Television

SBS Television: Distinctive, thoughtful storytelling

SBS is committed to connecting Australians from diverse multicultural backgrounds to inspire a greater understanding between the many communities which call Australia home.

Currently SBS reaches 13.1 million Australians each month, and 3295 hours of programs are subtitled across SBS, SBS 2/SBS VICELAND, NITV and online on average annually.

With a strategic focus on utilising multiplatform event television across key genres of news and current affairs, documentary, food, drama and entertainment, SBS aims to drive a national conversation about what it means to be Australian today. Our dedication to curating the best acquired content from across the world brings audiences a diverse, rich and often never-before seen offering.

Around half of our programs are broadcast in languages other than English, and many of these are made accessible to everyone who speaks English by our award-winning subtitling unit.

News
SBS has a reputation for unmatched Australian and international news coverage including ourflagship nightly news program SBS World News and the Tuesday night current affairs block of Insight and Dateline.

Aimed at younger audiences and broadcasting on SBS VICELAND, The Feed brings Australians the stories and unique perspectives that matter across news, interviews, in-depth features and satire.

In addition to our Australian news services, SBS also broadcasts over 100 hours of international news bulletins through its World Watch service  on SBS and SBS VICELAND. Covering 35 languages originating from 37 international broadcasters each week, across its network, all bulletins are also available on SBS On Demand seven days a week for people to watch when they choose to.

Documentaries
SBS is renowned for its world-class documentaries and Australians come to SBS for a different perspective on the big issues.  SBS has explored big issues in though-provoking ways through programs like Go Back To Where You Came From, First Contact, First Australians, Immigration Nation and DNA Nation. It also brings Australians some of the best documentaries from around the world,

Entertainment
Celebrating diversity is at the centre of SBS’s entertainment offering. From Australia’s participation in the annual Eurovision Song Contest, The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Chinese-Australian drama-comedy series, The Family Law, these are some examples of our commitment to promoting diversity in media, and our contribution to a national dialogue about successful multiculturalism.

Dramas
SBS is the home to the best dramas both home grown Australian original commissions, and the best in acquired dramas from around the world. Some dramas include Deep Water, Vikings, Versaille, Roots, The Family Law, and Australian critically acclaimed, The Principal,. SBS On Demand also allows for 24/7 access to the best dramas at your fingertips, available across 24 different platforms.

Food
SBS takes audiences on a cultural food journey, bringing new faces and fresh approaches to food through commissioned programs like Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook: Melbourne, Shane Delia’s Moorish Spice Journey, The Chefs’ Line, Food Safari Fire, Destination Flavour , Noma Australia and Poh & Co.

NITV
NITV is Australia’s national free-to-air Indigenous television channel which brings programming produced predominantly by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, offering all Australians a window into Indigenous culture and stories.

The channel celebrates Indigenous storytelling, challenging perceptions and facilitates conversations connecting all Australians to the world’s oldest continuing culture. Programs include children’s animation Little J & Big Cuz, First Contact season 2 which was simulcast on SBS and NITV, collaborative project Songlines on Screen, and news and current affairs programs, The Point, Living Black, Awaken, and sports program The Marngrook Footy Show.

Sport
SBS has all the sports events the world gets passionate about.
 
SBS is a long pioneer of football in Australia and as the official broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup since 1990, its loyalty to football audiences is not limited to just the jewel in the crown. SBS also ensures Australian audiences can view the world game of football on all levels, for both the men's and women's tournaments from FIFA including the Women's World Cup, U-17s & U-20 year old World Cups, the Confederations Cup, Beach Soccer, and the A-League.

SBS also broadcasts the best of European football with the Premier League, the FA Cup Final, UEFA Euro, and the UEFA Champions League.

SBS's flagship weekly football program, The World Game, is a must watch for all football fans every Monday night and features news reports, results and highlights of football leagues from all around the globe. 

Along with football, SBS has long championed the sport of domestic and international cycling in Australia. SBS is the home of cycling and has been the official broadcaster of international cycling's pinnacle event the Tour de France for 25 years. SBS covers other international major cycling events s including the the Vuelta a Espana, the Tour of California, Criterium du Dauphine, the European Spring Classics, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Transmission 
Increasingly, transmission platforms carry both television and radio services and currently this applies on both the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) system and the digital terrestrial television platform. SBS transmits 539 terrestrial television services around the country, serving approximately 97% of the Australian population.

SBS Radio transmits in capital cities and regional centres using analogue and digital transmissions. SBS radio services are also available on the Digital Television platform and the VAST platform.