowing the group to maintain different editorial and audience propositions across its television brands. The acquisition placed La Sexta within a wider corporate structure covering television, radio, production and digital media. Technologically, La Sexta moved toward widescreen transmission and high definition. Most programming came to be shown in 16:9, although some archive material and films remained in the older 4:3 format. The channel's HD service was launched on 22 August 2010. On 14 February 2024, Atresmedia switched La Sexta to HD-only broadcasting, ending the coexistence of SD and HD feeds. The channel continues to operate as an active Spanish commercial broadcaster, combining current affairs, political debate, satire, entertainment, sports and acquired international content.
- 2024
HD-only distribution
[1]Atresmedia ends La Sexta's parallel SD and HD distribution and switches the channel to HD-only broadcasting on 14 February.
- 2012
Acquisition by Grupo Antena 3
[1]Grupo Antena 3 acquires La Sexta; the group later becomes Atresmedia.
- 2010
High-definition feed launches
[1]La Sexta introduces its high-definition television feed on 22 August.
- 2006
Official launch
[1]La Sexta begins official broadcasting on 27 March after a period of promotional and technical transmissions.
- 2005
La Sexta project receives a broadcasting licence
[1]A new channel project using the La Sexta name is established after obtaining a broadcast licence, with test activity beginning later that year.
- 2003
Beca TV closes
[1]The predecessor channel is shut down after running into debt.
- 2001
Beca TV begins broadcasting
[1]The predecessor project known as Beca TV begins broadcasting in Spain on 1 April.
Products and positioning
A Spanish general-interest commercial television channel differentiated by political debate, current affairs, satire, humour and entertainment, with additional sports and international programming.
Free-to-air television channel · 2006
La Sexta television channel
The core La Sexta service is a national Spanish general-interest free-to-air television channel. Its schedule combines news, political debate, satire, comedy, reality and factual entertainment, films, sports and acquired international series. Weekday programming has typically placed greater weight on information and debate, while evenings and weekends allow more room for films, repeats and entertainment formats.
News and current affairs
News and political debate programming
La Sexta's current-affairs portfolio includes political interviews, analysis, electoral coverage and debate. Al rojo vivo, El objetivo and Salvados have been especially significant in defining the channel's role in Spanish political discussion. These programmes use studio debate, interviews and field reporting to address elections, government policy and major public controversies.
Comedy and satire
Satire and comedy programming
Comedy and satire are central to La Sexta's brand identity. El Intermedio is a prominent example, using humour and commentary to examine political and media news. Other entertainment formats, including Sé lo que hicisteis... and Zapeando, have contributed to the channel's informal, irreverent presentation style and helped distinguish it from more conventional generalist television.
Acquired programming
International television series
La Sexta has carried a substantial selection of imported programming, particularly from the United States. Its historical schedule has included comedy, drama, animation and procedural series such as The Office, My Name Is Earl, The Sopranos, NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Futurama, Bones, Prison Break and The Walking Dead.
Sports broadcasting · 2006
Sports programming
Sports has been part of La Sexta's general-interest offer since its launch period. A football match between Croatia and Argentina in March 2006 served as the channel's first live broadcast, and sports programming has remained one of the categories used to broaden its audience beyond news, debate and entertainment.
Brand decisions
2024
End standard-definition distributionGeneration changeBackground
La Sexta had maintained standard-definition and high-definition versions after the launch of its HD feed in 2010.
Action taken
Atresmedia switched the channel to HD-only broadcasting on 14 February.
Aftermath
The parallel SD/HD distribution model ended, making the HD feed the channel's sole broadcast version.
2012
Join the Grupo Antena 3 portfolioM&ABackground
La Sexta was operating as an independent commercial television channel before the corporate transaction.
Action taken
Grupo Antena 3 acquired La Sexta and subsequently became known as Atresmedia.
Aftermath
La Sexta continued as a separate channel within the enlarged Atresmedia television portfolio.
2005
Launch a new generalist channel with a humour-led identityStrategyBackground
The new La Sexta project entered a competitive Spanish television market after the closure of the earlier Beca TV service.
Action taken
The channel combined broad general-interest programming with a marked emphasis on humour, entertainment, sports, American series and later political debate.
Aftermath
This programming mix became the basis of La Sexta's distinctive market positioning and public identity.
Recent events
- 2024
La Sexta completes transition to HD-only broadcasting[1]
Product generation · Other
Atresmedia ended the simultaneous standard-definition and high-definition distribution of La Sexta, leaving the channel available through an HD-only feed as part of Spain's terrestrial television transition.
- 2012
La Sexta becomes part of Grupo Antena 3[1]
M&A
Grupo Antena 3 acquired La Sexta. The acquiring group was later renamed Atresmedia, while La Sexta continued as a distinct channel within the group.
- 2006
La Sexta launches official broadcasting[1]
Product launch
After months of technical tests and limited programming, La Sexta began official broadcasting on 27 March 2006.
Sources2 sources
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