Archive:List of channels on PrimeStar (September 1996)
This page is the PrimeStar channel guide, listing all available channels on the PrimeStar channel lineup from September 1996.
PrimeStar launched in 1991 and shut down in 2000 after having been acquired by DirecTV the year prior.
This list does not demonstrate channel packages or genre.
Lineup
| # | Logo | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
HBO | |
| 2 |  |
HBO 2 | Later renamed HBO Plus before returning to HBO2 name. As of 2025, renamed as HBO Hits. |
| 3 |  |
HBO 3 | Later renamed as HBO Signature with a focus on female-led roles, documentaries, and classic films. As of 2025, renamed as HBO Drama. |
| 7 |  |
Cinemax | |
| 8 |  |
Cinemax 2 | Later renamed MoreMax. As of 2025, renamed as Cinemax Hits |
| 13 |  |
TV Japan | English feed |
| 14 | Japanese feed | ||
| 27 |  |
Starz! | |
| 31 |  |
Westerns | Later renamed as Encore Westerns and again as Starz Encore Westerns. |
| 32 |  |
Mystery | Later renamed as Encore Mysteries and again as Starz Encore Mysteries. |
| 33 |  |
Encore | As of 2025, renamed as Starz Encore. |
| 34 |  |
The Disney Channel | East Coast feed |
| 35 | West Coast feed | ||
| 40 |  |
The Golf Channel | |
| 47 |  |
C-SPAN | |
| 48 |  |
CNBC | Occasional service; now and again, airing financial and business news. |
| 49 |  |
The Weather Channel | Now and again, airing weather forecasts, weather news and analysis. Expanded to documentaries and other weather-related programming. |
| 50 |   |
CNNfn/CNN International | CNNfn broadcasted financial and business news. Network defunct as of December 2004. CNN International broadcasts international and worldwide headlines. Still operational to this day. (Split channel, hours of operation unknown.) |
| 51 |  |
CNN | Now and again airing news and documentaries. |
| 52 |  |
Headline News | Originally a 24/7 news channel. Now renamed as HLN with limited news and focus on true crime programming. (Split channel, Hours of operation unknown.) |
| Ingenius News Service | News data service (Split channel, Hours of operation unknown.) | ||
| 55 |  |
Prevue Channel | Later renamed as TV Guide Channel, TV Guide Network, TVGN, and currently Pop. (The scrolling guide which made this channel legendary have been discontinued from most systems as late as 2015) |
| 58 |  |
TNT | Originally a general entertainment network. Now focused on drama series and movies. |
| 59 |  |
Turner Classic Movies | Now and again, airing classic theatrical releases. |
| 60 |  |
Nick at Nite's TV Land | Later known as simply TV Land. Originally a companion to Nick at Nite and originally a classic TV network, TV Land now airs more recent off-network sitcoms as well as original sitcoms. |
| 63 |  |
TBS Superstation | Originally a superstation to WTBS channel 17 in Atlanta, it is now a comedy-focused network known as simply TBS. |
| 65 |  |
Discovery Channel | |
| 66 |  |
The Learning Channel | Originally an education and how-to format, the channel pivoted to personality-driven reality series and documentaries now known as simply TLC. |
| 68 |  |
A&E Network | Originally focused on arts and entertainment, the network currently focuses on reality shows and caught-on-camera programming. |
| 70 |  |
USA Network | |
| 71 |  |
Sci-Fi Channel | As of 2009, it is rebranded as Syfy. |
| 72 |  |
The Family Channel | Later known as Fox Family, then ABC Family, and as of 2016, pivoted to general entertainment as Freeform. |
| 73 |  |
Cartoon Network | |
| 74 |   |
Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite | |
| 75 |  |
E! Entertainment | Originally focused on entertainment news, pop culture, and celebrity gossip; it is a pop-culture leaning general entertainment network as simply E!. |
| 76 |  |
Lifetime | |
| 77 |  |
The Nashville Network (TNN) | Originally focused on country music and the southern lifestyle, it pivoted to general entertainment as The National Network, The New TNN, Spike, and as of 2018, Paramount Network. |
| 78 |  |
Country Music Television (CMT) | Originally focused on country music and the genre's music videos, the network pivoted to reality shows centering around the southern lifestyle as well as acquired series now simply known as CMT. |
| 80 |  |
MTV: Music Television | Originally focused on music videos, music news, and concerts, the network pivoted to reality series, lifestyle shows, and original series attracting teens and young adults as simply MTV. |
| 83 |  |
Faith & Values Channel | Originally a religious network, it was renamed the Odyssey Network and pivoted to family-friendly programming. The network is now known as Hallmark Channel with relatively the same format as Odyssey. |
| 84 |  |
QVC | Occasional service |
| 111 |  |
NBC | WHDH-TV 7, licensed to Boston, MA |
| 112 |  |
ABC | WSB-TV 2, licensed to Atlanta, GA |
| 117 |  |
CBS | WUSA 9, licensed to Washington, DC |
| 120 |  |
Fox | KTVU 2, licensed to Oakland, CA |
| 124 |  |
PBS | WHYY-TV 12, licensed to Wilmington, DE |
| 131 |  |
ESPN | |
| 133 |  |
ESPN2 | |
| 137 |  |
