The answer, once and for all: MBC 1 is not on Nilesat (7°W) in 2026 and 11938 V is not coming back. That frequency circulates through old forum posts and outdated satellite sites, and it fails for a very concrete technical reason: the transponder still exists on Nilesat 201, but it was rebuilt with different broadcast parameters and assigned to other channels. Enter 11938 with the old settings and your receiver simply won’t lock and even a full scan won’t find MBC 1 anywhere on the 7°W arc. It’s not a dish problem, it’s a programming decision MBC made in 2019.
Skip the fluff here’s what to do instead in 2026:
- On Nilesat (7°W) you can still get the rest of the MBC family free: MBC 2, MBC 3, MBC 4, MBC 5, MBC Action, MBC Max, MBC Drama, MBC Bollywood, and Wanasah all on 11559 V.
- MBC 1 itself now lives on Arabsat Badr (26°E) and on MBC’s own streaming platform, Shahid.
All data below was cross-checked on 19 September 2026 against LyngSat (Nilesat 201 page updated 18 Sep 2026), KingOfSat, and satellite-tracker package listings. Transponders move re-verify before aiming a dish.
Why 11938 V no longer works (the technical breakdown)
The “11938 V 27500 3/4” you keep finding online was the correct tuning for MBC 1 (SD) on Nilesat 201’s Middle-East beam around 2017. Three things changed since then:
- MBC 1 was pulled from Nilesat in September 2019. MBC replaced its main channel with the new MBC 5 (launched 21 September 2019, aimed at Maghreb and West Africa) on the 7°W western beams. Since then MBC 1’s Nilesat presence is at most an encrypted feed trackers disagree on whether it’s even transmitted there at all, so a free-to-air receiver will not open it.
- The 11938 V transponder was reassigned. It’s still active on Nilesat 201, but look at what it actually carries today (LyngSat, 18 Sep 2026): Press TV, Baghdad TV, Libya Alhadath, Alikhbaria Syria, Alaraby TV 2, Alsouriya TV, Damascus Radio, Syria TV. Egyptian and Syrian news broadcasters took the slot.
- The parameters changed too. That transponder is now DVB-S, QPSK, 30000 symbol rate, FEC 5/6 not the old 27500 3/4. Even a receiver that locks the frequency will refuse the old settings, and a blind scan finds no MBC on it.
Also be sceptical of lists that point MBC 1 to Eutelsat 8 West B (8°W) at 11470 V that East-beam feed is now flagged inactive by current trackers.
What IS on Nilesat in 2026: the MBC package at 7°W
Aim your dish at 7°W and scan every MBC channel except MBC 1 opens free, from Eutelsat 7 West A (the satellite sitting beside Nilesat 201/301 at the same orbital slot; your Nilesat dish sees it automatically):
| Channel | Satellite | Freq | Pol | SR | FEC | Standard | Beam | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBC 2 | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC 3 | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC 4 | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC 5 | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC Action | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC Max | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC Drama | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| MBC Bollywood | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| Wanasah | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| Al Arabiya | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
| Al Hadath | Eutelsat 7 West A | 11559 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | DVB-S QPSK | NWA | FTA |
One important geographic catch: 11559 V uses the North-West Africa beam. It covers Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and West Africa but not Egypt. Egyptian viewers wanting MBC on their Nilesat dish get the separate Egyptian feeds instead:
- MBC Masr 2 Nilesat 201, 11823 V, 27500 5/6, DVB-S, Middle-East beam (currently Clear)
- MBC Masr Nilesat 201, 12015 V, 27500 5/6, DVB-S, Middle-East beam (currently Clear)
Where MBC 1 actually is in 2026
MBC 1’s real home is Arabsat Badr at 26°E, Saudi Arabia’s main orbital slot:
| Variant | Satellite/beam | Freq | Pol | SR | FEC | Encryption |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBC 1 (FTA, east) | Badr 7 East beam | 11270 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | Clear |
| MBC 1 (FTA, NWA) | Badr 5 South/West beam | 12284 | V | 27500 | 5/6 | Clear |
| MBC 1 HD | Badr 8 MENA beam | 12399 | V | 27500 | 3/4 | Irdeto 2 (pay) |
Practical implications:
- In the Gulf, Levant and Egypt: the MBC 1 East-beam feed is under the Badr East footprint point to 26°E and scan 11270 V.
- In Morocco/Algeria/Mauritania/West Africa: 12284 V on the Badr North-West Africa beam carries MBC 1 free but your current Nilesat dish can’t reach it; you need a second dish or a motorized mount on 26°E. On your existing 7°W dish, MBC 5 is the closest you get to MBC 1’s programming.
- HD with no dish hassle: MBC 1 streams live on Shahid (shahid.mbc.net), MBC’s official streaming platform.
If your priority is French TV on the same 7°W dish, see our separate Nilesat French channel frequencies guide it also covers the Eutelsat 5 West B option for full TNT France. For other Saudi satellite channels, including the six frequencies from our Saudi technician piece, check the SSC frequencies reference.
How to find these channels (2026 procedure)
- On your existing Nilesat dish: run a blind scan over 10700–12750 MHz (both polarisations, high and low LNB bands). The MBC family lands on the 11559 V slot.
- If you need MBC 1 only: you must receive 26°E (Arabsat Badr). Add a second dish or a monoblock/motorised mount; then scan 11270 V and 12284 V.
- Check your receiver generation all MBC FTA services above are DVB-S/QPSK, so any digital receiver handles them; MBC 1 HD (12399 V) additionally needs DVB-S2/8PSK decoding and a valid Irdeto 2 subscription.
- Use 11559 V as your alignment transponder when setting up it locks easily and instantly shows where the MBC mux is.
FAQ
Is 11938 V still a valid Nilesat frequency? The transponder still broadcasts, but with new parameters (now DVB-S, 30000 symbol rate, 5/6) and it carries Press TV and Syrian news channels no MBC. The old 27500 3/4 combination fails.
Why is MBC 1 missing from Nilesat when MBC 2/3/4 are all there? In September 2019 MBC repositioned its generalist channel MBC 5 (Maghreb edition) took MBC 1’s western-beam slots, while MBC 1 moved its focus to Arabsat Badr and Shahid.
Does MBC 1 broadcast free-to-air anywhere in 2026? Trackers list free feeds on Badr 26°E (East 11270 V and NWA 12284 V) plus the encrypted HD service at 12399 V. Verify against current Badr listings for your city before pointing.
Can a software update on my receiver bring MBC 1 back on Nilesat? No. The channel is not transmitted there; this is not a receiver firmware issue.
What about MBC Masr and MBC Masr 2? Those are Egyptian-focused separate channels, not versions of MBC 1 and they remain on Nilesat 201 (11823 V and 12015 V, see table above).
Freshness & sources
Verified 19 September 2026; frequencies are volatile, so re-check before committing hardware. Sources: LyngSat Nilesat 201 (updated 18 Sep 2026), KingOfSat (7°W and 8°W listings), SatExpat transponder & channel pages, and the Aug 2026 FreqNow MBC review. Conflict note: sources disagree on whether an encrypted MBC 1 feed still exists at 7°W we treat MBC 1 as not receivable free on Nilesat, which is what matters for tuning decisions.
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