Spanish Channels in McAllen and the Valley: Univision, Telemundo, Reynosa and Matamoros

US Spanish channels in McAllen and the Valley

Univision and Telemundo each have a full-power station in the Valley, and UniMás reaches viewers on two channels.

Channel	Network	Station	Notes
48.1	Univision	KNVO, McAllen	Entravision; tower near Donna; "KNVO Noticias 48"
48.2, 32.1	UniMás	KNVO and KTFV-CD	Same network on two numbers
48.3	LATV	KNVO	Bilingual music and entertainment
40.1	Telemundo	KTLM, Rio Grande City	Telemundo-owned; repeaters in McAllen, Harlingen and Weslaco
40.2	TeleXitos	KTLM	Classic Spanish-language series and movies

Univision's KNVO signed on October 12, 1992, and Entravision has owned it since 1997. Telemundo's KTLM went on the air August 1, 1999, taking the network from a Mexican station whose signal barely reached the western Valley. Details from the RabbitEars Harlingen market list and station records, checked October 19, 2026.

The Mexican stations, by city

About ten Mexican stations from Reynosa, Matamoros and nearby towns reach the Valley over the air. They use the same ATSC digital format as US TV, so they show up in any normal channel scan.

Channel	Network	Station	City
1.1	Azteca Uno	XHREY	Reynosa
9.1	Las Estrellas	XERV	Reynosa
13.1	Imagen TV	XHCTRM	Reynosa
1.1	Azteca Uno	XHMTA	Matamoros
6.1 to 6.4	Multimedios, Milenio TV, CCTV Spanish, MVS TV	XHVTV	Matamoros
7.1	Azteca 7 ("El Siete")	XHOR	Matamoros
8.1	Televisa "Vallevisión"	XHAB	Matamoros
2.1, 2.2	Las Estrellas, Canal 5	XHTAM	Santa Rosa, Tamaulipas
14.1	Canal Catorce	XHCPCE	Public network

Reynosa or Matamoros: it depends where you live

McAllen-area homes get the Reynosa stations best, and Brownsville homes get Matamoros best. Harlingen and Weslaco sit in between and usually catch some of each. The FCC's DTV reception map covers only US stations, so for the Mexican ones a test scan is the real answer.

• McAllen, Pharr, Mission and Edinburg: Reynosa is just across the river to the south. Expect strong Azteca Uno 1.1, Las Estrellas 9.1 and Imagen TV 13.1. Point the antenna south.
• Brownsville: Matamoros is right across the river. Multimedios 6.1, Azteca 7 on 7.1 and Vallevisión 8.1 come in strongly, and Azteca Uno arrives from XHMTA.
• Harlingen and Weslaco: about 20 to 40 miles from each border city. Weslaco sits closer to Reynosa and Harlingen closer to Matamoros, so an outdoor antenna pointed south works best.

Our city guides for Brownsville and Harlingen show the distances to each tower cluster.

Two Las Estrellas, two Azteca Unos

The Valley can receive Las Estrellas on two channels and Azteca Uno on two stations with the same number.

• Las Estrellas on 9.1 and 2.1. XERV in Reynosa carries it on 9.1, and RabbitEars notes that station as aimed at the US audience. XHTAM carries it on 2.1, noted as aimed at Mexico, along with Canal 5 on 2.2.
• Azteca Uno on 1.1, twice. XHREY in Reynosa and XHMTA in Matamoros both use 1.1. A TV that picks up both lists two 1.1 channels; keep the clearer one.

If a channel number seems to change programming between rooms, it's often a different station on the same number. A fresh scan, followed by hiding the weaker duplicate, cleans that up.

Valley-made Spanish TV

A few Valley stations make bilingual or Spanish programming of their own.

• Somos el Valle, KRGV 5.2: a bilingual independent channel from ABC station KRGV.
• KNVO Noticias 48: Univision's local Spanish-language news for the Valley.
• Telemundo 40 news, produced from KTLM's McAllen studios.
• TeleFrontera, 28.1: a Spanish-language independent on low-power KJST-LD in McAllen.
• Vallevisión, 8.1: Televisa's Matamoros station, with local news for both sides of the river.

