MTV Max is a Finnish pay television channel owned and operated by MTV Oy. The channel started broadcasting in November 2006 and was originally dedicated to F1 coverage.

History

As MTV3+

In November 2002, MTV3 announced the launch of a digital-only channel named MTV3+ focusing mobile games and soap opera re-runs. They were granted a terrestrial mini-license and most of Finland's cable operators carried it.

The channel got a full license in January 2004 and with its possibilities, Formula 1, ice hockey's SM-liiga, Finnish Floorball League, boxing, ski jumping, alpine skiing and some other sports broadcasts were added to the channel's programming. But at the same time, the channel partially turned into a pay-TV channel with a one-time fee of €20 (for Formula 1 & SM-liiga, there was also an extra fee of €70 each). MTV3 used the old mini-license of MTV3+ to create another channel, MTV3+ Extra, which showed overtime periods of SM-liiga matches.

The channel did not focus solely on sports: movies, court sessions and live coverage of reality series were added, while the most notable broadcast was the Tony Halme drug trial in 2004.

Relaunch as MTV3 Max

On 1 November 2006, 4 years from the channel's beginning, MTV3+ was quit with a very small notice of 28 hours. The channel got replaced by four new pay-TV channels, MTV3 MAX, MTV3 Fakta, Sub Leffa and Sub Juniori.

Sports programming

Motorsports

• Formula One

• GP2

• GP3

• Top Gear

• Documentaries branded as MAX.doc

• MotoGP

• Moto2

• Moto3

Ice hockey

• Ice Hockey World Championships

Ski sports

• FIS Cross-Country World Cup

• FIS Ski Jumping World Cup

• FIS Nordic Combined World Cup

• FIS Alpine Ski World Cup

Other programming

Talk shows

• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

• Late Show with David Letterman

Comedy

• The Office

• The Benny Hill Show

Reality

• Dhani Tackles the Globe

• Hell's Kitchen

• Scrapheap Challenge

Fictional

• 24

MTV3's Formula One Team

• Niki Juusela - Current race commentary for live broadcasts from 2017.

• Oskari Saari - Race commentary for live broadcasts from 2004 to 2016. Matti Kyllönen has previously provided commentary for the hour-long race summary shown on MTV3.

• Erkki Mustakari - Reporter and interviewer as well as occasional co-commentator with Saari (such as replacing Jyrki Järvilehto in 2010).

• Mervi Kallio - On-track reporter and interviewer for races. Also occasional commentator for Friday practice sessions.

• Mika Salo - Saari's new co-commentator in 2011.

• Ossi Oikarinen - co-commentator since 2013.

• Toni Vilander - co-commentator since 2014.

MTV3's Ice Hockey team

• Antero Mertaranta - Commentator, he commentary every Finnish hockey team game.

• Mika Saukkonen - Commentator.

• Juha Taivainen - Commentator

• Juhani Tamminen - Co-commentator.

• Hannu Aravirta - Co-commentator.

• Pasi Nurminen - Co-commentator.

• Tero Lehterä - Co-commentator.

• Teemu Niikko - Reporter.

• Toni Immonen - Reporter.

MTV3's Ski sports team

Cross-Country

• Antero Mertaranta - Commentator.

• Toni Roponen - Co-commentator.

Ski jumping

• Jani Uotila - Commentator.

• Toni Nieminen - Co-commentator.

Nordic combined

• Mika Saukkonen - Commentator.

• Jani Rajalin - Commentator.

• Hannu Manninen - Co-commentator.

Alpine skiing

• Antti Haajanen - Commentator.

• Sami Uotila - Co-commentator.

MTV3's MotoGP team

• Marko Terva-aho - Commentator.

• Mika Kallio - Co-commentator.

• Matti Kiiveri - Co-commentator.

• Vesa Kallio - Co-commentator.

References