The domestic broadcast units of 21st Century Fox jointly operated Fox International Channels until 2016 when its units were absorbed into this division. This domestic unit (FIC) consisted of Fox Television Group, Fox Cable Networks, Fox Sports Media Group, Fox News Group, National Geographic Partners and Fox Networks Digital Consumer Group. Following the completed acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company on March 20, 2019, the units making up the Fox Networks Group were dispersed into both the division's parent company's successor, Fox Corporation and Disney. Disney then revived the Walt Disney Television name previously used for their former television production company for their networks division at the time known as Disney–ABC Television Group to and retooled its international networks division previously known as Disney International Operations (later renamed latter as Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, then Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution) to absorb the non-U.S. units. Walt Disney Television changed name to Disney General Entertainment Content in 2021, DMED was dissolved in 2023 and the units of the latter got transferred to Disney's latest division, Disney Entertainment, with the channels being subsequently rebranded as either FX or the Star Channel while being taken over by Disney's international regional subsidiaries. The last Fox channel rebranding was in Spain on March 11, 2024.
History
Formation and expansion
Logo used by U.S. subsidiary of Fox Networks Group; FNG's international units used an alternative logo with the "Fox" wordmark colored in orangeFox International Channels logo used from 2007 to 2010Fox International Channels logo used from 2010 to 2012Fox International Channels logo used from 2014 to 2016
Australian-born American media magnate Rupert Murdoch purchased Hong Kong commercial broadcasting company Star TV in 1993 to launch Fox International Channels as the unit for the international expansion of the American Fox TV channel and subsequent multimedia businesses owned at the time by his company News Corporation.[1][2] Murdoch later retooled and rebranded Star TV as Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific (later Disney Networks Group Asia Pacific). In 1997, Fox International Channels purchased NHNZ, a producer of documentaries, which had a stake in Singapore-based Beach House Pictures.[3]
FIC entered the Spanish market with the launch of Fox in 2001, followed by National Geographic Channel, Fox Crime and Fox Life on.[4]
In January 2004, the FX289 channel for UK and Ireland was launched, later rebranded as FX as it moved to Sky EPG in April 2005.[5] The channel was rebranded as Fox on January 11, 2013.[6]
In early 2006, FIC formed a production company called Fox Toma 1 with Argentine content producer Ernesto Sandler. FIC purchased a majority interest in Colombian television production company Telecolombia in June 2007 and renaming it Fox Telecolombia, to boost Spanish-language original shows for Latin America and the US, although Fox Telecolombia would still provide American channel Telefutura (now UniMás) and Colombian channel Canal RCN with programming.[7] In September 2007, FIC purchased a majority share in the international operations of Israeli channel BabyTV with the founders retaining their original business.[8][9]
Argentinian lifestyle channel Utilisima, launched in 1996, was sold to Fox International Channels in 2007, who launched an American feed of the channel on May 10, 2010 (later renamed Fox Life US).[10] The channel went global in 2008, with the addition of a Portuguese feed (which later rebranded as the Portuguese Fox Life channel),[11] and ended up being distributed across Latin America, Canada, Spain, New Zealand and Australia and the United States. The US version of the channel launched in May 2010. In 2013, it was rebranded as MundoFox and stopped being available internationally outside of Latin America (excluding Brazil). In July 2017, it was rebranded as Nat Geo Kids. Its Brazilian feed was launched separately on October of that same year.
