Fox International’s flagship entertainment channel, FOX, is launching on DStv, located on channel 125, in April. Up until now, it has only been available in South Africa on the country’s other pay television platform, TopTV.
FOX is an English language general entertainment channel that will be rebranded from Fox Entertainment to FOX. This positions the channel as the flagship entertainment channel in the FIC stable. This move is part of a corporate decision taken by Fox International Channels worldwide.
FIC, the multimedia company focused on distribution of high quality pay TV channels and digital services, has two other offerings on the DStv platform, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild.
“We are very pleased with the extended distribution of our channels on to the DStv platform”, said Alessandro Tucci, SVP and general manager for FIC Africa.
“This operation is managed from our expanded office in Johannesburg confirming our commitment to delivering channels with a local team, this ensures that our common language and culture position us closer to this territory. Distribution has increased very fast in the last two years confirming not only what a good moment these markets are going through but also the huge interest that our brands and their premium content generate,” he said.
The deal with DStv extends FIC’s carriage on the continent and is in keeping with the company’s corporate strategy of channel non-exclusivity. This means that all the channels will still be available to all platforms that they are presently carried on across Africa.
The new on-air brand campaign will focus on the strength of television programming, which still remains the number one medium for entertainment, globally. The channel features high quality drama, reality and entertainment programming.
FOX is, according to market research by Millward Brown Optimon, one of the most recognisable TV brands globally. A trait the ‘Brands with Fans’ maintains through quality first run and library content programming from a variety of sources including (but not limited to) US studios, British, Australia, European and African based content.
DStv premium subscribers will now be able to watch series such as The Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Being Mandela (an insight into the lives of Nelson Mandela’s granddaughters), and Transporter: The Series.
The channel will be unleashing the much anticipated Da Vinci’s Demons, a historical fantasy, following the ‘untold’ story of the world’s greatest genius during his turbulent youth in Renaissance Florence, in May 2013 and also bring the fourth season of The Walking Dead within a few days of the US launch in October for its viewers.
“We hope to see more viewers enjoying the quality on offer through our entertainment channel and remain committed to delivering unsurpassed programming that we have become synonymous with globally as a TV content distributor of choice,” – Tucci said.
