Television in Sri Lanka dates back to 1979. Television broadcasting, like other forms of media in the country, is generally divided along linguistic lines, with state and private media operators providing services in Sinhala, Tamil, and English languages.
Preliminary work was underway in the first half of the 1970s. Businessmen Anil Wijewardena and Shan Wickremasinghe established the country's first TV station, Independent Television Network, which started broadcasting on 15 April 1979. The new station remained independent for less than two months, as the government took control of it on 5 June 1979 following a dispute with President J. R. Jayewardene. Sri Lanka's second state-owned TV station, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), was established by the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act No. 6 of 1982 and started broadcasting on 15 February 1982. The Act required the SLRC to maintain taste and decency and not incite crime and disorder or cause religious or public offence.
The government maintained a monopoly on television broadcasting until 1992, when private TV stations were allowed to broadcast under regulation by the SLRC. Maharaja Television, a joint venture between Capital Maharaja and Singapore Telecommunications Limited, was one of the first private TV stations. Since then, many new TV stations have started in Sri Lanka, including satellite networks and pay-per-view networks. The national telecommunications provider Sri Lanka Telecom also launched an IPTV service in 2008.
During the 1990s and 2000s, multiple broadcasting networks entered the public frequencies. A privately owned company, Swarnawahini, launched in 1997 and still functions under the same brand name. Another major television channel, Derana, launched in 2005 and now has multiple broadcasting platforms, including radio, printed media, and a fully dedicated news channel called adaderana24X7.
Indian productions have been a constant on local television since the beginning, but around 2007, the predominantly Buddhist government taxed Indian series under the assertion that they conveyed foreign values, those of the Hindus.
Advertisers began to create separate commercials for Sinhala and Tamil audiences with their differing cultural norms. Two versions, one for each demographic, were filmed in the same complex and shot in adjacent studios.
Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, television has increased in use for distance education. A table has been created for children to find free study channels in Sri Lanka if they are unable to attend school.
The following is a list of current television providers based in Sri Lanka.
The following is a list of former television providers which were based in Sri Lanka.
The following is a list of current television stations based in Sri Lanka.
The following is a list of former television stations which were based in Sri Lanka.