Category 2 specialty channel

A Category 2 specialty channel is a Canadian specialty television channel which, as defined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, may be carried, optionally, by all digital cable television and direct broadcast satellite providers.

Unlike both older specialty television services licensed prior to digital channel capacity expansion, and Category 1 channels, Category 2 channels are not protected as to format. They are licensed to broadcast within defined formats which are not provided by or overly close to an existing protected channel, but their formats are not protected themselves and need not protect other Category 2 channels. Also unlike Category 1 and analog specialty services, a Category 2 channel does not have guaranteed cable carriage rights, but must directly negotiate carriage with cable distributors.

Category 2 channels may include subscriber-only adult entertainment channels.

It is expected that most or all Canadian cable and satellite specialty channels will henceforth be licensed as Category 2 channels.

Category 2 channels

The list of currently launched Category 2 channels in Canada includes:

English & French

* Animal Planet
* AOV Adult Movie Channel
* BBC Canada
* BBC Kids
* BITE TV
*
* The Christian Channel
* Cosmopolitan TV
* CourtTV Canada
* DejaView
* Discovery HD
* Discovery Civilization Channel
* Discovery Kids
* Drive-In Classics
* ESPN Classic
* Equator HD
* The Fight Network
* Fine Living
* Fox Sports World Canada
* GameTV
* GolTV
* HARDtv
* HPItv
** HPItv Canada
** HPItv International
** HPItv Odds
** HPItv West
* Hustler TV
* Leafs TV
* Maleflixxx Television
* Movieola
* MovieTime
* MuchLOUD
* MuchMoreRetro
* MuchVibe
* National Geographic Channel
* Natural Resources Television
* NHL Network
* Oasis HD
* The Pet Network
* PunchMuch
* Raptors NBA TV
* Red Hot TV
* Rush HD
* Salt + Light Television
* Scream
*
* Showcase Action
* Showcase Diva
* Silver Screen Classics
* TELETOON Retro
* Treasure HD
* TV Land Canada
* Wild TV
* World Fishing Network
* X-Treme Sports
* XXX Action Clips Channel

French

* Avis de Recherche
* Les idées de ma maison télé
* Prise 2
* TÉLÉTOON Rétro

Multicultural

* 1+1 International
* Abu Dhabi TV
* All TV
* ATN Aastha TV
* ATN Alpha ETC Punjabi
* ATN ARY Digital
* ATN B4U Movies
* ATN B4U Music
* ATN Bangla
* ATN Jaya TV
* ATN NDTV 24x7
* ATN Zee Cinema
* ATN Zee Gujarati
* CBN
* ERT World
* FPTV
* FTV
* Iran TV Network
* The Israeli Network
* KBS World
* MEGA Cosmos
* NTV Canada
* Nuevo Mundo Television
* Persian Vision
* ProSiebenSat.1 Welt
* RTVi
* RTVi+
* SBTN
* SKY TG24
* SSTV
* Tamil One
* tlñ en español
* TVi

Defunct Category 2 channels

* CoolTV
* The Ecology Channel
* Edge TV
* HSTN
* Leonardo World
* MSNBC Canada
* Video Italia

ee also

* List of Canadian specialty channels
* List of Canadian television channels