7 Websites to Watch Portuguese TV Online for Free

Watching Portuguese TV online has some undeniable advantages. It’s super convenient and gives you access to content you used to have to be in Portugal to watch. 

And thankfully, there are plenty of Portuguese TV networks that put material online or even live stream shows for easy access.

In this post, you’ll get seven websites where you can watch TV from Portugal online, all for free.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

1. RTP

RTP, Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (Radio and Television of Portugal), isn’t just one TV station. Instead, it’s several channels, each with a slightly different focus.

This is a public-service broadcasting network, which means it’s state-owned. However, it does still feature advertisements to help fund it.

The RTP channels include:

• RTP1 is the main channel and features general programs like news, talk shows, TV shows and more.
• RTP2 focuses on more intellectual content, including documentaries, classical music and children’s educational programming.
• RTP3 is a 24-hour news channel.
• RTP Internacional is aimed largely at Portuguese speakers in other parts of the world, including Africa, Brazil and Macao.
• RTP África is a basic cable channel focused on Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

All of these channels broadcast free online. In addition, you can view previously aired programming online whenever you want, making it easy to stay up to date on your favorite programs.

2. TVI

Televisão Independente (Independent Television) is a leading Portuguese TV channel. It broadcasts many reality shows and soap operas, though you’ll also find movies, sports, news and more.

TVI allows you to watch TV live online (you may need a VPN set to Portugal). The handy guide below the stream even shows you what’s coming up in the lineup.

In addition to the live stream, you can watch brief clips of your favorite shows to catch up on what you missed and whet your palette for your next live viewing.

And if you like TVI, why stop there? It also has a number of sister channels, such as news channel TVI24.

3. Sport TV

If you can’t get enough sports, Sport TV might be the Portuguese TV channel you’re looking for.

This channel is based out of Portugal and covers all the latest and greatest news about an array of sports, including basketball, racing and, of course, soccer.

Okay, there’s a lot of soccer, so you may have to work a little harder to find other coverage. But let’s be real: you could always stand to hear a commentator shout “GOOOOOOL!” (“GOAL!”).

While you can’t watch live coverage or full games, the website offers plenty of video clips to catch up on recent events and immerse yourself in the world of sports. 

4. Porto Canal

Porto Canal (Porto Channel) is a Portuguese channel based out of the northern Portuguese city of Porto.

This private regional station offers general and region-specific programming, giving you an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with the pronunciation variations in Northern Portugal.

Programs cover news, sports, entertainment and culture. You can stream current programs by clicking on the schedule that appears on the right side of the screen.

Porto Canal also uploads countless new videos each day. Videos range from just a few minutes to over 40 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of viewing options even if you aren’t watching live.

5. CNN Portugal

CNN Portugal brings you everything you expect from CNN, but in Portuguese. It offers international news, as well as in-depth coverage of local and regional stories. 

The channel combines the global reach and journalistic excellence of CNN with the expertise and insights of local Portuguese reporters. 

CNN Portugal offers programs such as Novo Dia (New day), Agora CNN (Now CNN) and CNN Desporto (CNN Sports).

You can choose a program and watch past broadcasts, or stream the channel live on the TVI website (the two channels are from the same network). 

6. SIC

Sociedade Independente de Comunicação (Independent Communication Society), commonly known as SIC, is one of Portugal’s major television networks and is known for producing and broadcasting high-quality content.

If you don’t have a VPN, you can stream SIC here. The channel offers a diverse range of programming, including news, entertainment, telenovelas and reality shows.

They also have channels targeted at different audiences such as kids (SIC K), women (SIC Mulher—SIC Woman) and young adults (SIC Radical).

Their international channel (SIC Internacional) broadcasts around the world and features news, entertainment, talk shows, series, sports and more, including exclusive coverage of Portuguese Liga football matches.

7.  ARTV

ARTV, or Assembleia da República TV (Assembly of the Republic TV), is a Portuguese television channel closely associated with the country’s parliament.

It was established to provide extensive coverage of parliamentary proceedings, debates and other political events, making the legislative process transparent and accessible to the public.

This channel plays a crucial role in keeping the Portuguese citizens informed about their government’s decisions and actions, reinforcing the principles of an open and democratic society. 

They also provide a sign language interpreter to make the broadcasts more inclusive for hearing-impaired individuals. 

How to Learn Portuguese with Free TV Online

If you’re learning Portuguese, watching free TV online is a convenient and effective way to improve your language skills. Here are a few ways to get the most out of your screen time:

Watch the same program consistently.

Individual programs often use similar vocabulary and speaking styles across broadcasts. Watching the same program(s) consistently helps you build familiarity and gives you more practice hearing new vocabulary in context.

Plus, whenever you start watching a new program, there’s usually an adjustment period. It may take you a few viewings to understand the format and/or speakers’ accents.

Watching the same program consistently can take away the extra adjustment period of switching between shows, giving you more opportunity to focus exclusively on the language.

Choose what to watch based on what vocabulary you want to learn.

You can often determine what sort of vocabulary will be used due to the nature of the program, so choose which programs to watch based on the type of vocabulary you want to learn and what you’ll use the language for (travel, business, etc.). 

For instance, if you want to learn sports vocabulary, watch a sports program. If you want to gain a more professional vocabulary, try watching news broadcasts or business programs.

For everyday vernacular, opt for pop culture programs and popular TV shows. And if you have the option of switching on subtitles, do it. Subtitles make it a lot easier to note down new vocabulary and grammar constructions, as you can see in the video lesson from our YouTube channel below:

 

For added comprehension, you can always watch clips of Portuguese TV programs on FluentU, where videos come with interactive subtitles and other learning tools.

Use online TV to practice regional variations.

There are some regional variations in pronunciation and vocabulary within Portugal. By paying attention to where each station broadcasts out of, you can practice some of these regional variations so they don’t catch you off-guard if you encounter them down the road.

You can also use TV programming to focus on a particular region if you plan to move or travel there.

 

These seven websites make it possible to watch Portuguese TV online from wherever you are in the world without spending a dime.   

If you’re looking for more Portuguese content, check out these popular Portuguese TV shows you can stream online! 

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)