By meredithkreisa Last updated: April 26, 2022

7 Sweet Sources to Watch Brazilian TV Online for Portuguese Learning

Watching TV is an excellent way to improve your Brazilian Portuguese.

Not only can you get all the entertainment you’d have in your normal viewing, you’ll also have the side benefit of valuable language practice, making an irresistible combination.

These seven sensational sources for watching Brazilian TV online will help you binge-watch your way toward fluency.

BandNews TV
TV Câmara
TV Brasil
RedeTV!
RecordTV
Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão
Rede Globo
How to Get the Most from Watching Brazilian TV Online

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BandNews TV

BandNews TV is a 24-hour news network similar to CNN. It covers news from Brazil and around the world, so you’ll see a wide range of stories covered.

The channel offers a couple viewing options for users located in Brazil. You can watch live TV online for free by clicking ao vivo (live) on the right side of the screen. You can also watch a huge array of news clips, allowing you to pick and choose stories.

If you’re outside of Brazil, you still have a couple options. You can watch some older clips on the BandNews TV Facebook page. You can also watch coverage of BandNews TV’s radio channel on its YouTube page, including some live broadcasts.

TV Câmara

TV Câmara (Chamber TV) is a 24-hour public television station. Its main focus is broadcasting content from the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, a federal legislative body.

This channel broadcasts live online and you can watch it for free. You can watch through the network’s website or through its YouTube page, which also features a variety of clips if you need to catch up.

Watching TV Câmara is a lot like watching C-SPAN but it offers a great opportunity to practice your Portuguese while learning more about politics in Brazil.

TV Brasil

TV Brasil is a public TV channel with a nice variety of programs. On the network, you’ll see movies, children’s shows, sports and more. Affiliated stations based around the country also broadcast regional programming.

The channel offers free online streaming (via the “WebTV” link in the header). The network’s website also features a huge selection of news clips you can watch and re-watch for additional practice.

You can also watch programs, clips and live streams through the YouTube channel.

RedeTV!

RedeTV! (TV Network!) is a private network based out of São Paulo, though there are also many local stations. Programs include game shows, reality shows, news, sports and entertainment.

RedeTV! offers free live coverage through its website. Below the feed, you can also see a list of upcoming programs, making it easier to decide if you should keep watching (though you probably should).

Additionally, the channel posts a lot of videos from their programs, including news segments, cooking shows, reality TV clips and more. Its YouTube channel also uploads videos ranging from a couple minutes to full-length programs.

RecordTV

RecordTV is a Brazilian network established in 1953, making it one of Brazil’s oldest surviving networks. It broadcasts an array of original Brazilian programming, including reality programs, fictional series, news and more.

While RecordTV doesn’t presently offer live streaming, it does offer plenty of videos, ranging from brief TV show clips to news stories.

It also uploads a variety of clips to its YouTube page. These clips range from just a couple minutes to over 40 minutes, so there’s plenty to watch no matter how much time you have available.

Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão

Sistema Brasileiro de Televisão (Brazilian Television System) or SBT is a TV network with stations based throughout Brazil.

If you happen to be in Brazil, SBT offers an abundance of free online material, including live streaming, full-length programs and clips. You can even access this material through SBT’s free app (available for iOS and Android).

Sadly, you cannot access any of this material on the website if you’re based in the United States. However, don’t lose hope! A lot of the same material is available through SBT’s YouTube page, so you can watch it from your computer, smart TV or favorite device.

If you need a little extra help, you can also turn on auto-generated subtitles, but be warned: they aren’t perfect.

Rede Globo

Rede Globo (Globe Network), sometimes referred to simply as Globo, is a major Brazilian television network. In fact, according to a 2012 report, Rede Globo has the second-largest annual revenue of any TV network worldwide. So if you’re going to familiarize yourself with just one Brazilian TV network, you can’t go wrong with this giant.

The network features many of the most popular Brazilian TV programs, including highly successful soap operas, popular reality shows (like “Big Brother Brasil” and “The Voice Brasil”) and more. The network also airs several international series, like “The Good Doctor.”

While there isn’t live streaming, you can access much of the content through a subscription to Globoplay, which also offers a free trial period. Brief clips of shows are available free without a subscription.

Can’t get enough? Check out Rede Globo’s YouTube page for a huge selection of brief clips.

How to Get the Most from Watching Brazilian TV Online

Try several different channels.

When it comes to watching Brazilian TV online, there’s nothing limiting you to just one channel—so watch all you want!

In fact, trying several different channels is a great way to see what you like. On some channels, you might find Portuguese-language cartoons. On other channels, you might watch movies.

Since each channel features different content and a different style, checking out several channels is a great opportunity to find the type of programming you like best.

Pay attention to where the station broadcasts out of.

Different areas of Brazil speak with slight differences. Check out where a station broadcasts out of so you’ll know what to expect in terms of dialect.

Being aware of this will help you notice the regional variations within Brazilian Portuguese and learn to differentiate between them.

Re-watch your favorite clips and programs.

When you find a program or segment you like, watch it again!

There are two ways to do this. One way is to watch the exact same clip or episode repeatedly. This’ll give you more opportunities to pick up on any vocabulary you may have missed. Watch it until you can understand every word.

The other option is to just keep watching different episodes of the same show. This way, you can familiarize yourself with the show format, allowing you to focus more fully on the language being used as you watch.

Consider what type of TV shows will help you most.

There are many types of TV shows out there, so take some time to consider what will most help you achieve your goals.

For instance, if you have trouble motivating yourself to get listening practice, you might pick a program based solely on entertainment value. After all, if you find it entertaining, you’re more likely to keep watching.

You can also use TV programs to target specific vocabulary sets. If you want to learn relevant vocabulary related to current events for better small-talk material, consider watching the news.

Make watching a daily habit.

Watching every day will help ensure your Portuguese listening skills keep improving and don’t backslide. By supplementing watching TV with your learning, you can get an all-around learning experience. For example, the FluentU program has a contextual video dictionary that you can use to find any new words in subtitled authentic Brazilian Portuguese videos.

If you make watching a daily habit, you’ll also be less likely to forget it since they’ll be part of your daily schedule.

Plus, watching regularly can be like your own at-home Portuguese immersion program!

Just watch and learn! Check out these seven resources for watching Brazilian TV online and get your Brazilian Portuguese skills on point.