National Geographic Channels International attempted to launch new sister channels in in India, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Adventure, Nat Geo Music and Nat Geo HD, by making them available to the market in May 2008.[12] Fox International Channels relaunched the Nat Geo channels again along with FX, Fox Crime and BabyTV to add to its existing Fox History (later renamed Fox Life India) and the main Nat Geo channel in June 2010.[13]
In January 2008, Fox International Channels purchased a controlling stake in Real Estate TV (RETV), a UK property-themed channel.[14] In April 2008, FIC launched Fox Next in Portugal, on Meo's Meo Mix package. Fox Next targets audiences between the ages from 25 to 44 and is programmed with films and TV shows with thematic primetime and weekday blocks.[15] On March 8, 2008, FIC and Rotana Media Services launched Fox Movies and Fox Series channels in the Middle East market in order to cater to the Arab world and audience to feature American television shows in region.[16][17] Fox then purchased a stake in Rotana in a joint venture agreed with Disney to carry its content and that of ABC for 4 years.[18] With Abu Dhabi Media Company in July 2009, FIC started National Geographic Abu Dhabi Channel.[17] In mid-2008, Fox Broadcasting and 20th Century Fox Television formed Fox Inkubation, a joint initiative for new animation talent that would allow them to produce two minute shorts as pilots for new series. Fox TV had concurrently started its animation division 20th Century Fox Television Animation with Jennifer Howell, the same executive heading up both Inkubation and Fox TV Animation with Inkubation later being discontinued in 2012, as plans for a late night animation block moved forward and none of its projects got on the air with Howell exiting Fox at the end of her contract in May 2013.[19]
FIC launched the Fox Life channel in 2004 and in swathes of time periods in Italy, the Balkans, Bulgaria, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Turkey. The channel was available in its originality in Greece with Greek dub on December 1, 2008.[20]
An independent sales and marketing agency was set up in Tallinn, Estonia in June 2009. In March 2011, a Baltic regional office was set up in Tallinn with the independent marketing agency owner, Karoli Kindriks, as regional manager reporting to Ase Ytreland, Managing Director of Fox International Channels for Nordic & Baltic Region.[21]
On August 19, 2009, News Corporation announced that it would reorganize their Asia-Pacific subsidiary Star TV in Hong Kong. Star TV was split into Star India and Star Greater China. A few of such arrangements were that the original Star TV company would take over representation of FIC's channels in the region from NGC Network Asia, LLC and Star itself would transform into a regional operation of Fox International Channels. Meanwhile, Star India would handle Fox-branded channels in India.[22][23][24]
In early March 2010, Fox International Channels agreed to move its Middle East and North Africa market channels' operations from Hong Kong and other locations to an Abu Dhabi facility. Its NHNZ subsidiary would also open a production office in Abu Dhabi. Fox would also establish its Middle East operations, a global online ad network business,.[17] In May 2010, FIC purchased a stake in Aquavision, a Johannesburg, South Africa production company, to be managed by NHNZ.[3][25]
In June 2010, FIC and Jan Dekker Holdings formed a joint venture to operate 24Kitchen in the Dutch market.[26] On September 1, 2011, Fox Channels Benelux launched 24Kitchen on UPC in the Netherlands, in partnership with Jan Dekker Holdings. It was later launched on other television channel/network providers on October 1, 2011.[27]
In April 2011, FIC Nordic launched Fox Crime in Norway.[28] Finnish free-to-air TV channel, Suomi TV, was acquired by FIC on January 18, 2012.[29] and then rebranded as Fox in April 2012, expanding the channel's air time to 12 hours while adding FIC's co-produced series The Walking Dead along with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution, National Geographic Channel and 24Kitchen content.[28]
On July 1, 2011, Fox Movies was made available in Portugal on pay TV services and Angola and Mozambique on free-to-air TV.[30] On October 27, 2011, FIC purchased Spanish travel television channel Viajar, from PRISA.[31]
On January 23, 2012, FIC and RCN Televisión announced that they would launch a new Spanish-language terrestrial television network named MundoFox in the United States as a joint venture.[32] The network was formally launched on August 13 that year.[33] Fox exited the joint venture in 2015,[34] and the channel was renamed as MundoMax on July 28 that year,[35][36] before it ceased operations on November 30, 2016.[37][38]
In May 2012, Fox International Channels Latin America announced that it would acquire MGM's share in LAPTV,[39] which operated The Film Zone, Cinecanal and Moviecity. In October 2013, FIC purchased Paramount's shares in LAPTV to become the sole owner.[40] LAPTV's businesses were later folded into FIC Latin America and Moviecity was relaunched as Fox+ in November 2014.
