Nilesat Frequencies for French Channels in 2026 (7°W): The Honest List

Skip the fluff — here’s the answer: Nilesat (7°W) does NOT carry TF1, France 2, or M6. That’s not a breakdown; that’s geometry. The main French TNT channels were never placed on Nilesat. What the position does carry is a small but real set of French-language channels you can tune for free — the most useful being TV5 Monde Maghreb-Orient — and those are the frequencies this guide verifies before you buy anything or move a dish.

All data below was cross-checked on 19 September 2026 against KingOfSat, LyngSat, FlySat, and satellite-tracker listings. Satellite transponders move without notice — check the sources listed at the end if something doesn’t lock.

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The reality check most Nilesat guides won’t give you

“7°W” is not one satellite. It’s three, all receivable with a single dish aimed at that orbital slot:

• Nilesat 201 (7.0°W) — 235+ channels
• Nilesat 301 (7.0°W) — colocated with Nilesat 201
• Eutelsat 7 West A (~7.3°W) — carries most of the FTA French-language content

When your receiver scans Nilesat, it doesn’t care which bird a transponder sits on — a blind scan over 10700–12750 MHz picks up all three. That’s why “French channel found on Nilesat” usually means it’s actually on Eutelsat 7 West A. None of that matters for tuning, but it explains why your channel list looks different from what the apps advertise.

The channels that are NOT there, confirmed today: TF1, France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, M6, Arte, W9, TMC. If you want the full TNT France lineup, jump to the Eutelsat 5 West B section below — that’s the satellite built for it.

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The quick answer: free French-language channels at 7°W

Channel	Transponder	What it is
TV5 Monde Maghreb-Orient	11900.30 V	The big one — French international TV, FTA
Berbère Télévision	11487.77 H	French channel, FTA, entertainment/culture
KTO	11602.85 H	French Catholic channel, FTA
Al Aoula Inter / Al Maghribia	11475.00 V	Moroccan state TV with French audio tracks
Canal Algérie HD / Chaîne 1 / Chaîne 2	11679.50 H	Algerian state channels, French audio tracks
Tunisia 2 HD	10872.60 V	Tunisian channel, French audio available
RIM Maroc	11158.00 V	Mauritanian channel, French audio

France 24 is present on this arc but only in its Arabic edition, and tracker listings disagree on its live transponder (11449 H vs 12168 V vs 12207 V depending on source) — a sign the feed moves. For France 24 in French, use the free stream at france24.com instead of chasing a moving transponder.

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Full verified frequency table (19 September 2026)

Channel	Satellite	Freq (MHz)	Pol	SR	FEC	Standard	Beam	Audio	Access
TV5 Monde Maghreb-Orient	Nilesat 201	11900.30	V	27500	5/6	DVB-S QPSK	Middle-East	Fra	FTA
2M Monde	Nilesat 201	11996.00	H	30000	3/4	DVB-S2 8PSK	Middle-East	Ara	FTA
Berbère Télévision	Eutelsat 7 West A	11487.77	H	27500	7/8	DVB-S QPSK	MENA	Fra	FTA
KTO	Eutelsat 7 West A	11602.85	H	27500	5/6	DVB-S QPSK	MENA	Fra	FTA
Tchad TV HD	Eutelsat 7 West A	11602.85	H	27500	5/6	DVB-S QPSK	MENA	Fra	FTA
RIM Maroc	Eutelsat 7 West A	11158.00	V	5000	9/10	DVB-S2 8PSK	NW Africa	Fra	FTA
Al Aoula Inter	Eutelsat 7 West A	11475.00	V	27500	3/4	DVB-S QPSK	NWA	Ara+Fra	FTA
Al Maghribia	Eutelsat 7 West A	11475.00	V	27500	3/4	DVB-S QPSK	NWA	Ara+Fra	FTA
Tunisia 2 HD	Eutelsat 7 West A	10872.60	V	27500	7/8	DVB-S QPSK	MENA	Ara+Fra	FTA
Canal Algérie HD	Eutelsat 7 West A	11679.50	H	27500	2/3	DVB-S2 8PSK	MENA	Ara+Fra	FTA
Chaîne 1 / Chaîne 2 (Algérie)	Eutelsat 7 West A	11679.50	H	27500	2/3	DVB-S2 8PSK	MENA	Fra	FTA
ENTV HD	Eutelsat 7 West A	11679.50	H	27500	2/3	DVB-S2 8PSK	MENA	Ara+Fra	BISS
beIN Sports 1 & 2 HD (France)	Eutelsat 7 West A	12245.40	V	27500	2/3	DVB-S2 8PSK	MENA	Fra	Encrypted

Two formatting notes for your receiver settings:

• DVB-S vs DVB-S2: Moroccan and older Algerian muxes are DVB-S (often MPEG-2 — check if your box handles both). The Algerian TDA mux at 11679.50 H is DVB-S2/8PSK.
• BISS: ENTV HD requires an official BISS key (EPTV broadcasts it on Algerian national TV and in the press). We don’t publish keys here.

