- Squirrel Media will launch a new free national channel on DTT, focused on fiction content and available from January 1, 2026.
- The new channel will replace Paramount Network on one of Net TV's licenses, whose DTT concession has been renewed until 2040.
- The project relies on the exploitation of Squirrel's own IPs and catalogs, reinforcing its Network strategy and its position as the third private operator.
- With two national channels, Squirrel is gaining ground on the DTT map alongside Atresmedia, Mediaset and the rest of the operators with state licenses.
The arrival of a Squirrel Media's new digital terrestrial television channel It's going to completely change the landscape of free-to-air television in Spain. Starting January 1, 2026, Spanish households will have access to a new national channel, free of charge and focused on fiction content, which will fill the gap left by Paramount Network on Digital Terrestrial Television.
This move is not a simple logo change on the grille. It's part of a Squirrel's ambitious strategy to strengthen its position As the third private free-to-air operator, it aims to fully exploit its enormous content catalog and maximize the use of Net TV's recently renewed DTT licenses until 2040. Let's calmly review what is known about the new channel, how DTT will be affected by the change, and what role Squirrel plays in the Spanish audiovisual sector.
Squirrel's new DTT channel launch and start date
Squirrel Media's new free-to-air television channel will have national coverage via DTT and will begin broadcasting on January 1, 2026. The company itself has informed the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), making it clear that the signal will be available from the first day of the year for all viewers who tune in to DTT in Spain.
This channel will be completely free and openwithout the need for a subscription, and will be integrated into the regular Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) offering. In addition to being broadcast on DTT, Squirrel has confirmed that the new channel will be will also distribute in the major television platforms of the country, which will allow it to increase its reach in payment operators and services that aggregate linear channels.
Although the group has not yet revealed the commercial name of the channel, it is known that it will follow in the footsteps of the first national channel, Squirrel, launched in early 2025, which has already established itself as a channel specializing in film and fiction after occupying the space left by Paramount Network.
According to the information submitted to the CNMV, the new project “This will lead to an improvement and expansion of the television offering."In Spain, providing viewers with a varied schedule, geared towards entertainment and with a special emphasis on high-level fiction content."
Squirrel Media has emphasized that the programming the new chain will be carefully selected to ensure diversity and quality, with titles aimed at different audience profiles and designed to be attractive to all audiences within the family consumption of DTT.
Goodbye to Paramount Network: the gap that Squirrel will fill
Squirrel's new channel comes as a direct result of the Paramount Network's disappearance from Spanish digital terrestrial television.The historic film and series channel, owned by Paramount Skydance (formerly Paramount Global), will cease its free-to-air broadcasts on December 31, 2025, after almost 14 years as part of the national schedule.
The decision fits within the global reorganization of ParamountParamount Network is implementing cuts and strategic changes across its thematic channels, both on linear television and online platforms. As part of this restructuring, Paramount Network is ending its digital terrestrial television (DTT) service to save costs and adjust its presence in the Spanish market.
Paramount's spot in the Net TV multiplex will not remain empty. That space will be occupied by... new channel from Squirrel Mediawhich will take over immediately from January 1, 2026. In practice, users will see how the frequency where Paramount now appears will display the new Squirrel brand, without the need for major changes beyond a possible minor retuning depending on the television.
This isn't the first time Squirrel has taken advantage of closure of a historic channel to launch a new signalIn January 2025, the company had already filled the gap left by [previous company name]. Disney Channel on DTT to launch its first national channel Squirrel, specializing in cinema, with more than ten films daily and reruns of popular fictions such as "Cuéntame cómo pasó".
With Paramount taking over from this new channel focused on fiction, Squirrel aspires to to fill the void left by one of the main film and series channels of DTT, maintaining that type of content on free-to-air television and reinforcing its position against competitors such as Be Mad (Mediaset) or the thematic channels of Atresmedia.
Programming and type of content of the new channel
The company has announced that the new chain will offer a grid based on entertainmentThe programming is structured primarily around fictional content. While specific titles haven't been announced yet, several key aspects of the schedule have been outlined.
First, the new channel will provide free access to a wide and varied selection of contentDesigned for all audiences, the program is expected to include feature films of different genres (drama, comedy, action, thriller, horror, animation, westerns, classic cinema…) and series intended for general consumption.
