Slovakia live TV

About TV in Slovakia

Slovak television is a small but distinct market, shaped by its shared language with the Czech Republic and a sizeable Hungarian minority. With only 36 channels, the landscape feels intimate. Two commercial networks, Markíza and JOJ, dominate primetime with homegrown reality shows, crime series, and soap operas. Their news bulletins are fast-paced and often tabloid, while the public broadcaster RTVS delivers slower, more formal evening news, heavy on parliamentary coverage. That legislative category? It's the TV Parliament channel, a live feed from the National Council, a fixture in Central Europe where political junkies watch sessions gavel-to-gavel. Dubbing is standard for children's programmes, but foreign films and adult dramas are almost always subtitled, not dubbed, a contrast to Germany or France. Hungarian-language channels (like Duna) are widely available in southern districts, reflecting the ethnic mix. Prime time kicks off at 20:00, but the real peak is 20:30, when the big entertainment shows air. Live sports, especially ice hockey and football, pull huge audiences, often shared across commercial and public channels via sublicensing. Compared to its neighbours, Slovakia's TV culture leans heavily on Czech imports; many watch Czech TV Nova or Prima via cable, and Slovak broadcasters even co-produce series with Czech studios. It's a pragmatic arrangement in a small market, giving viewers more choice without diluting the local flavour.