TDTChannels
TDTChannels is a community-driven platform that allows users to discover and watch Spanish free-to-air TV channels and listen to radio streams online, legally and at no cost.
The platform focuses on providing a simple and reliable way to access public broadcasts over the internet, without ads, paywalls, or proprietary ecosystems. It is actively maintained and evolves based on both user feedback and changes in broadcasters’ streaming availability.
At its core, TDTChannels is powered by an open-source database published on GitHub, where the community can propose new streams or updates. All submissions are reviewed and validated before being published, ensuring quality, consistency, and legal compliance.
TDTChannels operates at production scale and serves thousands of users on a daily basis. Around the platform, an active community has formed, particularly through its Telegram channel, where users share feedback, report issues, and discuss updates.
Web Platform
The web version of TDTChannels is implemented as a client-side application built with React and GoHugo, designed to be lightweight, fast, and easy to use across devices. The application consumes the curated channel data (via our architecture and backend) and runs entirely in the browser.
Although the web client itself is closed source, its behavior and logic can be inspected in the browser, as all execution happens on the client side.
Android App
TDTChannels is also available as a native Android application, providing a tailored experience for mobile devices and Android TV (including SmartTVs and FireTV devices).
In addition to consuming the main channel list, the app includes a custom discovery mechanism to surface additional legally available streams. The Android app is actively maintained and distributed through official channels.
Earlier versions of the app were open source; the last public release remains available on GitHub for reference, while the current version is maintained as a closed-source application.
Architecture & Infrastructure
In addition to the client applications, TDTChannels relies on a small, purpose-built backend service implemented in Python, responsible for serving a curated and validated JSON feed consumed by both the web and Android clients.
This lightweight backend acts as a stable integration layer between the open-source database and the different client applications, allowing controlled updates, validation, and distribution of the data without exposing the raw source directly.
The platform is delivered behind Cloudflare and served through Nginx, providing caching, basic protection, and reliable content delivery. This setup allows TDTChannels to remain simple in its architecture while being robust enough to handle production traffic and daily usage spikes.