AXN Sci Fi

AXN Sci Fi was a European pay-television channel operated under the AXN family and owned by Sony Pictures Television. Its programming identity centered on science fiction, fantasy, supernatural drama, adventure, anime and genre-oriented action series. The channel was distributed through local and regional television platforms rather than operating as a single uniform service in every market; its schedule and branding varied between territories such as Russia, Italy and Central Europe. The service formed part of Sony Pictures Television's wider portfolio of thematic AXN channels. Its catalogue combined internationally recognized science-fiction franchises with supernatural dramas, cult television, animation and anime. Programs associated with the brand included Star Trek series, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Babylon 5, Farscape, Andromeda, Eureka, Falling Skies, Doctor Who, Fringe, Lost, The Outer Limits, Sliders, The 4400, Heroes, Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries. Anime and animated programming included titles such as Bleach, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, One Piece, Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Availability differed by edition, so a program listed for Russia, Italy or Central Europe was not necessarily shown throughout the entire AXN Sci Fi footprint. The brand underwent a major regional transition in 2013. On 13 April, the Russian edition adopted the name Sony Sci-Fi. Later that year Sony announced that AXN Sci Fi and AXN Crime would be replaced in certain markets by the broader entertainment channels AXN Black and AXN White. AXN Sci Fi was replaced by AXN Black on 1 October, while the Italian edition continued under the AXN Sci Fi identity. The Italian service eventually closed on 28 February 2017 after approximately eleven years of broadcasting, ending the remaining use of the AXN Sci Fi brand. The channel is therefore a discontinued television brand rather than an active consumer product or standalone company.

AXN Sci Fi was created as a thematic pay-television service within Sony Pictures Television's AXN network. Its launch is associated with the mid-2000s, and the Italian service later described its run as approximately eleven years before closing in 2017. Rather than being a single standardized channel distributed identically across Europe, AXN Sci Fi operated through regional editions whose schedules reflected local licensing arrangements and audience strategies. The channel's editorial focus was science fiction and adjacent genres. Its schedules drew on Sony's international television licensing relationships and on established genre properties from multiple producers. Space and speculative-fiction programming included Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, Babylon 5, Farscape, Andromeda, Earth: Final Conflict and Galactica. Other editions carried programs such as Doctor Who, Eureka, Fringe, Falling Skies, Lost, Primeval, The 4400 and The Outer Limits. Fantasy and supernatural titles included Charmed, Angel, Being Human, Dead Like Me, Ghost Whisperer, Heroes, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries and Z Nation. Anime and animation were also important components, with regional schedules featuring titles including Bleach, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, One Piece, Cowboy Bebop, Hellsing and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The content mix varied by territory. The Russian service carried a number of mainstream American genre dramas and series, while the Central European and Italian editions had their own combinations of science fiction, fantasy, anime, adventure and cult programming. This regional structure meant that a series associated with AXN Sci Fi in one country might not have been available on the channel in another. In 2013 Sony began moving away from the AXN Sci Fi identity in several markets. The Russian edition was renamed Sony Sci-Fi on 13 April. Sony subsequently announced that AXN Sci Fi and AXN Crime would be replaced by AXN Black and AXN White. The change took effect for the affected AXN Sci Fi service on 1 October, although the Italian edition was expressly unaffected at that stage. The Italian channel continued for several more years before being discontinued on 28 February 2017. The closure ended the last identified AXN Sci Fi operation and marked the end of the brand's approximately eleven-year broadcasting history.

• 2017

  Italian channel closes

  [1]AXN Sci Fien.wikipedia.org

  The Italian edition was discontinued on 28 February, ending the remaining AXN Sci Fi-branded service.

• 2013

  Russian edition becomes Sony Sci-Fi

  [1]AXN Sci Fien.wikipedia.org

  The Russian edition changed its name to Sony Sci-Fi on 13 April.

• 2013

  AXN Black replaces AXN Sci Fi in selected markets

  [1]AXN Sci Fien.wikipedia.org

  Following Sony's channel portfolio restructuring, AXN Black replaced AXN Sci Fi on 1 October in the affected markets. Italy continued separately.

• 2006

  AXN Sci Fi begins broadcasting

  [1]AXN Sci Fien.wikipedia.org

  The channel's broadcasting history dates from approximately 2006, when it began operating as a European genre-focused pay-TV service within the AXN portfolio.

A thematic pay-TV destination for science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, action, cult and anime programming, positioned within Sony Pictures Television's AXN channel portfolio.

• Pay television channel · 2006

  AXN Sci Fi

  The core AXN Sci Fi offering was a regional pay-TV channel devoted to science fiction, fantasy, supernatural drama, action, adventure, cult television and anime. It operated through market-specific editions, including services associated with Russia, Italy and Central Europe. Programming included both serialized dramas and established genre franchises, with schedules differing by territory. The channel was progressively replaced or renamed in the 2010s and is now defunct.

• 2017

  Closure of the Italian editionStrategy

  Background

  After the earlier regional replacement and renaming decisions, the Italian service was the remaining prominent AXN Sci Fi-branded edition.

  Action taken

  Sony discontinued the Italian channel on 28 February 2017.

  Aftermath

  The AXN Sci Fi brand ceased broadcasting, ending approximately eleven years of operation.

  Source

• 2013

  Regional transition from AXN Sci Fi to Sony Sci-FiStrategy

  Background

  Sony adjusted the naming of its regional television portfolio, beginning with the Russian AXN Sci Fi edition.

  Action taken

  The Russian service was renamed Sony Sci-Fi on 13 April 2013.

  Aftermath

  The change reduced the use of the AXN Sci Fi name in the Russian market before the later replacement of the brand in other territories.

  Source

• 2013

  Replacement by AXN Black and AXN WhiteStrategy

  Background

  Sony announced a redesign of parts of its AXN thematic-channel lineup, including the replacement of AXN Sci Fi and AXN Crime in selected markets.

  Action taken

  AXN Sci Fi was replaced by AXN Black on 1 October 2013 in the affected markets, while the Italian edition remained in operation.

  Aftermath

  The channel identity continued only in territories not included in the initial replacement, most notably Italy.

  Source

1. 1AXN Sci Fien.wikipedia.org