Former Fox Networks Group president David Haslingden's Racat Group purchased New Zealand-based documentaries production company NHNZ and its sister company, Singapore-based Beach House Pictures, in October 2012 from Fox.[41][42] Portugal-based Fluid Youth Culture purchased Fuel TV by January 2013.[43] On July 1, 2013, Fox Crime was replaced by Fox Network in Norway. FIC also renamed its premium Dutch network Eredivisie Live to Fox Sports Eredivisie, with its channels renamed as Fox Sports 1 to 3.[44] In the third quarter of 2013, FIC's French-language channels, including National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild and the travel-based Voyage, were expanded to Africa via RRsat's Global Network and Measat's Africasat-1a.[45]
On November 6, 2013, Fox International Channels acquired the 3 Setanta Sports African channels; Zuku Sports (East Africa), Setanta Africa (English and French) and Setanta Action[46] relaunched the latter two as Fox Sports and Fox Sports 2, respectively in August 2014 in time for the 2014–15 football league season.[47]
In 2014, FIC took over the distribution of Star World, Star Movies, National Geographic-branded channels, Fox-branded channels, Channel V International, Baby TV and Sky News in the Middle East region from Star Select after its closure in the region.[48]
Fox Television Group, encompassing of the Fox Broadcasting Company and 20th Century Fox Television, was formed in July 2014 and placed under Fox Networks Group.[49] In June 2014, Fox Networks Group and Gail Berman formed The Jackal Group to provide programming for its various channels.[50]
In July 2014, Fox Networks Group and DNA Films formed DNA TV Limited. Fox Networks Group would have global-first rights with co-financing options to the joint venture's shows. DNA TV would be managed by DNA Films management with Eric Schrier, president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions, handling Fox's interest.[51]
In October 2014, Fox Crime Spain was replaced with FoxLife, with the latter's series programming moving primarily to Fox.[4] FIC merged its Turkey pay-TV and free-to-air operations, were merged in late 2014.[52] In the third quarter of 2014, a Fox-branded channel was launched in Sweden via Com Hem.[53]
On November 27, 2014, FIC acquired Jan Dekker Holdings' stake of the 24Kitchen joint venture. FIC also closed the venture's production facility.[26]
On December 9, 2013, A&E Networks established an Italian branch and took full ownership of the Italian History channel from FIC Italy.[54] In early 2014, the versions of Nat Geo Adventure in Asia and Pacific were relaunched as Nat Geo People.[55] On October 1, 2015, Fox International Channels UK launched YourTV, which would target female viewers, on Freeview and YouView, with the channel later being shut down on September 27, 2019.[56][57]
In 2015, 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society formed a new joint venture named National Geographic Partners that would oversee the Society's commercial ventures.[58] This included the U.S. domestic and international versions of National Geographic-branded TV channels, but Fox Networks Group would continue to handle advertisement sales and distribution of these channels.
