Azteca 7
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.png) Logo used since 2024 | |
| Type | Terrestrial television network |
|---|---|
| Country | Mexico |
| Transmitters | see below |
| Headquarters | Mexico City |
| Programming | |
| Language | Spanish |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | TV Azteca |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | May 18, 1985 |
| Former names |
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| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television (except Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Juárez) | Channel 7 |
| Digital terrestrial television (Mexicali and Ciudad Juárez) | Channel 20 |
| Digital terrestrial television (Tijuana) | Channel 21 |
Azteca 7 (also called El Siete) is a Mexican network owned by TV Azteca, with more than 100 main transmitters all over Mexico.
Azteca 7 is available on all cable and satellite systems. Azteca 7 broadcasts entertainment series, movies, and sporting events targeting a general audience, and programs for children during the daytime. In programming, its main national competitor in open television has historically been Canal 5 of TelevisaUnivision.
History
[edit]Imevisión's channel 7
[edit]To bring a channel 7 to Mexico City, which had channels 2, 4, 5, 8, 11 and 13, a channel shuffle had to be made. This channel shuffle converted Televisa's station XHTM-TV channel 8 to channel 9. Two Puebla stations, XEX-TV channel 7 and XEQ-TV channel 9, moved to channels 8 and 10; XEQ took on the XHTM callsign that was discontinued in Mexico City. In Toluca, channel 7 (XHGEM-TV) was moved to channel 12, and XHTOL-TV moved from channel 9 to 10. XHIMT-TV took to the air on 15 May 1985, as the third of three Mexico City stations operated by public broadcaster Imevisión, sister to XHDF-TV channel 13 and XEIMT-TV channel 22, and the flagship station of a second Imevisión national network which featured 99 repeater stations, larger than any commercial network of the time, serving 72% of the population.[1] The new Red Nacional 7 (7 National Network) was positioned as targeting the working class and rural areas, whose programming would reflect "the national identity", while Red Nacional 13, based from XHDF, targeted a more middle- and upper-class audience.[1] Because the new network lacked its own building, initial operating costs were estimated to be of over US$1 million. Initial programming included educational programs during daytime hours, primetime entertainment and news updates every 30 minutes.[1]
TV Azteca's channel 7
[edit]However, financial mismanagement, economic troubles and other issues quickly signaled trouble for Imevisión. The network had become a mere frequency with a limited transmitter farm, with seven hours of its programming on weekdays in 1990 (half of its weekday airtime) was still dedicated to high school educational programming (Telesecundaria). There were even talks of Multivisión owner Joaquín Vargas buying the network.[2] In 1990, XEIMT and XHIMT were converted into relays of XHDF, and the next year, the government of Mexico announced it was selling XHIMT and XHDF to the private sector. The sale of these two networks in 1993 formed the new TV Azteca network.[citation needed]
On 15 October 1993, XHIMT was operating independently under Azteca as Tú Visión. The programming of Azteca 7 since then has largely consisted of children's programs, sports, foreign series and movies, serving as a competitor to Televisa's Canal 5.[citation needed]
On 9 November 1998, TV Azteca signed a major multi-year agreement with Buena Vista International Television to secure exclusive broadcast rights for The Walt Disney Company's programming in Mexico.[3] On 21 January 1999, The children's programming block Disney Club premiered on 10 February. Produced by TV Azteca, will broadcast the new animated series in this country for the first time Recess, Pepper Ann, Timon & Pumbaa, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, as well as cartoons Doug, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers and Goof Troop, after acquiring the rights previously held by Televisa in 1997, the program became a milestone in Mexican television for the millennial generation.[4]
In September 2013, the network was added to Dish México.[5]
In 2016, Disney Club program spent its final months on 2 July before being permanently removed from the schedule.[citation needed]
On 14 August 2017, Azteca 7 launched a morning block aimed at a preschool audience, featuring programming from Disney Junior such as Mickey and the Roadster Racers, Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, The Lion Guard, Sheriff Callie's Wild West, Elena of Avalor and Goldie & Bear as well as the channel's original Latin American productions: Junior Express, Morko y Mali and Playground.[6]
