Universal Channel

Last updated
Universal TV
Universal TV 2018.svg
Universal TV logo
Launched September 1, 2004
Owned by NBCUniversal International Networks
(NBCUniversal/Comcast)
(operated and distributed by HBO Latin America Group)
Brazil: Universal Networks International (50%), Globosat (Grupo Globo, 50%)
(distributed by Globosat)
SloganWe are for every kind of character.
Sister channel(s) 13th Street Universal
Diva Universal
Syfy Universal
Studio Universal
Movies 24
CNBC International
E!
Style Network
Golf Channel
DreamWorks Channel
Euronews
Africanews
Website Universal TV Brazil
Universal TV South Africa
Universal TV Latin America
Availability
Satellite
DStv
(Africa)		 Channel 117
Foxtel
(Australia)		 Channel 114
Austar
(Australia)		 Channel 116
DirecTV Latin America Channel 218 (SD)
Channel 1218 (HD)
Sky
(Mexico and Central America)		 Channel 208 (SD)
Channel 1208 (HD)
Tigo Star
(Colombia, Bolivia and Paraguay)		 Channel 303 (SD)
Movistar TV
(South America)		 Channel 510 (SD)
Channel 859 (HD)
Claro TV
(Latin America)		Chile:
Channel 102 (SD)
Channel 602 (HD)
Colombia:
Cable
NET (Brazil) Channel 130 (SD)
Channel 630 (HD)
VTR
(Chile)		 Channel 31
AlmaTV
(Kazakhstan)		 54
Digital TV
(Kazakhstan)		 98
Telemach
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)		 Channel 031
Movistar TV
(Peru)		 Channel 112 (SD)
Channel 724 (HD)
Numericable (Luxembourg) Channel 107
IPTV
UniFi (Malaysia) Channel 160
Moldtelecom (Moldova) Channel 114
Moja TV
(Bosnia and Herzegovina)		 Channel 107
Fetch TV
(Australia)		 Channel 107

Universal TV is a television channel specializing in movies and television series in the thriller, drama, comedy, horror, crime and investigation genres, owned by Universal Networks International, a division of NBCUniversal and available on satellite and cable platforms. They were formerly branded as USA Network until 2003 when the name was changed to take more advantage of the Universal branding, but continue programming as that network does like a general interest network.

Thriller (genre) genre of literature, film, and television programming

Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Successful examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock.

Comedy genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous

In a modern sense, comedy refers to any discourse or work generally intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, television, film, stand-up comedy, or any other medium of entertainment. The origins of the term are found in Ancient Greece. In the Athenian democracy, the public opinion of voters was influenced by the political satire performed by the comic poets at the theaters. The theatrical genre of Greek comedy can be described as a dramatic performance which pits two groups or societies against each other in an amusing agon or conflict. Northrop Frye depicted these two opposing sides as a "Society of Youth" and a "Society of the Old." A revised view characterizes the essential agon of comedy as a struggle between a relatively powerless youth and the societal conventions that pose obstacles to his hopes. In this struggle, the youth is understood to be constrained by his lack of social authority, and is left with little choice but to take recourse in ruses which engender very dramatic irony which provokes laughter.

NBCUniversal American media and entertainment company

NBCUniversal Media, LLC is an American worldwide mass media conglomerate owned by Comcast and headquartered at Rockefeller Plaza's Comcast Building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is one of two successor companies to MCA Inc., the other being Vivendi through its subsidiary Universal Music Group.

Contents

Launched in other countries

The Universal Channel logo used from 2007 to 2010 (used till 2011 in Latin America, and Brazil) Universal Channel logo.png
The Universal Channel logo used from 2007 to 2010 (used till 2011 in Latin America, and Brazil)
Universal Channel logo used from 2010 until 2013. Universal channel.svg
Universal Channel logo used from 2010 until 2013.
Universal Channel logo used from 2013 until 2018. Universal Channel Logo 2013.svg
Universal Channel logo used from 2013 until 2018.