The CNMV stated in its communication that the new Squirrel signal “This will represent an improvement and expansion of the current television offering."By proposing a fictional programming lineup that complements what already exists on other national channels. The goal is for viewers who missed having a free-to-air film and series channel after Paramount's departure to find a compelling alternative here."
For its part, Squirrel commits to ensuring that the channel's content is chosen with special careWith the aim of guaranteeing diversity, quality, and maximum appeal for the audience, the company emphasizes that the entire catalog will be selected based on criteria of interest to the digital terrestrial television (DTT) audience, featuring well-known titles as well as lesser-known ones with the potential to build audience loyalty.
Although a detailed schedule has not yet been published, it is reasonable to expect a program with significant presence of cinemas at different times of day, combined with series and, possibly, reruns of hits linked to production companies of the group, such as the productions of Ganga (responsible for "Tell Me How It Happened") or other labels acquired by Squirrel in recent years.
Net TV, DTT licenses and broadcasting structure
The deployment of Squirrel's new channel relies on the DTT licenses managed by Net TVNet TV, one of the key companies in the Spanish free-to-air television landscape, is the company that operates two channels with national coverage on digital terrestrial television (DTT), and whose license was recently renewed by the Government until 2040.
Since the end of 2021, Squirrel Media has controlled the 75% of Net TV's capitalAfter acquiring that stake from Vocento, the company gained effective ownership of two national digital terrestrial television (DTT) licenses, which had historically been leased to channels such as Disney Channel and Paramount Network.
Currently, one of Net TV's two channels is occupied by Squirrel (launched in 2025 as a replacement for Disney Channel) and the other by Paramount Network, which will be the very channel that disappears to make way for Squirrel's new fiction channel starting in January 2026.
The company has detailed that, for the implementation of the new chain, it will use one of the two broadcasting services managed by Net TVIn other words, the total number of licenses is not increased, but rather the one that was left free with Paramount's departure is reused, replacing one channel with another within the same multiplex.
Net TV has established itself as the third private free-to-air television operator In Spain, it ranks second only to Atresmedia Televisión and Mediaset. In this role, it serves as the distribution platform for Squirrel's digital terrestrial television channels and is a central pillar of the group's network strategy.
Squirrel Media: from digital terrestrial television cinema to diversified audiovisual group
The launch of this new channel cannot be understood without a better understanding of what it is. Squirrel Media and how it has positioned itself within the audiovisual and communications sector in Spain. The company defines itself as a technology and media group with several business divisions that go far beyond simply operating digital terrestrial television channels.
In the advertising sector, Squirrel includes companies such as IKI Group, Best Option Media, Green Shark, Ranna Comunicación, NF Media and Squirrel Global MediaThese divisions focus on advertising sales, marketing solutions, and campaign planning. This advertising arm strengthens the group's ability to monetize its television channels' audience.
In terms of content, the group brings together companies such as Vértice Cine, BF Distribution, Comercial TV, Tactic Audiovisual and DMD MediaThey manage catalogs of films, series, formats, and audiovisual rights for theaters, television, and other distribution channels. This division is key to providing Squirrel's various channels with original and third-party content.
In the media sector, in addition to Net TV and the Squirrel channels, the group controls BOM Cine, Squirrel TV, Nautical Channel, Horse TV, Class TV Moda, BOM Radio and CanalDeporteAmong other brands. BOM Cine, for example, is available on DTT in communities such as Madrid, Valencian Community, Andalusia and Region of Murcia, offering programming focused on film since 2019.
Finally, Squirrel also has a division of telecommunications and technology services which includes companies such as M3 Satcom, The Hook, Pretopay, Tipsterpage and Itesa, which expand the group's reach into fields such as satellite connectivity, digital solutions or payment services.
This network of companies allows Squirrel control the entire audiovisual value chainContent production or acquisition, distribution, exploitation on owned channels, and advertising sales. The new digital terrestrial television channel will be fueled precisely by these internal synergies.
Squirrel's current role in DTT and its audiences
Squirrel's position on DTT is still in the process of consolidation and growthThe Squirrel channel, which began broadcasting in January 2025 as a replacement for Disney Channel, has focused on movies, with more than ten films daily and reruns of well-known series, but for now its audience results remain at modest levels.