Paid option: if you want French sport on 7°W, beIN Sports 1 & 2 (France edition, French commentary) sit at 12245.40 V under a beIN MENA subscription.

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How to tune these channels (the practical part)

1. Point your dish at 7.0°W. From northern Africa the dish faces roughly due south, slightly west of south, with elevation typically in the high 30s to low 40s degrees — get the exact values for your city from a satellite alignment calculator or a local technician. If you currently receive Qatari or Saudi channels, you’re close — beIN MENA on 7°W and Arabsat at 26°E are not far apart in the sky.
2. Run a blind scan from 10700 to 12750 MHz (horizontal and vertical, high and low LNB bands, symbol rates 5000 to 30000).
3. Filter by language: most French-audio channels above are flagged Fra or Ara+Fra in the EPG. French speakers in plusieurs pays will appreciate this feature.
4. Check your receiver’s codec support before relying on a specific transponder — the DVB-S2/8PSK muxes need a box that decodes H.264.
5. If a channel doesn’t lock: transponders move. Re-scan monthly, or check KingOfSat/LyngSat for the channel’s current slot.

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You want the FULL French lineup? That’s not Nilesat — that’s 5°W

The satellite that actually answers “all of French TNT from North Africa” is Eutelsat 5 West B at 5.0°W — the FRANSAT platform. Its Transalpine beam reaches North Africa, which is why it’s the standard setup for French channels in the Maghreb.

Two things you need to know about 5°W that the forums rarely say up front:

• It’s free-to-view, not free-to-air. You pay nothing monthly, but the platform is encrypted (VOACCESS/CA encryption) and requires an authorized FRANSAT receiver or CI+ module plus a one-time activation. Your no-name Nilesat box won’t unlock it.
• It carries the real TNT set — TF1, France 2/3/4/5, M6, Arte, TMC, W9 and the French UHD trial channels. For context, TF1 currently sits on the 11096.00 V slot there and a France 2–franceinfo multiplex on 11554 V — but exact slots move, and activation matters more than the frequency.

If you’re outside Europe and target Africa’s deeper south, check whether you’re inside the Transalpine footprint first — that beam’s edge coverage determines whether FRANSAT works for you at all.

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The free streaming fallback (no dish required)

If you only need a few French channels and don’t want to touch your dish:

• TV5MONDE — free streaming at tv5mondeplus.com
• France 24 — free live/on-demand at france24.com
• france.tv — France 2/3/5 replays and live (French IP required; a VPN solves that; see our best VPNs for streaming in 2026 guide)
• IPTV alternatives — if you’re already weighing subscriptions, compare IPTV vs cable honestly in our cost breakdown, and fix common IPTV buffering issues while you’re at it (a good VPN for IPTV helps a lot).

For legal options to watch French TV abroad including satellite+streaming comparisons, see our main French TV channels guide.

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FAQ

Does Nilesat have TF1 or France 2? No. None of the French TNT private channels broadcast on 7°W. For TF1/France 2 you need Eutelsat 5 West B (FRANSAT, 5°W) or the paid Canal+ package on Astra, or streaming with a VPN.

Why don’t I find French channels when I scan Nilesat? Three reasons: (1) your dish isn’t precisely on 7°W, (2) you skipped part of the 10700–12750 MHz band in the scan, or (3) your receiver can’t decode the DVB-S2/8PSK muxes where several French-audio channels live.

Is France 24 free on Nilesat? France 24 broadcasts its Arabic edition at 7°W. The French edition is best reached free via france24.com.

Nilesat 201 vs Nilesat 301 — which do I need? Neither — both share the 7.0°W slot, and a single blind scan of that position covers Nilesat 201, Nilesat 301, and Eutelsat 7 West A in one pass.

Can I get Canal+ or beIN in French on Nilesat? beIN Sports 1 & 2 (France edition) are at 12245.40 V under a beIN MENA subscription. Canal+ is not offered through Nilesat; in North Africa it’s the FRANSAT/Canal+ ecosystem at 5°W.

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