Original launch

Universal Channel was officially launched on December 1, 2007 in Poland (as Kanał Universal) and Romania (as Canalul Universal) and on July 1, 2008 in Southeast Asia. In Latin America the channel is owned by NBC Universal but is controlled and broadcast by Fox Latin American Channels and Globosat in Brazil.

Poland Republic in Central Europe

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country located in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions, covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres (120,733 sq mi), and has a largely temperate seasonal climate. With a population of approximately 38.5 million people, Poland is the sixth most populous member state of the European Union. Poland's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw. Other major cities include Kraków, Łódź, Wrocław, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin.

Romania Sovereign state in Europe

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the southeast, Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Moldova to the east. It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate. With a total area of 238,397 square kilometres (92,046 sq mi), Romania is the 12th largest country and also the 7th most populous member state of the European Union, having almost 20 million inhabitants. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, and other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța, Craiova, and Brașov.

Latin America Region of the Americas where Romance languages are primarily spoken

Latin America is a group of countries and dependencies in the Western Hemisphere where Romance languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French are predominantly spoken; it is broader than the terms Ibero-America or Hispanic America. The term "Latin America" was first used in an 1856 conference with the title "Initiative of the America. Idea for a Federal Congress of the Republics", by the Chilean politician Francisco Bilbao. The term was used also by Napoleon III's French government in the 1860s as Amérique latine to consider French-speaking territories in the Americas, along with the larger group of countries where Spanish and Portuguese languages prevailed, including the Spanish-speaking portions of the United States Today, areas of Canada and the United States where Spanish, Portuguese and French are predominant are typically not included in definitions of Latin America.

Re-branded in selected countries

In South Africa, Hallmark Channel was re-branded under that name on March 24, 2010 for DStv subscribers. In Japan, Sci Fi Channel re-branded to that name on April 1, 2010. In Australia, Hallmark Channel re-branded to that name on July 1, 2010. In Hungary (as Universal Csatorna), Czech Republic, Slovakia and ex Yugoslav countries Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hallmark Channel was re-branded to that name on September 3, 2010. And in the Philippines, this channel was launched on July 26, 2010 and replaced the Sci Fi Channel (Philippines) which was rebranded as Universal Channel.

South Africa Republic in the southernmost part of Africa

South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland); and it surrounds the enclaved country of Lesotho. South Africa is the largest country in Southern Africa and the 25th-largest country in the world by land area and, with over 57 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere. About 80 percent of South Africans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages, nine of which have official status. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European (White), Asian (Indian), and multiracial (Coloured) ancestry.

Hallmark Channel American cable television network

The Hallmark Channel is an American pay television network that is owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., which in turn is owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc. The channel's programming is primarily targeted at families, and features a mix of television movies and miniseries, original and acquired television series, and lifestyle programs.

DStv satellite television service in Africa

DStv is a Sub-Saharan African direct broadcast satellite service owned by MultiChoice. The service launched in 1995 and provides multiple channels and services to their subscribers, which currently number around 11.9 million. The majority of subscribers are in South Africa and Nigeria, with Kenya, Ghana, Angola, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania, Lesotho, Ethiopia, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Swaziland and Botswana additionally served by the company.


On October 18, 2010, the Hallmark Channel in the UK and Ireland was rebranded, adopting the Universal Channel name. On 3 May 2018, starting with the UK, they have begun the global rebrand of the channel as 'Universal TV'. In August 2018, the Brazilian feed of Universal Channel was rebranded to Universal TV, with the Latin American variant following suit on October.

Programmes

Movie block

Current shows

Latin America
<i>Bates Motel</i> (TV series) American drama thriller television series

Bates Motel is an American psychological horror drama television series that aired from March 18, 2013 to April 24, 2017. It was developed by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, and is produced by Universal Television and American Genre for the cable network A&E.

<i>Beauty & the Beast</i> (2012 TV series) 2012 television series

Beauty & the Beast is an American television series filmed in Toronto, Canada, very loosely inspired by the 1987 CBS series of the same name, developed by Sherri Cooper-Landsman and Jennifer Levin that premiered October 11, 2012, on The CW. Kristin Kreuk and Jay Ryan star in the title roles alongside Austin Basis, Nina Lisandrello, Nicole Gale Anderson, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Max Brown, Brian J. White, Amber Skye Noyes, and Michael Roark.