Fútbol on Valley TV

Liga MX is all over the Valley dial, split between US Spanish networks and Mexican stations. In the US, matches air on Univision and TUDN, Telemundo and Universo, and FOX Deportes, depending on each club's deal. In Mexico, TV Azteca and Televisa networks carry many matches, and their Reynosa and Matamoros stations reach the Valley.

The Mexican national team's games often appear on both sides, so a Valley viewer can sometimes pick the Spanish commentary they like best. Listings change match by match, so check before kickoff. NFL fans can find Monday Night Football in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.

Paid Spanish TV, priced

Paid Spanish packages in the Valley cost $14.99 to $75 a month, and none carries the Reynosa or Matamoros stations.

Option	Price	Notes
YouTube TV Spanish Plus	$14.99 a month	Add-on to a YouTube TV plan
Spectrum TV Latino	$25 a month, first year	Needs Spectrum Internet
DirecTV MiEspañol	$37.99 a month	60+ channels
Spectrum Stream TV Latino Más	$75 a month, first year	English and Spanish, with ViX Premium
IPTVZ, 12 months	$74.99 a year	Includes Reynosa and Matamoros sections

Prices from tv.youtube.com, spectrum.com and directv.com, checked October 17 to 19, 2026. Our guide to leaving Spectrum in McAllen and Brownsville prices a full switch.

Reynosa and Matamoros on IPTV

IPTVZ carries both Mexican border cities as their own sections, so a McAllen family can watch Matamoros and a Brownsville family can watch Reynosa.

Count the feeds in our October 16, 2026 panel export and you get 28 tagged Reynosa and 23 tagged Matamoros. Among them: Las Estrellas, Las Estrellas Regional, Vallevisión, Canal 5, Azteca 7, Imagen TV, Canal 22, Once TV and Canal 4 Televisa Monterrey. The panel also has Univision 48 KNVO, and the rest of the catalogue adds Telemundo KTLM, Galavisión, NBC Universo, TUDN, FOX Deportes and ESPN Deportes.

It's the easy way to get the far side of the Valley's Mexican dial, which no antenna reaches well. Our guide to IPTV in the Rio Grande Valley covers speed and setup.

For the English side of the Valley dial, see our Rio Grande Valley TV stations guide. El Paso has its own border lineup from Ciudad Juárez, covered in Spanish and Mexican TV in El Paso.

Spanish TV in the Valley FAQ

What channel is Univision in McAllen?

Univision is KNVO, channel 48.1, licensed to McAllen with its tower near Donna. UniMás is on 48.2 and on 32.1.

What channel is Telemundo in the Rio Grande Valley?

Look for 40.1. KTLM transmits from Starr County, far up the river, so the eastern Valley mostly receives it through relay stations.

Can I get Mexican channels in McAllen with an antenna?

Yes. The Reynosa stations reach McAllen strongly, including Azteca Uno on 1.1, Las Estrellas on 9.1 and Imagen TV on 13.1. Point the antenna south.

What is Vallevisión?

Vallevisión is Televisa's local station in Matamoros, XHAB on channel 8.1. It's strongest in Brownsville and carries local news for both sides of the border.

Why do I see two channel 1.1s?

Both Azteca Uno stations, XHREY in Reynosa and XHMTA in Matamoros, use 1.1. Keep the one with the clearer picture.

What is Somos el Valle?

It's the second channel of ABC station KRGV, found on 5.2, with programming in both English and Spanish.

The short version

• On the US side, KNVO and KTLM anchor the dial, with UniMás doubled up on 48.2 and 32.1.
• McAllen gets Reynosa's stations best; Brownsville gets Matamoros's.
• Las Estrellas runs on 9.1 and 2.1, and Azteca Uno appears twice on 1.1.
• No paid US package includes the Mexican border stations.
• IPTVZ carries Reynosa and Matamoros sections in its $74.99 yearly plan.

The Valley's Spanish dial is generous if your antenna points the right way. For the other side of the border city too, start the IPTVZ free trial and pick an IPTVZ plan when it fits.