Classic Sports Network | Occasional service; later renamed as ESPN Classic, maintaining a classic sports format as before. The network is defunct as of December 31, 2021. |
| 138 | Mega+1 | Unknown | |
| 141 |  |
New England Sports Network (NESN) | |
| 142 |  |
Madison Square Garden Network | Often shortened to MSG Network. |
| 143 |  |
Empire Sports Network | Defunct as of 2005. |
| 144 |  |
Prime Sports KBL | The channel was rebranded as Root Sports Pittsburgh in 2011, and then AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh in 2017. It currently operates as SportsNet Pittsburgh. |
| 145 |  |
Home Team Sports | Renamed as Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic in 2011 and again as NBC Sports Washington in 2017. It now operates as Monumental Sports Network. |
| 146 |  |
SportSouth | Renamed as Fox Sports Net South, then Bally Sports South in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network South in 2024. |
| 147 |  |
Sunshine Network | Renamed as Sun Sports in 2005, Fox Sports Sun in 2015, then Bally Sports Sun in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network Sun in 2024. |
| 148 |  |
PASS Sports | Full name: Pro-Am Sports System. Defunct as of November 1997. |
| 152 |  |
Prime Sports Midwest | Renamed as Fox Sports Net Midwest, then Bally Sports Midwest in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network Midwest in 2024. |
| 153 |  |
Prime Sports Rocky Mountain | Renamed as Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain, then Root Sports Rocky Mountain in 2011, and again to AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain in 2017. The network is now defunct as of 2023. |
| 154 |  |
Prime Sports Southwest | Renamed as Fox Sports Net Southwest, then Bally Sports Southwest in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network Southwest in 2024. |
| 155 |  |
Prime Sports Intermountain West | Renamed as Fox Sports Net Utah, then Root Sports Utah in 2011. Merged into AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain in 2017. |
| 156 |  |
Prime Sports Northwest | Renamed as Fox Sports Net Northwest, then Root Sports Northwest in 2011. Defunct as of January 1, 2026. |
| 158 |  |
Prime Sports West | Renamed as Fox Sports Net West, then Bally Sports West in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network West in 2024. |
| 159 |  |
Midwest Sports Channel | Renamed as Fox Sports Net North, then Bally Sports North in 2021, and again to FanDuel Sports Network North in 2024. |
| 181 |  |
HBO en Español | Defunct with shutdown of Primestar, replaced indirectly by HBO Latino. |
| 182 | HBO 2 en Español | ||
| 183 | HBO 3 en Español | ||
| 187 |  |
Cinemax Selecciones en Español | |
| 188 | Cinemax 2 Selecciones en Español | ||
| 190 |  |
Univision | |
| 201 |  |
Viewer's Choice | Renamed as iNDEMAND beginning in 2000. The channel is defunct as of 2025, but channel space is occupied by Fandango At Home or similar PPV services. |
| 202 |  |
Request TV 1 | Channel is defunct as of 1998. |
| 203 | Request TV 5 | Channel is defunct as of 1998. | |
| 204 |  |
Hot Choice | Operated similarly to sister service Viewer's Choice/iNDEMAND, pivoted to softcore adult programming in 2001. The channel is defunct as of 2025 along with iNDEMAND. |
| 205 |  |
Continuous Hits 1 | Operated similarly to Viewer's Choice, it offered one movie at all times of the day for a week-long period, as opposed to the mix of films, sports and events. Folded into iNDEMAND in 2000. The channel is defunct as of 2025, but channel space is occupied by Fandango At Home or similar PPV services. |
| 206 | Continuous Hits 2 | Occasional service; Operated similarly to Viewer's Choice, it offered one movie at all times of the day for a week-long period, as opposed to the mix of films, sports and events. Folded into iNDEMAND in 2000. The channel is defunct as of 2025, but channel space is occupied by Fandango At Home or similar PPV services. | |
| 207 | Continuous Hits 3 | Operated similarly to Viewer's Choice, it offered one movie at all times of the day for a week-long period, as opposed to the mix of films, sports and events. Folded into iNDEMAND in 2000. The channel is defunct as of 2025, but channel space is occupied by Fandango At Home or similar PPV services. | |
| 208 | |
Request TV 2 | Channel is defunct as of 1998. |
| 209 | Request TV 3 | Channel is defunct as of 1998. | |
| 210 | Request TV 4 | Channel is defunct as of 1998. | |
| 221 |  |
Playboy TV | Occasional service |
| 301 |  |
Superadio – Classical Hits | |
| 302 | Superadio – America's Country Favorites | ||
| 303 | Superadio – Lite 'n' Lively Rock | ||
| 304 | Superadio – Soft Sounds | ||
| 305 | Superadio – Classic Collections | ||
| 306 | Superadio – New Age of Jazz | ||
| 311 |  |
Digital Music Express – Lite Jazz | |
| 312 | Digital Music Express – Classic Rock | ||
| 313 | Digital Music Express – '70s Oldies | ||
| 314 | Digital Music Express – Adult Contemporary | ||
| 315 | Digital Music Express – Hottest Hits | ||
| 316 | Digital Music Express – Modern Country | ||
| 317 | Digital Music Express – Traditional Blues | ||
| 318 | Digital Music Express – Salsa | ||
| 527 | Testing channel |