<i>Chicago Fire</i> (TV series) American drama television series

Chicago Fire is an American action-drama television series created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas with Dick Wolf as executive producer. It is the first installment of Dick Wolf's Chicago franchise. The series premiered on NBC on October 10, 2012. The show follows the firefighters and paramedics working at Firehouse 51 of the Chicago Fire Department, home of Truck Company 81, Engine Company 51, Battalion 25, Squad Company 3, and Ambulance 61, as they risk their lives to save and protect the citizens of Chicago.

 Poland
<i>Arrow</i> (TV series) American action-adventure television series

Arrow is an American superhero television series developed by writer/producers Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg that is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow. The series premiered in the United States on The CW on October 10, 2012, with international broadcasting taking place in late 2012. Primarily filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Arrow follows billionaire playboy Oliver Queen, who, five years after being stranded on a hostile island, returns home to fight crime and corruption as a secret vigilante whose weapon of choice is a bow and arrow.

<i>Californication</i> (TV series) American comedy-drama television series

Californication is an American comedy-drama television series created by Tom Kapinos which aired for seven seasons on Showtime from August 13, 2007 to June 29, 2014. The show follows New Yorker Hank Moody, a troubled novelist who moves to California and suffers from writer's block. His drinking, womanizing, and drug abuse complicate his relationships with his longtime lover Karen and their daughter Becca. Hank struggles to find purpose in his life as he passes up multiple opportunities, eventually making the right decision for happiness.

<i>Castle</i> (TV series) American crime drama television series

Castle is an American crime-comedy-drama television series, which aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was produced jointly by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia
Southeast Asia
South Africa Australia

Former shows

Selected territories:

(a) - Latin America
(b) - Southeast Asia

See also

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

Related Research Articles

Syfy is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The channel features science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural, paranormal, drama, and reality programming. Syfy is available to 92.4 million households in America.

Turner Broadcasting System American media conglomerate

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is an American television and media conglomerate, part of AT&T's WarnerMedia. Founded by Ted Turner, and based in Atlanta, Georgia, it merged with Time Warner on October 10, 1996. Among its main properties were its namesake TBS, TNT, CNN, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, and TruTV. It also licensed or had ownership interests in international versions of these properties. The headquarters of Turner's properties are located in both the CNN Center in Downtown Atlanta, and the Turner Broadcasting campus off Techwood Drive in Midtown Atlanta, which also houses Turner Studios.

A&E Networks American media company

A&E Television Networks, LLC, doing business as A+E Networks, is an American broadcasting company that is a joint venture between Hearst Communications and Walt Disney Television, a unit of The Walt Disney Company. The company owns several non-fiction and entertainment-based television brands, including its namesake A&E, History, Lifetime, FYI, and their associated sister channels, and holds stakes in or licenses their international branches.

Syfy is the French-speaking 24-hour science fiction entertainment channel based on the US version of the same name. The channel originally launched in December 2005 under the branding of the Sci-fi Channel. It became the fourth "Sci Fi Channel" alongside channels in the United States, UK and Germany. The channel was rebranded Syfy on January 5, 2010 as part of global rebrand. SYFY on August 29, 2017 as part of global rebrand.

Star Movies Television channel

Star Movies is a brand name of television film channel originally launched by Star TV. The channel was originally broadcast across Asia, but Star TV have regionalised channel since then. Disney Channels Worldwide Asia Pacific have since rebranded versions of this channel in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia as Fox Movies, but retains Star Movies brand in a version for Mainland China. Star India continues to operate the Indian version of Star Movies as a channel specialised in Western world films, while the Middle Eastern version, operated by Disney Channels Worldwide MENA, co-exists with Fox Movies.

