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32 channels
Puerto Rico’s television landscape is a curious blend of American network affiliate structure and local Caribbean flair. With only 36 channels, it’s a small market, but one with outsized personality. The major broadcasters, Telemundo Puerto Rico, WAPA-TV, and Univision’s local arm, dominate primetime with a mix of US imports (dubbed into Spanish) and homegrown telenovelas, talk shows, and news. What really stands out is the sheer number of religious channels: nearly a third of the TV lineup is faith-based, from evangelical preaching to Catholic programming. This isn’t a niche, it’s a core part of the daily viewing diet, especially on Sundays. News is another pillar, with local stations covering island politics, hurricanes, and crime with a urgency you don’t see on mainland networks. Spanish is the dominant language for most programming, but English-language channels (like the local PBS affiliate) serve a bilingual audience. Music channels are surprisingly popular, salsa, reggaetón, and bachata videos still draw viewers, a throwback to the pre-streaming era. Primetime starts around 7:30 PM, leading into telenovelas or reality competitions, while late-night is heavy on news and talk. Sports-wise, baseball and boxing are the big draws; the Caribbean Series is a major annual event. Unlike many Latin American markets, Puerto Rico’s TV is heavily influenced by US scheduling norms, but the content remains distinctly boricua, a mix of Spanish-language storytelling and American production rhythms.