NTV Spor
Turkish sports media brand that operated a nationwide television channel from 2008 to 2018 and continues as an online sports platform.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
NTV Spor is a Turkish sports media brand whose activities have included online publishing, television broadcasting, video production, sports journalism, and coverage of live sporting events. It began as a web portal in June 2006 under Doğuş Media Group, initially extending the group’s media presence into sports-specific digital publishing. The brand later expanded into linear television with the launch of the NTV Spor channel on 17 March 2008. After beginning nationwide terrestrial broadcasting on 19 November 2008, it became one of Turkey’s prominent dedicated sports channels. During its television period, NTV Spor combined news, analysis, studio discussion, match-related programming, and live or recorded sports coverage. Its programming interests were broad rather than limited to one discipline. Reported rights and coverage included Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, Argentina’s Primera División, the NBA, NASCAR, Wimbledon, EuroBasket, UEFA European Championship content, FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, and the FA Cup. In 2010, the channel also broadcast the 2010–11 season of the AIBA World Series of Boxing, including participation by the Turkish team Istanbulls. This range positioned NTV Spor as a multi-sport outlet with football at the center of its audience proposition, supplemented by basketball, tennis, motorsport, boxing, and international competitions. The brand also invested in technical expansion. NTV Spor began high-definition broadcasting on 24 June 2011, improving the presentation of live events and studio programming. Its regular editorial identity included football discussion and punditry, exemplified by the weekly %100 Futbol program. The combination of rights-based broadcasting, news coverage, and analysis allowed the channel to serve both event viewers and audiences seeking ongoing sports commentary. NTV Spor’s television operation ended during a change in ownership and strategy. Following a strategic cooperation agreement between Doğuş Media Group and Discovery Communications in 2015, Discovery approached the acquisition of NTV Spor. The transaction was completed on 31 January 2018. On 6 March 2018, the closure of the NTV Spor television service and its replacement by DMAX were announced. The transition took place at 22:30 local time on 17 March 2018, after the credits of %100 Futbol, which followed the Intercontinental Derby. This marked the end of NTV Spor as a nationwide linear television channel rather than the end of the name as a media property. After the television shutdown, NTV Spor continued to produce sports content through its website and YouTube channel. The post-broadcast model is therefore centered on digital publishing and video rather than terrestrial television. The brand’s historical significance lies in its progression from a sports web portal to a national sports broadcaster and then to a digital-first sports platform. It is associated particularly with Turkish sports journalism, football coverage, international rights programming, and accessible multi-platform sports content.
History
NTV Spor originated as a web portal launched in June 2006 by Doğuş Media Group. Its initial role was to provide a sports-focused digital outlet within the group’s broader media portfolio. The brand expanded into television on 17 March 2008, when the NTV Spor channel began broadcasting. It subsequently started nationwide terrestrial transmission on 19 November 2008, giving the service a broad national reach in Turkey. The television channel developed a programming model built around sports news, football discussion, match coverage, and a wide range of international sporting events. In 2008, it obtained or carried rights and coverage associated with competitions including Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, Argentina’s Primera División, the NBA, and NASCAR. The breadth of these properties helped distinguish NTV Spor from a narrowly football-only service. Football remained central, but basketball, motorsport, tennis, boxing, and major international tournaments were also part of the channel’s sports portfolio. In 2010, NTV Spor broadcast the 2010–11 season of the AIBA World Series of Boxing. The competition included the Turkish boxing team Istanbulls, adding a domestic connection to the channel’s international sports programming. On 24 June 2011, NTV Spor began HD broadcasting, representing a technical upgrade for its television output and its presentation of live and studio content. A major strategic change followed cooperation between Doğuş Media Group and Discovery Communications. The companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement in 2015, and Discovery subsequently approached the acquisition of NTV Spor. The transaction was completed on 31 January 2018. On 6 March 2018, the closure of the NTV Spor channel and its replacement by DMAX were announced. The changeover occurred at 22:30 local time on 17 March 2018, after the credits of %100 Futbol, a weekly football punditry program broadcast after the Intercontinental Derby. The end of the television channel transformed rather than fully erased the brand. NTV Spor continued to publish sports content through its website and YouTube channel, with digital articles, video, news, and analysis becoming its principal identifiable outputs. The brand’s development therefore spans three phases: a sports web portal beginning in 2006, a nationwide multi-sport television channel from 2008 to 2018, and a digital sports platform after the television shutdown. Its documented history reflects the wider movement of sports media from dedicated linear channels toward online publishing and video distribution.