In January 2016, 21st Century Fox announced a major reorganization of its non-U.S. television businesses. Fox International Channels (FIC), which have been operating separately from 21CF's U.S. domestic television businesses, would be abolished and the head of its regional divisions would report to CEO Peter Rice and COO Randy Freer at Fox Networks Group in the United States, instead of outgoing FIC CEO Hernan Lopez, thus absorbing the international television businesses into Fox Networks Group. With that absorption, FIC's regional divisions being renamed Fox Networks Group Europe, Fox Networks Group Latin America and Fox Networks Group Asia, effectively abolishing Fox International Channels as a separate unit from 21st Century Fox's television business in the United States.[59][60][61] All three international divisions of Fox Networks Group were collectively referred as Fox Networks Group International in 21CF's formal documents (including the group's annual reports).[62]:7
On December 5, 2017, 21st Century Fox appointed Star India chairman and CEO Uday Shankar as president for the Asia-Pacific region of Fox Networks Group. The new role would oversee Fox's television and online video platform business across the region, and the president of Fox Networks Group Asia would report directly to Shankar (instead of the equivalent at FNG U.S.). This did not affect 20th Century Fox's filming business in the region, whose heads would continue to reported to the Charman and CEO of the film company.[63][64][65][66][67][68][69]
On April 10, 2018, European Commission officials conducted an unannounced search of Fox Networks Group's West London offices, as part of an antitrust inquiry surrounding broadcast rights to sporting events.[72][73]
On March 19, 2019, Fox Corporation was officially spun off from 21st Century Fox and began trading on the Nasdaq.[74] The next day, March 20, The Walt Disney Company completed the acquisition of 21st Century Fox.[75] This rendered Fox Networks Group as a standalone unit abolished. Disney then retooled its local television networks unit at the time . Disney, FX Networks and U.S. operations of National Geographic television channels were placed under Walt Disney Television, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios became a part of Disney Television Studios,[76] and Fox Networks Group CEO Peter Rice was appointed as the Chairman of Walt Disney Television.[76] The international businesses of Fox Networks Group would be integrated with Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International (later renamed Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution).[75]
On January 17, 2020, Disney dropped the "Fox" name from the 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures film units, though no mention was made about the changes to Fox Networks Group or other Disney-owned Fox-branded units.[77] In the following years, Disney begun closing various channels from the Fox Networks Group due to dwindling ratings and to refocus its resources for Disney+ with the remaining active international Fox channels being rebranded as Star Channel (based upon the Star hub available on Disney+) or as FX Channels (with the exception of Japan and Turkey where the channels were respectively renamed as a revival of Dlife and Now respectively), effectively closing Fox Networks Group.[78][79][80]
Fox College Sports – sold to Diamond Sports Group, a joint venture between Sinclair and Allen Media Group
Home Team Sports (HTS) advertising sales for sports channels including other regional sports networks plus commercial and program production, events, and local live custom brand integration – sold to Playfly Sports[85]
Fox Sports College Properties – college rights holder for Big East Conference, several colleges: Michigan State, Auburn, San Diego State, Georgetown and USC and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum– sold to Playfly Sports[85]
Impression Sports & Entertainment – naming rights and event sponsorships– sold to Playfly Sports[85]
Fox Networks Group Content Distribution was a global distributor of high-quality scripted and unscripted programming and formats. It was a division of Fox Networks Group.
Fox Networks Engineering & Operations
Fox Networks Engineering & Operations was the engineering and operation arm for Fox Networks Group.
Fox Global Networks
Fox Global Networks was a division of Fox Networks Group that was responsible for the distribution and marketing of Fox Networks Group USA.
Fox Media
Fox Media was a division of Fox Networks Group that enables innovative ad sales partnerships, including native advertising and branded content, across multiple platforms.
Fox Hispanic Media
Fox Hispanic Media was the advertisement sales arm of Fox's portfolio of Spanish-language brands.
FX is an American pay television channel owned by FX Networks, a division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Based at the Fox Studios lot in Century City, California, FX was originally launched by the first-incarnation News Corporation on June 1, 1994, and later became one of the properties that was included in Disney's acquisition of one of News Corporation's successor companies, 21st Century Fox, in 2019. The channel's original programming aspires to the standards of premium cable channels in regard to mature themes and content, high-quality writing, directing and acting. Sister channels FXM and FXX were launched in 1994 and 2013, respectively. FX also carries reruns of theatrical films and terrestrial-network sitcoms. Advertising-free content was available through the FX+ premium subscription service until it was shut down on August 21, 2019, after which ad free content moved to Hulu with no ads.
National Geographic is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by the National Geographic Global Networks unit of Disney Entertainment and National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (73%) and the National Geographic Society (27%), with the operational management handled by Disney Entertainment.
