Entertainment Channels on Hotbird 13°E
Hotbird — operated by Eutelsat at 13° East — is one of the most powerful satellite positions in Europe, carrying hundreds of free-to-air and pay TV entertainment channels in Arabic, English, French, Italian, Turkish, and many other languages. For viewers in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, Hotbird 13°E is a treasure trove of entertainment content.
Popular Entertainment Channel Frequencies on Hotbird 13°E
| Channel | Frequency (MHz) | Polarization | Symbol Rate (Ks/s) | FEC | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBC Drama | 10853 | Horizontal | 29900 | 3/4 | Arabic |
| MBC 2 (Movies) | 10873 | Horizontal | 29900 | 3/4 | Arabic/English |
| OSN Movies HD | 11034 | Horizontal | 27500 | 3/4 | Arabic/English |
| RAI Uno | 11623 | Horizontal | 29900 | 5/6 | Italian |
| France 2 | 11615 | Vertical | 22000 | 5/6 | French |
| MBC Action | 10853 | Horizontal | 29900 | 3/4 | Arabic |
Channel lineups and frequencies are updated periodically. An auto-scan on Hotbird 13°E will return the full current channel list for your region.
Satellite Setup for Hotbird 13°E
- Satellite Name: Hotbird 13B / 13C / 13E (Eutelsat)
- Orbital Position: 13° East
- Dish Size: 60–80 cm for Central and Southern Europe; 90–120 cm for Northern Europe and North Africa
- LNB Type: Standard Universal Linear LNB
- DiSEqC: Use DiSEqC 1.0 or 1.2 if combining with other satellites
Types of Entertainment Content on Hotbird
Arabic Entertainment
MBC Group channels — including MBC 1, MBC 2, MBC Drama, MBC 4, and MBC Action — represent the backbone of Arabic entertainment on Hotbird. They broadcast a mix of Turkish drama series (dubbed in Arabic), Egyptian movies, reality shows, and Hollywood films.
European General Entertainment
National broadcasters from Italy (RAI), France (France TV), Germany (ARD, ZDF), Spain (RTVE), and Poland (TVP) all have a strong presence on Hotbird. Most of these are free-to-air and can be received without a subscription card.
International Movies & Series
In addition to free-to-air offerings, pay TV platforms like OSN (formerly Orbit Showtime Network) use Hotbird to distribute premium movie and series content to subscribers across the MENA region.
How to Do a Full Channel Scan on Hotbird
- In your receiver menu, go to Satellite Settings and add or select Hotbird 13°E.
- Choose Auto Scan (Blind Scan) for the most thorough channel discovery.
- Allow the scan to complete — this may take 5–10 minutes depending on your receiver model.
- Once done, sort channels by name, language, or genre using your receiver's edit function.
Multi-Satellite Setup Tips
If you want to receive both Hotbird 13°E and Nilesat/Arabsat simultaneously, you have a couple of options:
- Single motor dish: A motorized dish can sweep across multiple orbital positions automatically.
- Multi-feed setup: Mount two or three LNBs on a single large dish angled to receive nearby orbital positions simultaneously.
- DiSEqC switch: Connect multiple LNBs (from separate dishes) to a DiSEqC switch, allowing your receiver to switch between satellites on command.