News7

News7 was a Bulgarian television channel that operated as part of the Crown Media television portfolio. Its programming combined rolling and scheduled news coverage with sports broadcasts and lifestyle-oriented bulletins. The channel's history began in 1996, when it launched in Sofia under the name PDM as a private cable service. It was subsequently renamed Demo TV in 2000 and BBT in 2003. Under the BBT identity, the service expanded from its original local cable role into a national cable and satellite network and later obtained terrestrial distribution in more than 50 Bulgarian cities and towns. A major change came in 2012, when the channel was acquired by TV7. The acquisition placed it within a broader media group that also included TV7, Sport7 and Super7. On 7 March 2013, BBT was relaunched as News7, a name intended to emphasize its news-led positioning while retaining a broader schedule. In addition to news, the channel carried sports events including matches from the Bulgarian Football Championship and served as the principal sponsor of the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group. It also maintained a relationship with the CNN International network, alongside CNN Türk, giving the channel an affiliation with an international news brand ecosystem. News7's identity therefore combined national Bulgarian broadcasting with a mixed news-and-sports format rather than functioning solely as a continuous news service. Its distribution history—from Sofia cable broadcasting to national cable, satellite and terrestrial reach—was central to its development and visibility in Bulgaria. The channel was operated by Crown Media during its News7 period, with TV7 as its immediate corporate connection. Financial difficulties later disrupted the service. News7 stopped producing original programming on 1 February 2016 in the context of bankruptcy proceedings. Its broadcasting license was subsequently removed by Bulgaria's Council for Electronic Media, and the channel was formally closed on 16 September 2016. News7 is consequently a defunct Bulgarian television brand; no current operating business or successor service is established in the supplied reference material.

News7's origins lie in PDM, a private cable television service launched in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1996. The service initially had a local cable orientation. It changed its name to Demo TV in 2000, before adopting the BBT identity in 2003. The BBT period marked an important expansion: the channel developed into a national cable and satellite network and later became available terrestrially in more than 50 cities and towns across Bulgaria. In 2012, TV7 acquired the channel. This placed the service within the Crown Media group alongside TV7 and the related channels Sport7 and Super7. The channel was relaunched under the News7 name on 7 March 2013. Although the new identity foregrounded news, the service retained a mixed programming model. Its output included news, sports events and lifestyle bulletins. Sports was particularly important to the channel's public profile: News7 broadcast events such as matches from the Bulgarian Football Championship and acted as the principal sponsor of the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group. During the News7 period, the channel was also identified as part of the CNN International network, in a relationship that included CNN Türk. This association placed the Bulgarian service within a broader international news-network context, while its distribution and programming remained focused on the Bulgarian market. The channel's operation was eventually undermined by financial difficulties. News7 ceased producing original programming on 1 February 2016 because of bankruptcy-related circumstances. The service did not return to normal original broadcasting. On 16 September 2016, it was formally shut down after the Bulgarian Council for Electronic Media removed its broadcasting license. News7 is therefore a historical, defunct Bulgarian television brand whose development passed through several earlier names—PDM, Demo TV and BBT—before its final News7 identity.

• 2016

  Original programming ends

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  News7 ceases original programming on 1 February amid bankruptcy-related financial problems.

• 2016

  Channel closes

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  News7 is officially closed on 16 September after its broadcasting license is removed by Bulgaria's Council for Electronic Media.

• 2013

  News7 brand launches

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  BBT is rebranded as News7 on 7 March, establishing the channel's final major brand identity.

• 2012

  TV7 acquires the channel

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  The channel is bought by TV7 and becomes connected to the Crown Media group of television services.

• 2003

  Demo TV becomes BBT

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  The service is renamed BBT and develops into a national cable and satellite network, later adding terrestrial distribution in numerous Bulgarian locations.

• 2000

  PDM becomes Demo TV

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  The channel adopts the Demo TV name during its early cable-television phase.

• 1996

  PDM launches in Sofia

  [1]News7en.wikipedia.org

  The private cable television service PDM begins broadcasting in Sofia, establishing the channel's earliest documented predecessor.

A Bulgarian national television channel combining news coverage with sports and lifestyle programming, with particular visibility through football broadcasting and sponsorship.

• News television · 2013

  News7 television channel

  The core News7 service was a Bulgarian television channel with a news-led identity. Its schedule also included sports events and lifestyle bulletins, making it a mixed-format broadcaster rather than a purely continuous news channel. It reached viewers through the channel's historical cable, satellite and terrestrial distribution footprint.

• Sports television

  Sports broadcasting

  Sports programming was a significant part of News7's offer. The channel carried events including the Bulgarian Football Championship and was associated with sponsorship of the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group. These activities complemented its news output and broadened its appeal beyond scheduled news bulletins.

• Bulgarian A Professional Football Group sponsorship

  Bulgaria

  News7 served as the main sponsor of the Bulgarian A Professional Football Group, linking the channel's brand with domestic professional football while supporting its broader sports-oriented positioning.

  Source

• 2016

  End original programmingOther

  Background

  Bankruptcy-related financial problems disrupted the channel's operations.

  Action taken

  News7 stopped broadcasting original programming on 1 February 2016.

  Aftermath

  The channel was later formally closed after its broadcasting license was removed.

  Source

• 2016

  Broadcasting license is removedOther

  Background

  Following the suspension of original programming and the channel's financial difficulties, its regulatory authorization was withdrawn.

  Action taken

  Bulgaria's Council for Electronic Media removed the channel's broadcasting license.

  Aftermath

  News7 was officially closed on 16 September 2016.

  Source

• 2013

  Rebrand BBT as News7Strategy

  Background

  After TV7 acquired the channel in 2012, the service was repositioned within the Crown Media portfolio.

  Action taken

  The BBT channel was relaunched under the News7 name on 7 March 2013, emphasizing news while retaining sports and lifestyle content.

  Aftermath

  The News7 identity became the channel's final operating brand, remaining in use until the service was closed in 2016.

  Source

1. 1News7en.wikipedia.org
2. 2News7 official websitenews7.bg