Created in 2009, it absorbed most of Canal Panda's 8-14 programming inventory, as well as new acquisitions, at a time when Canal Panda started to air mostly preschool content. The channel since 2021 airs live-action television series and movies, with no animated series on air. The animated programming moved to Panda Kids.
The channel is set to close on 4 May 2026, being replaced by the Portuguese version of VinTV.[1][2]
History
The services was initially set to be named Bute, later Biggs,[3] but was renamed Panda Biggs at the request of ERC.[4] ERC finally approved the license on 19 November 2009.[5]
It was launched on 1 December 2009 on the ZON platform. It was targeted to children and teens from ages 8 to 14. It aired live-action shows, films, anime and cartoon shows. It also absorbed some archived series from Canal Panda that catered an older demographic. It planned four national programs for 2010, and hoped that one of them, a magazine program, would already premiere in December.[6] Initially on digital cable, the channel launched on its analog service on 1 February 2010, replacing Cartoon Network, which became a digital-only channel after that date.[7]
The channel emerged when rival provider MEO announced the launch of SIC K, which Dreamia executives denied that its launch was noe MEO's answer to ZON's launch of Panda Biggs, even if SIC K catered the same demographic. Likewise, Dreamia aimed at launching the channel in Lusophone Africa.[8] The channel made it to ZAP when it launched in Angola in early 2010; by April of that year, negotiations to enter Mozambique were on the cards.[9]
On 21 June 2012, the channel launched on MEO, enabling its availability on all subscription television providers.[11]
On 1 June 2021, Dreamia launched another Portuguese TV channel targeted to children called Panda Kids. It airs almost mostly the anime and cartoon shows formerly aired on Biggs, including new ones and films, some formerly aired on Canal Panda. Initially it was supposed to be a pop-up channel, but due to the increase of the channel's target audience ratings, Dreamia decided to make it as a regular and permanent channel, while Biggs was refocused as a teen channel, primarily airing live-action series as its key content.[12][13][14]
Starting from 5 July 2023, the channel only airs live-action shows and films for teens and young adults.[15][16]
On February 19, 2026, Dreamia requested ERC to change the channel's content and name to VinTV, as the intended target audience for Biggs prefers to consume online platforms.[17]
On 6 and 27 November 2016, the channel censored a lesbian kiss in Sailor Moon Crystal, the cut was motivated as a "mere editorial option, although able of causing discordance". Fans reacted with protests and accused the channel of homophobia, causing it to temporarily suspend the series.[203]
An episode of Shin-chan where Hiroshi Nohara was in the hospital caused controversy among parents and educators due to a scene involving Shinnosuke Nohara being having his buttocks examined by three nurses.[204] The series ended up being a target of an ERC deliberation in April 2017,[205] in the next month, it was ruled out that Biggs was only allowed to air the series after the 10:30pm watershed.[206]
↑Pinheiro, Patricia (26 August 2022). "THEODOSIA". Biggs (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
↑Pinheiro, Patricia (20 February 2023). "DIÁRIOS DO VAMPIRO T1". Biggs (in European Portuguese).
↑Pinheiro, Patricia (13 July 2022). "MARTA & EVA". Biggs (in European Portuguese). Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
TDT: free-to-air on DTT – AC/MA: free-to-air on regional DTT
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