Recent data suggests that Squirrel ranks among the least watched channels on DTTwith broadcasts that sometimes don't reach an average of 100.000 viewers. It competes in a fragmented audience segment, in the so-called "shadow zone" of digital terrestrial television, alongside channels like Teledeporte, Clan, and Real Madrid TV.
However, the company is confident that the addition of a second national channel focused on fiction contribute to gaining visibility, attracting new audiences and strengthening the Squirrel brand in the viewer's mind, in a similar way to how the Atresmedia or Mediaset groups do with their multiple channels.
With two channels on national DTT through Net TV, Squirrel consolidates its position as the third largest private television group in the country, only behind Atresmedia (Antena 3, La Sexta, Neox, Nova, Atreseries, Mega) and Mediaset (Telecinco, Cuatro, FDF, Divinity, Energy, Be Mad, Boing), and ahead of other operators with one or two licenses.
Meanwhile, the regulatory landscape for digital terrestrial television (DTT) continues to evolve: the government has renewed the licenses of Atresmedia, Mediaset, Veo Televisión, and Net TV until 2040 and has opened a competition to award a new additional licenseMediaset and a group of businesspeople linked to minority shareholders of Prisa have submitted bids. This competitive environment makes it even more important to take advantage of every available frequency.
What will the DTT channel map look like in 2026 with Squirrel 2?
With the arrival of Squirrel's new channel in 2026 and the departure of Paramount Network, the landscape of Digital Terrestrial Television in Spain will continue to include 32 free-to-air national channelsIn addition to these, there are the regional and local signals received according to each demarcation.
Within RTVE's offering (on the RGE 1 and RGE 2 multiplexes), the following are maintained La 1, La 2, 24 Horas, Clan and TeledeporteIn addition to the UHD versions of La 1 and La 2, these are the general public channels, children's channels, news and sports channels that have been established on DTT for years.
The Atresmedia block (MPE 2 and parts of MPE 4 and MPE 5) includes Antena 3, La Sexta, Neox, Nova, Atreseries and Mega, covering everything from general programming to soap operas, series and documentaries, with sports content also included.
From Mediaset's side (MPE 3 and parts of MPE 4 and MPE 5), the viewer still has Telecinco, Cuatro, FDF, Divinity, Energy, Be Mad and Boing, combining general entertainment, comedy series, reality TV shows, movies, children's programming and factual programming.
Regarding Net TV (MPE 1), the big news for 2026 will be the presence of Squirrel and the new fiction channel that will replace Paramount, often unofficially referred to as “Squirrel 2” in some reports, although the final name is pending confirmation by the group.
The Veo TV multiplex (MPE 2) maintains DMax and I see 7The latter was recently revived as a brand linked to the newspaper El Mundo to occupy the license left vacant by Gol Play, which is now focused on sports content on pay platforms such as Movistar Plus+.
In the case of Trece (MPE 4) it continues Thirteen TV as a generalist channel, while Radio Blanca (RGE 2) manages Kiss TVA channel focused on documentaries and factual programming. Secuoya (MPE 5) operates the channel. Thisand Real Madrid maintains its Real Madrid TV open on that same multiplex.
To this national offer we must add the regional and local channels which are received depending on the community. For example, in Andalusia, the regional multiplex (MAUT) includes Canal Sur, Canal Sur 2 (with enhanced accessibility), Andalucía TV and BOM Cine as a private film channel, in addition to several local channels depending on the frequency allocation.
Digital terrestrial television (DTT) also carries radio serviceswhere you can find the usual radio stations in digital format, complementing the television offering and using the same spectrum to reach Spanish homes.
With this configuration, the addition of the new Squirrel channel does not increase the total number of channels, but it does It modifies the internal balance of the thematic offering., maintaining a relevant space dedicated to fiction and open cinema after the departure of Paramount Network.
Squirrel's project to launch a second national channel on DTT reinforces its role as the third private operator in Spain and is reshaping the free-to-air television landscape. Taking advantage of the void left by Paramount, Net TV's licenses until 2040, and a broad catalog of IPs and original content, the company is securing a strengthened presence in an increasingly competitive environment, where digital terrestrial television remains a key window to reach a wide audience.
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