On 12 July 2018, TV Azteca and Turner formed a partnership to broadcast Cartoon Network programs at the following schedule: Ben 10, The Powerpuff Girls, The Amazing World of Gumball and We Bare Bears.[7]
In June 2019, Viacom International Studios (VIS) struck a major deal with TV Azteca for the broadcast of the Nickelodeon musical series Club 57 on free-to-air television in Mexico.[citation needed]
On 1 January 2021, Azteca 7 programming underwent significant changes regarding its children's content: Disney Junior series were cancelled after 3 years on air, while the series Chuggington returned and was re-released.[citation needed]
In March 2022, TV Azteca finalized a major partnership to begin broadcasting films from NBCUniversal's animation studios, which include DreamWorks Animation and Illumination.[citation needed]
On 17 July 2022, Azteca 7 officially announced the acquisition and premiere of the legendary series Dragon Ball Z on 1 August, moving on from its historic run on Televisa's Canal 5.[8]
On 6 December 2022, TV Azteca partnered with Lego and premiere the animated series Ninjago.[citation needed]
On 14 April 2025, TV Azteca and WildBrain strengthened their distribution ties, while iconic brands historically linked to DIC Entertainment and Cloudco Entertainment such as Strawberry Shortcake franchise, Care Bears franchise, Schulz's Peanuts franchise and others.[citation needed]
Disney Jr. series returns to Azteca 7 on 2 February 2026, after 8 years its cancellation that premiered in the winter (since its previous run ended in January 2021).[citation needed]
Programming
[edit]Sports
[edit]After its privatization, Azteca 7 began carrying NBA basketball, though Televisa now holds these rights. Soccer rights on Azteca 7 include the Liga MX, as well as all official and friendly matches of the Mexico national soccer team. Azteca 7 also carries NFL games, boxing (Box Azteca) and lucha libre (Lucha Azteca).
Transmitters
[edit]Azteca 7 has 89 full-power transmitters that broadcast its programming; it also is carried, albeit in SD, as a subchannel of 14 additional Azteca Uno transmitters. Except in the border cities of Tijuana, Mexicali and Ciudad Juárez, Azteca 7 is exclusively mapped to virtual channel 7 nationwide.[9][10]
Network logos
[edit]
1985-1990
1991-1993
1993-1994
June-November 1994
1994-1998
1998-2007
2007-2011
2011-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016
2016-2024
2024-present
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References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Aimed At Working Class: Mexico To Get New TV Network". United Press International. 16 May 1985.
- ↑ Darling, J. (30 September 2000). "For Sale: Mexican TV Network. Needs Work. Media: Privatizing apace, the government wants to unload a broadcast web. Whether competition results depends on the buyer". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ "TV Azteca y Buena Vista firman acuerdo de distribución multi-anual". Produ (in Spanish).
- ↑ "TV Azteca realizó presentación de nuevo programa 'El Club de Disney'". Produ (in Spanish).
- ↑ Notimex vía Yahoo! México (12 September 2013). "Inicia Dish retransmisión gratuita de canales de Televisa y TV Azteca". Yahoo! Finanzas. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
- ↑ Azteca (17 August 2017). "¡Llegó Disney Junior a TV Azteca!". TV Azteca (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2026.
- ↑ "Azteca y Turner establecen alianza para fortalecer barra matutina infantil de Azteca Siete con shows de Cartoon Network". Produ (in Spanish).
- ↑ Madrid, Luis (17 July 2022). "Dragon Ball Z va a estar en Azteca Siete". TV Azteca (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 October 2026.
- ↑ Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones. Listado de Canales Virtuales. Last modified December 21, 2021. Retrieved 2017-01-28.
- ↑ Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones. Infraestructura de Estaciones de TDT. Last modified 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2017-01-28. Technical information from the IFT Coverage Viewer.
External links
[edit]- Azteca 7 website (in Spanish)
- TV Azteca website (in Spanish)
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| TV Azteca | |||||||
| Grupo Imagen | |||||||
| Grupo Multimedios |
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| MVS Comunicaciones | |||||||
| Public and educational |
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