Sport 5

Sport 5, also known as Sports Channel or Arutz HaSport, is an Israeli sports television and sports-media brand operated by RGE Group. The service began broadcasting in 1989 on Israeli channel 5, a placement that gave the network its enduring numerical identity. It developed from a single sports channel into a multi-channel subscription television operation distributed through Israel’s principal pay-TV platforms, including HOT cable and yes satellite services. The brand’s business is built around the acquisition, packaging, production, and presentation of sports content. Its programming has included domestic Israeli competitions, international club and national-team events, American professional sports, motor racing, tennis, basketball, football, Olympic coverage, and studio-based sports journalism. In addition to live event broadcasts, the network has used analysis, commentary, news, highlights, archive material, and repeat programming to fill a portfolio of specialist channels. The first major expansion came in 2001 with the introduction of 5PLUS, a subscription channel intended to carry additional premium sports content. The launch changed the role of the original 5SPORT service, as some prominent programming moved into the pay channel portfolio. In March 2007, the company added 5LIVE, focused on live sports, and 5GOLD, dedicated primarily to classic and repeat sports programming. The expansion generated criticism from viewers who objected to the increased separation of content among paid channels, but it also established a broader platform for handling simultaneous events and different programming priorities. On 23 December 2007, Sport 5 introduced 5SPORT HD. The high-definition channel carried selected major properties such as UEFA Champions League football, NBA playoff games, Wimbledon, and later Olympic coverage. It was made available to HD customers of both yes and HOT. The network subsequently experimented with 5SPORT 3D, launched in April 2011 for three-dimensional sports broadcasts. The 3D service was discontinued in September 2011 after insufficient demand, illustrating the commercial and technical limits of that format in the Israeli pay-TV market. The portfolio continued to evolve as television distribution shifted toward high-definition and higher-capacity services. On 8 October 2018, the network launched 5STARS as a high-definition channel during a wider overhaul, after which its sister services also received HD feeds. Sport 5 has also operated 5SPORT 4K for selected ultra-high-definition broadcasts and created temporary event-specific services, including 5EURO2024 for UEFA Euro 2024 coverage. Sport 5’s rights portfolio has included selected matches from the Israeli Premier League, Israeli basketball and other domestic leagues, UEFA club competitions, EuroLeague basketball, Wimbledon, Formula One, the Olympic Games, Major League Baseball, the NBA, NFL, NHL, and football competitions in several European and Asian markets. Rights availability and the number of matches shown can vary by contract and season; the brand is therefore best understood as a rights-holding and sports-distribution network rather than the exclusive broadcaster of every listed competition. Today, Sport 5 combines television channels with a broader sports-journalism presence. Its identity rests on premium live coverage, Israeli sports reporting, specialist analysis, and the ability to distribute simultaneous events across a tiered channel family. The brand remains active in Israel under RGE Group ownership.

Sports Channel, branded commercially as Sport 5 and known in Hebrew as Arutz HaSport, began broadcasting in Israel in 1989 on channel 5. Its channel number became the foundation of the brand name and remained central as the service expanded. From its beginning, the network focused on sports programming and journalism rather than general entertainment, serving Israeli pay-TV audiences through cable and satellite distribution. The first significant structural expansion occurred in 2001, when the company launched 5PLUS as a subscription-based sister channel. The new service allowed Sport 5 to place additional premium programming behind a separate subscription tier. Over time, the original 5SPORT channel retained a role in the overall portfolio but no longer carried all of the network’s most prominent content. The channel family also became a mechanism for distributing major events that could overlap in scheduling. In March 2007, Sport 5 added 5LIVE and 5GOLD. The former emphasized live sports, while the latter concentrated on classic games and repeat material. Viewers criticized the expansion because they perceived it as moving more sports content into paid channels, but the new services broadened the network’s programming architecture. Later that year, on 23 December, Sport 5 launched 5SPORT HD. The high-definition service carried selected high-profile events, including UEFA Champions League football, NBA playoff games, and Wimbledon. It also showed material from the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics, and the network announced plans involving Formula One coverage. The company then tested a newer visual format. 5SPORT 3D launched in April 2011 and was intended to present sports matches in three dimensions. The service closed in September of the same year because demand was too low to sustain it. The episode reflected the broader uncertainty surrounding dedicated 3D television channels and demonstrated that technical novelty did not necessarily translate into a durable subscription proposition. Sport 5 later continued its transition toward high-definition distribution. On 8 October 2018, it launched 5STARS as an HD channel as part of a significant network reorganization. The other sister channels subsequently received HD feeds, making high-definition delivery a more consistent feature of the brand. The network also introduced 5SPORT 4K for selected ultra-high-definition broadcasts and used temporary event channels, including 5EURO2024 for UEFA Euro 2024. Across its history, the network has carried selected rights to Israeli football and basketball competitions, tennis, motor racing, European football, American professional leagues, Olympic events, and other international sports. Listed competitions have included the Israeli Premier League, Israeli basketball and handball leagues, the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, Wimbledon, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Youth League, UEFA Futsal Champions League final-four coverage, EuroLeague basketball, Formula One, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, NBL, selected Scottish, Austrian, and French football competitions, South Korea’s K League 1, and AFC events. The exact scope of coverage depends on rights agreements and seasons. Sport 5 is owned by RGE Group and remains an Israeli sports television and journalism operation. Its development shows a progression from a single sports channel to a segmented, multi-format network using standard-definition, HD, 3D, 4K, and temporary event services to package live and recorded sports content.

