# VTV3

VTV3 is a state-owned Vietnamese television channel owned by the Vietnam Television, launched officially on 31 March 1996. As the country's first ever sports and entertainment dedicated channel, it broadcasts sporting events and entertainment-oriented programs including music, game shows, leisure & lifestyles, nationally produced, as well as American and Asian series.

## Broadcast history

* VTV3 first broadcast for testing in June 1994 during the 1994 World Cup, it aired alongside VTV1 and VTV2 on channel 9 VHF in Hanoi from 14:00 to 19:30 as a general Sports – Entertainment – Cultural channel.
* From April 1995, the channel broadcast on channel 6 in Hanoi with the content Sports - Culture – Entertainment – Economic Information.
* At 10:00 a.m., 31 March 1996, on channel 6 in Hanoi and surrounding areas, VTV3 officially launched as a Sports – Entertainment – Economic Information channel. It is also relayed nationwide via satellite in July of the same year. Since the launch of the channel, VTV began to broadcast the Premier League, made this channel becomes the first ever channel to broadcast the tournament in Vietnam, starting from the 1996–97 season.
* From 1 January 1997, VTV3 separated its frequency to channel 22 UHF in Hanoi, 21 UHF in Danang and channel 28 UHF in Ho Chi Minh City with nighttime programs. This also made VTV3 to become the second channel to air live the current affairs news program Thời sự alongside VTV1 at 19:00.
* The channel began to be relayed nationwide via satellite with an independent frequency on 31 March 1998.
* December 31, 1999: Together with VTV1, VTV2, and VTV4, it broadcast a special program to welcome the new century with a record of shortest length at that time in Vietnam to welcome the year 2000.
* Beginning from 31 December 2001, VTV3 increased the broadcasting times following:
** From 31 December 2001 to 1 September 2006: 05:30 to 24:00.
** From 1 September 2006 to 18 March 2020 and from 1 May 2020 to present: 24/7.
* Between 2013 – 2014, the production department of VTV3 was split into two separate departments: the sports-producing crew was split into a separate department alongside the VTV1 sports room. The remaining VTV3 entertainment team was renamed Department for Entertainment Productions.
* From 2014, most sports events on VTV3 were transferred to channel VTV2, then to channel VTV6, then to channel VTV5. Currently, a number of sports events taking place during the day are being broadcast on channels VTV2 and VTV5. VTV3 is only live at night time. From September 21, 2015, most of the sports programs on VTV3 were transferred to channel VTV6, leaving only events taking place at night. morning sports bulletin Sports beats. In 2020, Sports 360° – The Beat – the morning sports bulletin – was transferred to VTV6 and then after VTV5, leaving the VTV3 channel to broadcast entertainment-oriented programs, and transmitting sports programs during special occasions only. The bulletin was later relaunched in 2021 as Sports Beat, and beginning to broadcast on both VTV3 and VTV6 from 12 April 2021.
* Between 19 March and 30 April 2020, as a safety precaution due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, Vietnam Television temporarily suspended the overnight timeslot on VTV3, along with most VTV channels, and limited the broadcast time to 19/7.
* From February 14, 2022, until now, most sports programs have officially returned to VTV3 in the morning and afternoon time frames, thereby bringing sports content back on VTV3 after about 7 years of stopping broadcasting.
* From October 10, 2022, the bulletin Sports Beat is only broadcast at 6 a.m. daily and the sports bulletin is updated at 5 p.m. daily on VTV3.

## VTV3 HD

VTV3 became the first national commercial television channel in Vietnam to have a HD simulcast. VTV3 HD was soft-launched from 31 March 2013 to mark VTV3's 17th anniversary and was officially launched on 1 June 2013. Most programs broadcasting by VTV3 since 2013 are in HDTV with a 16:9 picture format.
On November 1, 2022, VTV3 officially merged SD and HD streams into a single channel stream.

## Program

Since the first broadcast, VTV3 has paved the way for entertainment programs, licensed feature films, sports programs, etc. to be broadcast on this channel. However, due to the lack of programs in the early period, "exploiting programs" from Southern region were exploited by VTV3's editorial team and purchased the transmission rights. Gameshows such as Intervilles, SV96, 7 Colors of the Rainbow, as well as special feature films, sports content... all bring a huge source of advertising on the channel. Since then, advertising has gradually become the main source of revenue for VTV, leading to the establishment of the Television Advertising and Services Center.
Since the broadcast times increase to 18,5/7, VTV3 has started to upgrade program contents, change some timeslots, especially airing series of new gameshows. From 2005, entertainment programs were transmitted in the 20:00 timeslot from Monday til Friday; gameshows were followed an hour later since 2006. The foreign TV series slots at 18:00 every day since the end of 2005 began to appear denserly Asian dramas. Some weekend night live music programs are expanded, especially with the appearance of Vietnamese Songs.
Not only gameshow and reality television, VTV3 also produces, cooperates and implements many great and unique programs of great significance. In addition, the VTV3 department also works and reports at major tournaments, produces the Miss Vietnam contest with Tien Phong Newspaper and young aspiration art program with Thanh Niên Newspaper after National Congress of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, as well as special socio-political programs, with special contents in collaboration with domestic media agencies...
Since 2008, VTV3 began to change its appearance, focusing on improving the quality of the program, especially with the appearance of many novel game shows, increasing the slots of feature-length films, opened the prime time slot for Vietnamese feature series at 21:00. While HTV, went on downward due to licensing and inspection problems, several TV production companies tend to switch to cooperate with VTV, so on VTV3 there have appeared many new reality TV programs that attract millions of viewers with strong investment and preparation such as Universal Dance, Vietnam Idol, Perfect Couple, Vietnamese Model, etc., which created a new breeze for the channel, although these programs appear not less scandalous.
In 2012, VTV3 continued to improve the contents and changed the time slots. From this time forward, the contents on VTV3 become more and more diversal, with infotainment programs Morning Coffee with VTV3, Weekend Morning Coffee; revival editions of programs such as talkshow VTV3's Guests, university-oriented game show SV, comedy-oriented Weekend Gathering as well as reality TV series broadcast on weekends.
Since 2018, while new game, reality shows and scripted programs co-produced by domestic agencies are dominated in primetime slot, the solely produced programs by VTV3 team were moved to daytime and have some signs of setback sufferings.
For sports programs, from the very beginning, VTV3 is the first VTV channel to broadcasting sporting events, such as Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Asiad, SEA Games, especially the SEA Games 22 with Vietnam as the host nation. Besides, VTV3 also airing sports news bulletins and magazines during daytime and afternoon drivetime. From 2005, VTV3 transmitted the Sports 360° bulletin with timeslots falls on drivetime and late-night. From 2011, the late-night edition, known as Sports 360° – The Beat - airing from the 2007; has been moved to morning timeslot. Since 2015, most of VTV3 sports programs were moved to youth-oriented channel VTV6, including the main bullettin Sport 360°, followed by the morning bulletin 5 years later.
Since 2022, following the relaunch of Sport 360° - The Beat as Sports Beat and the premiere of Sports Memories in the previous year, several sports magazines were returned to VTV3 at daytime, which somehow reviving sporting contents on the channel after 7 years hiatus.
Since 10 October 2022, after the closing of VTV6, most sports events were reported live again on VTV3, thereby bringing sports events back after 8 years hiatus.