25 channels
Lebanese television is a microcosm of the country's tangled politics and lively diaspora. With only a couple dozen channels on air, the market is small but punches far above its weight. What dominates? A mix of private commercial networks tied to political factions, a handful of religious broadcasters, and general-entertainment stations that pump out a steady diet of dubbed Turkish and Mexican serials, local sketch comedy, and late-night talk shows. News is a blood sport here: bulletins are fast, argumentative, and often break stories before regional rivals. Many households flip between Arabic-language newscasts and English-language bulletins, a legacy of Lebanon's bilingual education and large expat audience. Primetime starts late, around 21:00, after the family dinner, and often stretches past midnight with music competitions or political panels. Religious programming isn't niche; it's a primetime staple, with sermons, talk shows, and call-in prayer segments drawing loyal followings across Christian and Muslim communities. Dubbing is common for foreign series, but English-language news and some entertainment air with subtitles. Live sports, especially domestic basketball and football, pull big numbers, though coverage is scattered across a few channels. Unlike Gulf states with state-led mega-broadcasters, Lebanon's TV scene is fiercely independent, commercially driven, and unafraid of controversy. That scrappy, opinionated character is exactly what makes it worth watching.