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Synonyms

simulcast

American  
[sahy-muhl-kast, ‑-kahst, sim-uhl‑] / ˈsaɪ məlˌkæst, ‑ˌkɑst, ˈsɪm əl‑ /

noun

  1. a program broadcast simultaneously on radio and television, or on more than one station, or in several languages, etc.

  2. a closed-circuit television broadcast of an event, as a horse race, while it is taking place.

verb (used with or without object)

simulcast, simulcasted, simulcasting

  1. to broadcast in this manner.

simulcast British  
/ ˈsɪməlˌkɑːst /

verb

  1. (tr) to broadcast (a programme, etc) simultaneously on radio and television

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a programme, etc, so broadcast

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of simulcast

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; simul(taneous) + (broad)cast

Explanation

When a program is shown on two TV channels at the same time, or simultaneously on TV and radio, that's a simulcast. Another kind of simulcast is a live broadcast. You can call a station's broadcast of the Superbowl or the Academy Awards a simulcast, although this is a newer way to use this word. It was coined in the 1940s, during the early days of television, from a portmanteau (or blend) of simultaneous and broadcast, specifically describing shows broadcast on radio and TV at the same time. If a concert is aired on two radio stations at once, that's also a simulcast.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Michelle Yu, an on-air simulcast host at the Santa Anita Park race track, confirms that many of the Zodiac Horse characteristics are akin to qualities of real horses.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

On top of that Amazon has reportedly paid for a stunning $35 million marketing campaign including television commercials, billboards and a simulcast in 25 theaters at the same time as Thursday's premiere.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

The broadcast will be simulcast in multiple languages.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025

Thirteen marquee UFC events and 30 fight nights will be televised on the Paramount+ streaming platform, with some events also planned to simulcast on CBS.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 12, 2025

Then I’d listen to them in simulcast on the radio, and they would all have black American accents.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.