- 2021
Digital operation continued
[1]By April 2021, NTV Spor continued producing sports content through its website and YouTube channel.
- 2018
Discovery transaction completed
[1]Discovery Communications completed its acquisition of NTV Spor from Doğuş Media Group on 31 January 2018.
- 2018
Television channel replaced by DMAX
[1]The NTV Spor television service ended on 17 March 2018 and was replaced by DMAX.
- 2011
HD broadcasting introduced
[1]NTV Spor started HD broadcasting on 24 June 2011.
- 2010
World Series of Boxing coverage began
[1]The channel began airing the 2010–11 AIBA World Series of Boxing season, including the Turkish Istanbulls team.
- 2008
NTV Spor television channel launched
[1]The NTV Spor television channel started broadcasting on 17 March 2008.
- 2008
Nationwide terrestrial broadcasting began
[1]The channel began nationwide terrestrial transmission on 19 November 2008.
- 2008
Major international sports rights added
[1]NTV Spor carried rights or coverage for competitions including La Liga, Serie A, Argentina’s Primera División, the NBA, and NASCAR.
- 2006
Sports web portal launched
[1]NTV Spor began in June 2006 as an online sports portal under Doğuş Media Group.
Products and positioning
Turkish multi-sport news and content platform with a historical nationwide television presence and a continuing digital publishing and video operation.
Digital sports media · 2006
NTV Spor website
The website is the continuation of NTV Spor’s original digital identity. It publishes sports news and editorial content for Turkish audiences and represents the brand’s principal post-television platform. Its role complements video distribution by providing a continuously updated online destination for sports reporting, competition information, and analysis.
Sports television · 2008
NTV Spor television channel
The former NTV Spor television channel operated nationally in Turkey from 2008 until 2018. Its output combined sports news, football discussion, studio analysis, and coverage of domestic and international competitions. The channel carried or held rights associated with football, basketball, tennis, motorsport, boxing, and major international tournaments before being replaced by DMAX.
Football analysis program
%100 Futbol
%100 Futbol was a weekly football punditry feature associated with NTV Spor’s television schedule. It exemplified the channel’s emphasis on discussion and expert analysis alongside event coverage. The final television transition occurred after the credits of the program on 17 March 2018.
Digital video
NTV Spor YouTube channel
The YouTube channel is part of NTV Spor’s continuing digital distribution model after the closure of its linear television service. It extends the brand’s sports reporting and video production to an online audience and works alongside the website rather than functioning as a conventional broadcast channel.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition by Discovery CommunicationsM&ABackground
After the 2015 strategic cooperation agreement between Doğuş Media Group and Discovery Communications, Discovery pursued the acquisition of NTV Spor.
Action taken
The acquisition transaction was completed on 31 January 2018.
Aftermath
The transaction was followed by the announcement that NTV Spor’s television channel would close and be replaced by DMAX.
2018
Retirement of the linear television channelStrategyBackground
Following the ownership transaction, the television identity was replaced as part of the launch or expansion of DMAX in Turkey.
Action taken
NTV Spor ended nationwide television broadcasting at 22:30 on 17 March 2018, after the credits of %100 Futbol.
Aftermath
The NTV Spor brand continued through its website and YouTube channel as a digital sports media operation.
Recent events
- 2018
NTV Spor television channel acquired by Discovery Communications[1]
M&A
The transaction for Discovery Communications to acquire NTV Spor from Doğuş Media Group was completed on 31 January 2018.
- 2018
NTV Spor television service announced for closure and replacement by DMAX[1]
M&A
The planned end of NTV Spor’s television broadcasting and its replacement by DMAX were announced on 6 March 2018.
- 2018
NTV Spor ends nationwide television broadcasting[1]
Other
The television service ceased broadcasting at 22:30 local time on 17 March 2018, following the credits of the %100 Futbol program.
Sources2 sources
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