VTV3

Vietnamese TV channel
Virtual TV, Pakistan

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.

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.

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 Trò chơi liên tỉnh (Vietnamese version of Intervilles), SV96, Bảy sắc cầu vồng (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 (TVAd). Since the broadcast times increase to 18,5 hours per day, VTV3 has started to upgrade program contents, change some timeslots, especially airing series of new gameshows (especially Saturday morning, from mid 2004). 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 Bài hát Việt (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 (made by the Sports Department), 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 (currently 21:30). 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 Cà phê sáng với VTV3 (Morning Coffee with VTV3), Cà phê sáng cuối tuần (Weekend Morning Coffee); revival editions of programs such as talkshow Khách của VTV3 (VTV3's Guests), university oriented game show SV (SV 2012), comedy oriented Weekend Gathering/Gặp nhau cuối tuần (Weekend Relaxation/Thư giãn cuối tuần) 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 360° thể thao (Sports 360°) bulletin with timeslots falls on drivetime and late night. From 2011, the late night edition, known as Nhịp đập 360° thể thao (Sports 360° – The Beat; airing since 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 360° thể thao, followed by the morning bulletin 5 years later. Since 2022, following the relaunch of Nhịp đập 360° thể thao as Nhịp đập thể thao (Sports Beat) and the premiere of Ký ức thể thao (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 year hiatus. Since 10 October 2022, after the closing of VTV6, most sports events were reported live again on VTV3 (along with VTV2), thereby bringing sports events (besides VTV5) back after 8 year hiatus.

Daily news: Nhịp đập thể thao (06:00), Morning Café (06:30), News (19:00). Drama: Vietnamese LAB (21:40), Foreign serials (12:00 Mon Fri), sitcom, etc.