Disney General Entertainment Content (DGEC), formerly ABC Group, Disney–ABC Television Group and the second incarnation of Walt Disney Television, is part of Disney Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company that oversees its owned-and-operated television content, assets and sub-divisions.
FX Networks, LLC, commonly known as FX Networks, is an American media company built around the FX television channel and its associated production company, FX Productions, and is a subsidiary of Disney General Entertainment Content, the television division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company. Originally a part of News Corporation and later 21st Century Fox, the company was included in the acquisition of the latter by Disney on March 20, 2019. Consequently, FX Networks was integrated with the other television production and broadcasting assets that form the Disney General Entertainment Content unit in 2021.
History is a European documentary television channel which broadcasts programs related to historical events and persons. There are also reality television, ufology and paranormal programs.
Disney XD was a Latin American pay television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company and one of the channels of Disney Branded Television which operated across Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean region. It is based on namesake American television channel.
Fox Movies was an international brand of movie channels owned by Fox Networks Group, a part of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International. The channel was launched on February 8, 2007.
FXX is an American basic cable channel owned by the Disney Entertainment business segment and division of The Walt Disney Company through FX Networks, LLC. It is the partner channel of FX, with its programming focusing on original and acquired comedy series and feature films for a primary demographic of men ages 18–34.
The Walt Disney Company Portugal was created in 2003 with headquarters located in Lisbon, Portugal, and is the owner of many Portuguese versions of Disney Channels'.
Star Channel is a Finnish entertainment TV channel owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its local subsidiary The Walt Disney Company Nordic AB, filial i Finland. The channel was acquired by FNG Nordic in January 2012, and then relaunched as its current incarnation on 16 April that year.
National Geographic Wild is a Pan-European pay television channel that features documentaries produced by the National Geographic Society. It features documentaries about nature, wildlife, natural phenomenon, and earth. The channel replaced Adventure One in Europe on 1 March 2007.
Twenty First Century Fox, Inc, which did business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, following a spin-off of the publishing assets of the old News Corporation as News Corp.
ESPN is a Dutch group of pay television sports channels, owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hearst Communications and operated by Eredivisie Media & Marketing CV in which The Walt Disney Company (Benelux) BV has 51% ownership. ESPN launched as Fox Sports on 1 August 2013, buying out the Eredivisie Live service from the Dutch Football League. On 31 December 2020, it was renamed ESPN after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in 2019. ESPN offers 4 HD channels and 1 Ultra HD channel, Video-on-demand services and ESPN app. Its main competitor is the Dutch premium television service Ziggo Sport Totaal.
National Geographic Partners, LLC is a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the namesake non-profit scientific organization National Geographic Society. The company oversees all commercial activities related to the Society, including magazine publications and television channels. The company's board of managers is evenly divided between the Society and Disney.
Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old.
National Geographic Global Networks is a business unit within National Geographic Partners and Disney Entertainment that oversees the National Geographic-branded television channels and National Geographic Studios.
FX is an international television channel brand stemming from the eponymous American standard or premium cable television channel and is owned by FX Networks, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company.
Fox Life, now rebranded as Star Life and FX Life, was an international pay television network, launched by the Fox Networks Group in 2004. The network has been discontinued in several markets over time.
Fox was a defunct series of international television channels operated by Fox Networks Group, a division of 21st Century Fox. The network was affiliated with Fox Broadcasting Company from its inception until Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019.
Star Life is an international pay television network, owned by Disney Entertainment, a division of The Walt Disney Company, as a replacement to Fox Life. The network has been discontinued in Latin America, and is currently active in the Middle East, Portugal, Bulgaria, India, South Africa, and Balkans.
↑ Clover, Julian (November 11, 2008). "Fox Life makes Greek debut". Broadband TV News. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
1 2 Briel, Robert (April 17, 2012). "Fox goes FTA in Finland". Broadband TV News. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
↑ Whittock, Jesse (September 30, 2019). "YourTV ceases transmission". Broadcast Now. Media Business Insight Limited. Archived from the original on September 30, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
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