ITVBe is a British entertainment, lifestyle and reality television channel owned by ITV.
ITVBe launched on 8 October 2014
ITVBe is available free-to-air on all the major broadcasting platforms, including Freesat, Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.
ITVBe +1 service was made available on the Sky and Freesat platforms on 15 December 2014
ITVBe HD is, launched on Virgin Media on 19 November 2014 and is currently exclusive to the Virgin platform.
Today, most ITV channels are are available for free on satellite, without viewing card or subscription. They are classed as “free to air” channels, and can be received on most digital satellite receivers, including Sky digiboxes and Freesat set top boxes. Some ITV channels, like ITV Encore and some ITV HD channels are subscription and require a Sky subscription to view.
In previous years most ITV channels were transmitted from the Astra 2D satellite with its “spot beam”, aimed at the UK. This tried to limit reception of ITV channels in Europe. To some extent this worked, as some areas of Spain, like the Costa Blanca, had to use large 1.8m satellite dishes, 1.9m satellite dishes, and 2.4m satellite dishes to watch ITV channels. Some areas of Spain were more lucky, like the Costa del Sol, where they could use the smaller “125x135cm” ( or a “1.4m” ) satellite dish. Some ITV1 regions were also available on the “European” beams of the other UK TV satellites, Astra 2A and Astra 2B. Due to them being transmitted from the European beam they were encrypted and required a “free to view” viewing card.
In February 2012, most ITV channels moved from the Astra 2D satellite, to a temporary home on the Astra 1N satellite. The Astra 1N satellite “signal footprint” is more generous to expats in Spain, and so the BBC channels on Astra 1N could be received on a satellite dish as small as 90x100cm, a “1m” satellite dish.
During February 2014, the remaining ITV channels on Astra 1N moved to their new satellite,Astra 2E.
During 2015, some ITV channels have been moved to Astra 2G.
The new Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G satellites UK “spot beam” or “narrow beam” signal footprint is different to the previous UK TV satellites UK beam. This has meant that reception of BBC channels on the new Astra 2 satellites will be different to previous reception. In the areas between Valencia and Alicante, our service area, the ITV channels on the new Astra 2 satellites UK beam can still be received on a small satellite dish – as small as a 110x120cm satellite dish with a 125x135cm satellite dish being the recommended size satellite dish.
However, in other areas of Spain, reception of these ITV channels on the new Astra 2 satellites UK beam has become harder. For example, in areas such as Barcelona, Catalonia and Zaragoza, you need at least a 1.8m satellite dish to receive these channels on the Astra 2F UK beam, whereas previously you only needed a smaller 80cm satellite dish. It is a similar story in the south of Spain, in areas like the Costa del Sol, Malaga, Almeria, Seville, Gibraltar and even Portugal, where even the larger 2.4m satellite dishes are struggling to receive these channels on the Astra 2 satellites UK beam.
ITVBe on Freesat and Sky
ITVBe is on Freesat channel 118.
ITVBe is on Sky channel 207.
ITVBe +1
ITVBe operates a one hour “timeshift” channel. This is a delayed retransmission of the main ITVBe channel.
ITVBe +1 is on Freesat channel 158.
ITVBe +1 is on Sky channel 207.
ITVBe HD
ITVBe HD is currently not available on satellite.
ITV Channels:
ITV 1 : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 2 : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 3 : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 4 : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 1HD : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 2HD : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 3HD : Channel and frequency Information
ITV 4HD : Channel and frequency Information
CITV : Channel and frequency Information
ITVbe : Channel and frequency Information
ITV Encore : Channel and frequency Information
ITV Channel Numbers on Freesat