simulcast
Americanverb
noun
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.
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.
The results programme will be simulcast on BBC Radio Scotland from 10:00 to 13:00, and from 13:30 to 18:00.
From BBC • May 7, 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
Instead the Kings told Nickson, their longtime radio voice, they wanted him to simulcast the radio and TV calls.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 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.
