Provided are an image display apparatus and an operation method thereof. The image display apparatus includes a display, a memory, and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the image display apparatus to perform a first channel search comprising searching for one or more channels in which a signal exists as a background operation, while simultaneously performing at least one of initial setting operations of the image display apparatus, to perform a channel search condition setting operation among the initial setting operations to obtain a channel search condition, in response to the channel search condition being obtained through the channel search condition setting operation, to perform a second channel search comprising searching for at least one channel receivable by the image display apparatus from among the channels obtained by the first channel search, based on the obtained channel search condition, and display a result of the second channel search on the display.