UNITEL (UNIVERSAL DE TELEVISIÓN) is a Bolivian commercial television network headquartered in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. It was founded in 1987. It is owned by businessman Osvaldo Monasterio Nieme. The company broadcasts sports, entertainment, political programs, and daily news programs nationwide in the South American country. The channel has broadcasting rights for sporting events such as the Bolivian Professional Football League and the World Cup since 2002. However, no league matches are broadcast live, but sold through streaming rights in Bolivia. It broadcast several beauty projects, such as Miss Santa Cruz, Miss Bolivia, Reina Hispanoamericana, Miss Universe and Miss World from 2001 to 2017. Since 2006, Unitel began broadcasting 24 hours of daily programming. In mid-2013 it became the first Bolivian television station to broadcast, with its own production, an international format of the production company Endemol, Yo Me Llamo Bolivia. Since August 2014, the channel broadcasts the youth program specialized in TVN Chile license games, called Calle7 Bolivia. In 2018, the channel acquired the transmission licenses for Bolivia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup matches. From 2 April 2018, the channel launched its own high-definition signal within the digital terrestrial television system under test, until 15 April, when it began broadcasting with the name of Unitel HD. History The channel originates from the purchase of ABC by "Illimani de Comunicaciones" and its subsequent sale to Tito Asbún, owner of Taquiña. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Illimani de Comunicaciones terminated the contract with the Monasterio family, beginning to operate through Channel 5. After several negotiations, the Monasterio group kept the shares of Telesistema Boliviano in La Paz and Oruro. In April 1996, Unitel began broadcasting the CONMEBOL France 98 Qualifiers where it broadcast the away matches of the Bolivian Soccer Team against the teams of Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina live for all of Bolivia, as well as the Monasterio family channel broadcast the three games of those South American qualifiers for France '98 also live for all of Bolivia. In September 1997, the channel was officially launched via satellite and shortly thereafter it obtained national coverage. Today, it is considered one of the largest privately owned television networks in Bolivia. From April 2, 2018, the channel launched its own high-definition signal within the Bolivian digital terrestrial television system in the test phase, until April 15, when broadcasts officially started under the name of Unitel HD.