TNT, or Digital Terrestrial Television, broadcasts in France a bouquet of free national channels that can be received via antenna. The issue of paid TNT channels is more complex than it seems: since the reorganization of the numbering that came into effect on June 6, 2025, several channels previously labeled “paid on TNT” are simply no longer broadcast via terrestrial waves.
Understanding what is still actually accessible via antenna, and what has migrated to other reception modes, helps avoid subscribing to unnecessary services or searching for a signal that no longer exists.
Terrestrial broadcasting and reception via box: a common confusion about TNT
The term “TNT channel” strictly refers to a service broadcast via terrestrial waves, which can be received with a rooftop antenna and a TNT decoder. When a channel is available only through an internet box, satellite, or an application, it no longer falls under TNT in the technical sense.
This distinction has direct consequences. Canal+, Canal+ Cinema, Canal+ Sport, and Planète+ were included in the old lists of paid TNT channels. These channels are no longer broadcast via TNT antenna. Their presence in the program guides of certain internet boxes does not mean they are still part of the terrestrial multiplex.
As detailed by info-tech24.fr regarding paid channels, the actual list of paid services accessible via antenna has significantly reduced in recent years.
Paris Première: the only paid channel still available on terrestrial TNT
After the reorganization of June 2025, Paris Première remains the reference paid channel on TNT. It occupies channel 26 in the new numbering established by Arcom. Its programming mixes cinema, talk shows, and cultural magazines.
The fact that it appears in the TNT channel grid does not make it free. To watch it via antenna, a subscription with a distributor is still necessary. Through internet box, it is generally included in paid bundles offered by operators.
This hybrid positioning (present in the TNT numbering but subject to subscription) makes it a unique case in the French audiovisual landscape. Viewers equipped with a simple antenna and a standard TNT decoder will see channel 26 appear, but without a decodable signal without an access card.
Paid channels disappeared from TNT: Canal+ and its variations
The Canal+ group historically constituted the main paid block of French TNT. Several of its channels occupied terrestrial frequencies:
- Canal+ (historical channel) broadcast part of its programs in clear, the rest being encrypted and reserved for subscribers
- Canal+ Cinema offered programming focused on recent films and premieres
- Canal+ Sport covered major sporting events, including football and rugby
- Planète+ completed the offer with documentaries and discovery magazines
None of these four channels are currently broadcast via terrestrial waves. Their gradual withdrawal from TNT preceded the reorganization of 2025. The Canal+ group now focuses its distribution on its own decoders, its applications, and the boxes of telecom operators.
For households that only have a TNT antenna, these channels are therefore inaccessible, regardless of the subscription taken.
New TNT numbering 2025: what has changed for free and paid channels
The channel grid effective since June 6, 2025, has redistributed the positions of many channels. News channels have been grouped, France 4 and Gulli have received new numbers, and two new free channels have appeared: T18 and NOVO19.
This reshuffling concerns almost all national free channels. On the paid side, the situation is simpler: only Paris Première retains a place in this numbering. The former channels occupied by Canal+ group services have not been reallocated to other paid channels.
Another element deserves attention. Arcom has opened a call for applications for the renewal of several TNT frequencies by 2027. Several candidates have come forward, but no new paid service has been announced in this context at this stage. The frequencies being reallocated concern free channels.
What this means for viewers
For a household equipped only with a rooftop antenna, the paid TNT offer is limited to Paris Première. Any other paid channel requires an additional reception mode: an internet box from a telecom operator, a satellite decoder, or a streaming application.
The old lists of “paid TNT channels” that can still be found on some websites no longer reflect the reality of the terrestrial multiplex. Before subscribing to a service thinking it will allow you to receive a channel via antenna, checking its current mode of broadcasting remains the most useful precaution.
TNT frequencies up for grabs: towards new paid channels in 2027?
The call for applications launched by Arcom to renew several TNT frequencies fuels speculation. Among the declared candidates are various profiles, from media personalities to press groups. The question of whether one of these frequencies could be allocated to a paid service remains open.
However, the economic model of paid TNT via antenna has weakened. The cost of terrestrial broadcasting, combined with the migration of subscribers to streaming platforms and internet boxes, makes the return of a significant paid block on TNT unlikely in the short term.
TNT remains primarily a vehicle for free television. Its coverage of the metropolitan territory makes it a tool for universal access to free public and private channels. For premium content, digital distribution modes have taken over, and this trend shows no signs of reversing.