• 2024

  5EURO2024 operated as a temporary event channel

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  Sport 5 created a temporary service dedicated to UEFA Euro 2024 coverage.

• 2018

  5STARS launched

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  The network introduced 5STARS as an HD service during a channel-portfolio overhaul.

• 2011

  5SPORT 3D closed

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  The experimental 3D channel was discontinued after limited demand.

• 2007

  5LIVE and 5GOLD launched

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  The network added a live-sports channel and a classic-sports channel.

• 2007

  5SPORT HD launched

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  A dedicated HD service was introduced for selected major sports broadcasts.

• 2001

  5PLUS launched

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  Sport 5 introduced its first subscription-based subsidiary channel, creating a separate outlet for additional premium sports content.

• 1989

  Original Sports Channel began broadcasting

  [1]Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org

  The service first aired as the Sports Channel on Israeli channel 5, establishing the numerical identity later associated with Sport 5.

A major Israeli pay-TV sports network combining domestic sports journalism with live coverage of Israeli and international competitions across a tiered portfolio of television channels.

• Core sports television channel · 1989

  5SPORT

  The original Sport 5 service, launched in 1989 on channel 5. It forms the foundation of the network’s identity and carries a mixture of live sports, sports journalism, analysis, and selected domestic and international events.

• Subscription sports channel · 2001

  5PLUS

  Introduced in 2001 as Sport 5’s first subsidiary channel, 5PLUS was designed for additional subscription programming. Its historical schedule included international sports content and selected WWE programming, while it has also been used alongside 5SPORT for major football events.

• Live sports channel · 2007

  5LIVE

  Launched in 2007, 5LIVE was created to emphasize live sports coverage. Its role is to provide additional capacity when events overlap and to support a channel portfolio organized around live broadcasts.

• Classic sports channel · 2007

  5GOLD

  5GOLD launched in 2007 as a service focused on classic sports action, archival material, and repeats. It complements the network’s live channels by using historical and previously broadcast content.

• High-definition sports channel · 2007

  5SPORT HD

  Introduced in December 2007, 5SPORT HD carried selected premium events in high definition, including Champions League football, NBA playoff games, Wimbledon, and Olympic coverage. It was distributed to HD customers of Israel’s major pay-TV platforms.

• 3D sports channel · 2011

  5SPORT 3D

  A short-lived experimental channel launched in April 2011 to broadcast selected matches in three dimensions. It was shut down in September 2011 after limited demand.

• High-definition sports channel · 2018

  5STARS

  Launched in October 2018 during a major network redesign, 5STARS was introduced as an HD service. Its arrival coincided with the wider conversion of Sport 5’s sister channels to HD feeds.

• Ultra-high-definition sports channel

  5SPORT 4K

  A Sport 5 service designed for selected sports broadcasts in 4K ultra-high definition. The channel represents the network’s continued use of higher-resolution distribution formats.

• Temporary event channel · 2024

  5EURO2024

  A temporary channel dedicated to the broadcast of UEFA Euro 2024 programming. It illustrates Sport 5’s use of event-specific services to package major competitions.

• 2018

  Reorganize the channel family around HD distributionGeneration change

  Background

  High-definition delivery had become the dominant technical standard for premium pay-TV sports.

  Action taken

  Sport 5 launched 5STARS in HD and subsequently provided HD feeds for its sister channels.

  Aftermath

  The network’s portfolio moved toward consistent HD presentation across its principal services.

  Source

• 2011

  End the 3D television experimentOther

  Background

  5SPORT 3D had been launched to test three-dimensional sports broadcasting, but audience demand remained insufficient.

  Action taken

  The company shut down 5SPORT 3D in September 2011.

  Aftermath

  Sport 5 returned its emphasis to more established distribution formats rather than maintaining a dedicated 3D channel.

  Source

• 2007

  Expand the portfolio with live and archive channelsProduct launch

  Background

  A broader channel family could provide more capacity for simultaneous live events and non-live sports programming.

  Action taken

  Sport 5 launched 5LIVE for live sport and 5GOLD for classic and repeat programming.

  Aftermath

  Viewers criticized the increased use of paid channels, while the network gained additional ways to schedule and package sports content.

  Source

• 2001

  Create a subscription-based channel tierStrategy

  Background

  Sport 5 sought to expand beyond its original single-channel model and offer additional premium sports programming.

  Action taken

  The company launched 5PLUS as its first subsidiary subscription channel.

  Aftermath

  The network became increasingly segmented, with some prominent content distributed across paid channels rather than solely through the original 5SPORT service.

  Source

1. 1Sports Channel (Israel)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Sport 5 official websitesport5.co.il