Boomerang (Latin American TV channel) Latin American TV channel

Boomerang is a 24-hour cable television channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System. Initially it was focused an older audience, airing classical Hanna-Barbera cartoons, emulating the US variant of the channel. However, in 2006 it was rebranded. At the time of the rebrand, many people nicknamed it as the Latin American version of POGO, an Indian children-oriented channel. In January 2008, it was rebranded again with its own original graphics and programming, appealing to a teen-oriented audience, featuring original and syndicated series and movies, initially starting in Brazil and Mexico. It had also aired music clips and concert specials, under the Boombox block. The channel returned to children's programming as part of a worldwide rebrand on 28 September 2014, in addition debuting a new logo, graphics and schedule.

NBCUniversal International Networks, formerly NBC Universal Global Networks and Universal Networks International, is a part of NBCUniversal., owned by Comcast.

Viacom International Media Networks international division of Viacom Media Networks

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is the international division of Viacom. The company oversees the production, broadcasting and promotion of key Viacom brands outside of the United States. These brands include MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, VIVA, Colors and Game One.

HBO Latin America Group

HBO Latin America is a company which owns several pay television networks in the region of Latin America. It is a joint venture between WarnerMedia and Ole Communications.

Hallmark Channel (international) cable television network that broadcasts in over 100 countries

Hallmark Channel, formerly Hallmark Entertainment Network, in international markets was owned by several media companies. Over their history, the various channels were operated by Hallmark Entertainment Networks, Inc. (1995-2005), Sparrowhawk Media, Limited (2005-2007) and Universal Networks International (2007-2011). Universal Networks International rebranded or discontinued the channels by July 2011. Hallmark Entertainment Networks, Inc. was owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc. Sparrowhawk Media was owned by venture capital companies and Universal Networks International is owned by NBCUniversal.

Diva is an Asian pay television channel owned and operated by Universal Networks International. It was first launched in 1997 as the Southeast Asian variant of Hallmark Channel, before being rebranded in 2009 as Diva Universal, dropping the "Universal" name in 2014.

Studio Universal Latin America is a 24-hour cable television channel broadcasting from New York, United States, targeted for Middle and South American audiences.

Studio Universal is a specialty television channel focused on films, owned by Universal Networks International. The programming is based on films and related programs with interviews, insights, short films and frequent themed nights or seasons in which are shown a number of films centred on one genre, director or actor. The Studio Universal brand has been chosen as one of core channels of Universal Networks International. The channel was launched on February 1, 2010 in Latin America replacing Hallmark Channel.

Universal Channel (Greek TV channel)

Universal Channel (Greece) was a television network, owned by Universal Networks International, a division of NBCUniversal. It debuted in Greece on May 5, 2008, exclusively on OTE TV, the pay-TV service of OTE, one of the major telecommunication groups in Southeastern Europe. Later, the channel broadcast in Cyprus via PrimeTel, Cablenet and Cytavision. The Channel hosted the branded block Sci Fi, the brand dedicated to science fiction, horror, fantasy and paranormal of NBCUniversal. Sci Fi aired every Saturday from 9 PM to 1:10 AM and every Sunday starting from around 4 to 9 PM.

Syfy is a Latin American channel dedicated to science fiction and fantasy programming, owned by Universal Networks International, a division of NBCUniversal. The local version of the channel, available both in Spanish- and Portuguese-language feeds, was launched in 2007. Until October 10, 2010, Syfy was known as Sci Fi.

Universal Channel (Japanese TV channel)

Universal Channel was a Japanese television channel.

Universal Channel (Asia)

Universal Channel was a television channel specializing in movies and television series in the thriller, drama, comedy, crime and investigation genres. It was owned by Universal Networks International. This channel was officially launched in Singapore on 1 July 2008 along with Sci Fi Channel (Asia), now Syfy Universal (Asia).

Fox Movies (Southeast Asia)

Fox Movies is an Southeast Asian movie channel owned by Disney Channels Worldwide Asia Pacific, subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company.

H2 is a brand name owned by A&E Networks, used for a sister television channel of History. The brand was debuted in September 2011 when History International in the United States was relaunched as H2. The brand was expanded outside the U.S. since then. H2 in the United States was relaunched on February 29, 2016 as Viceland, but the H2 brand is still used for sister channels to History in other markets.