MTV (Portuguese TV channel)


MTV is a Portuguese pay television channel that was launched on 4 July 2003, replacing MTV Europe in Portugal. A high-definition simulcast feed of the channel launched on 17 June 2015.
In its initial stages MTV Portugal shared similar content to MTV Spain and MTV Italy, while also airing programming from MTV US and MTV Europe. There was a strong focus on music content but gradually the channel began to air reality shows similar to other MTV channels. The channel was launched in Portugal with the support of private broadcaster SIC as it previously had a MTV branded block in the early 1990s. The channel is based at MTV Networks Europe in Madrid and supported by a local office is Lisbon.

History

MTV Portugal was launched at midnight on 4 July 2003 with a special pre-recorded concert by Blind Zero, replacing MTV Europe. The channel promised a "Portugalization" of its content, when, at launch, the channel had Portuguese staff, but no local programs were announced.
At the beginning, the channel broadcast mainly music, but gradually gave way to reality shows. Most of its programming consists of shows broadcast by MTV and MTV2 from the United States, but also shows from MTV UK, MTV Spain or MTV Brazil and MTV LATAM.
In Spring 2011, MTV Portugal began to air new localised programming. The last MTV Portugal VJs were Diogo Dias – the first presenter of the channel, having hosted MTV Portugal since 2004 -, Luís Marvão and Patrícia Vieira. Starting in the early 2020s, MTV Portugal no longer had presenters. There are some Portuguese celebrities who also were MTV Portugal VJs: Filomena Cautela, Luísa Barbosa and Ana Sofia Martins.
As of 2024, MTV Portugal’s schedule was merged into MTV Spain’s, and still had localized content.
With the merger into MTV Global in 2025, Czech regulator RRTV requested that the former MTV Portugal license would be reused for MTV Poland's, and, consequently, the channel would be distributed from the Thor satellite instead.
Initially, MTV Portugal was available on Optimus Clix until 2014, when the channel was removed from the lineup due to ZON Optimus's transition to NOS. Until 15 February 2021 he channel was also available on Nowo, when the channel was excluded. Until 31 December 2025, MTV Portugal it was previously available from MEO, but it was excluded from the channel lineup. The operator which was the Portuguese subscription TV service with the largest number of clients as of 2023.
This happened on the same day that MTV 00s and MTV Live were closed, and MTV Portugal was folded into MTV Global schedule, stopping to air any music videos. Thus, the MTV Portugal channel continues to be available on the NOS and Vodafone Portugal operators.

VJ casting

In 2012, MTV Portugal aired a new local television program which aims to look for new VJs across the country. It began its search by going across the country to ten cities across six months and selects its top candidates to progress to the next stage. During the VJ casting process it has visited Almada, Aveiro, Coimbra, Faro, Funchal, Guimarães, Lisbon, Montijo, Sintra, Viseu.

Local programmes

Programs

40 Greatest PranksAcapulco ShoreAmplificaAre You the One?Are You the One? BrazilAwkwardBrothers Green: EatsCar Crash CouplesCatfish: The TV ShowThe ChallengeDariaEx on the BeachFaking ItGeordie ShoreThe HillsI Used to Be FatLip Sync BattleMadeMTV #YouGotGotMTV Breakfast ClubMTV CribsMTV Dance VideosMTV Drive Time by SmartMTV InsomniaMTV It Girls

MTV Portugal awards ceremony

MTV Portugal broadcast live every edition of the MTV Europe Music Awards between 2003 and its last edition in 2024, as well as the MTV Movie Awards.
It also broadcast live all editions of the MTV Video Music Awards between 2003 and 2024, except for the 2010 edition – which, for unknown reasons, was not broadcast live – and the 2025 edition, which was also not broadcast on other European MTV channels. The 2011 edition aired with a half-hour delay. The delayed broadcast of the 2025 VMA was done without Portuguese subtitles, unlike what had always happened before.
The 2007 edition of Los Premios MTV, the awards show for Spanish-speaking America, also aired on MTV Portugal.