Estonia live TV

About TV in Estonia

Estonian television is a small pond with distinct currents. With only 26 channels, the market is intimate, and bilingual. Roughly a quarter of programming airs in Russian, reflecting a sizeable minority that also has its own dedicated channels like PBK and ETV+. The public broadcaster ETV is the linchpin of the system, delivering a sober, journalistic style that locals trust. Its 21:00 news broadcast is a nightly ritual, delivered in a calm, uninterrupted format, no chyron clutter, no loud debates. Commercial networks Kanal 2 and TV3 lean into entertainment, with local adaptations of international formats (think cooking competitions and talent shows) alongside imported series that are always subtitled, never dubbed, except for children's cartoons. Music channels punch above their weight, Estonia's strong choral and folk traditions, plus a vibrant electronic scene, keep dedicated music channels on air. Sports coverage centres on cross-country skiing, basketball, and football, with live rights often shared between ETV and private broadcasters. Religious channels, though few, have a steady viewership, mostly among older demographics. The shift to IPTV and streaming is real here, Telia and Elisa offer robust IPTV packages, but linear TV still dominates in kitchens and cottages, especially during Christmas and midsummer, when ETV's folkloric broadcasts are a national fixture.