Spain: DTT prepped for all-UHD future
September 9, 2026

From David Del Valle in Madrid



Spain is set to take a major step towards an all-UHD DTT landscape on November 5th when the country launches the first phase of its migration to the DVB-T2 transmission standard.

Rather than an immediate switch-off of existing HD services, the move will introduce UHD simulcasts from the country’s main broadcasters while maintaining their HD channels, allowing viewers with older TV sets to continue receiving DTT.


Under the government’s roadmap, public broadcaster RTVE will be allocated half of the RGE2 multiplex, while Atresmedia and Mediaset will each take a quarter of its capacity for UHD broadcasts using DVB-T2. The move will bring La 1 UHD and La 2 UHD from RTVE, along with UHD versions of Antena 3 and Telecinco, to Spain’s terrestrial television platform. The channels will simulcast their respective HD programming.

At the same time, Spain’s DTT multiplexes will undergo a wider reorganisation. Atresmedia and Mediaset will move capacity from MPE5, while Radio Blanca will also migrate its HD service. The newly licensed La Séptima will launch in HD on MPE5 on the same day.

The November migration represents only the first phase of Spain’s DVB-T2 strategy. A second phase will eventually extend DVB-T2 to all DTT multiplexes, paving the way for up to four UHD channels per multiplex.

The timing of that second stage will depend partly on the penetration of compatible television sets. The government’s technical plan sets reference thresholds under which at least 95 per cent of DTT receivers should be capable of receiving DVB-T2 and at least 90 per cent should support UHD before the full migration takes place, although the government retains flexibility to bring the transition forward or delay it.

For consumers, November 5th will therefore not amount to another television switch-off. Existing HD channels will remain available to viewers whose sets cannot receive DVB-T2, while compatible homes will gain access to the new UHD services.

Broadcasters affected by the multiplex changes are required to launch information campaigns from October 5th to inform viewers about the redistribution of channels and the start of UHD transmissions.