Launched 23 October 1995 | Country Australia | |
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Audience share 1.4%timeshift 0.6% (October 2008, ) Slogan Your FOX8The Home of DC (For DC Comics Programming) TV shows | ||
Retro fox8 australian tv ident late 1990s
Fox8 (corporately stylised as FOX8, alternatively as Fox 8 or FOX 8) is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms. It is the most watched subscription television channel in Australia (with or without the timeshift) and broadcasts the highest rating non-sporting related program or event on subscription television in Australia, Australia's Next Top Model. A high definition version of the channel, Fox8HD, was launched on the Foxtel and Austar platforms on 15 November 2009.
Contents
History
The channel runs many programs produced by Fox and in fact was originally called "Fox" before adding the "8" to the title. The channel was found on channel 8 on Foxtel analogue and Austar standard and channel 108 on Foxtel Digital and Austar Digital. Fox8 is Foxtel's most popular subscription channel and peak channel. It is also News Corporation's peak Australian channel (similar to Sky1 in the UK and FX in the USA). FOX8 is one of the very few channels to have been continuously broadcast since Foxtel's foundation in 1995. During the late 1990s, Fox8 used to show Saturday Night NRL matches.
FOX8+2 was introduced with the Foxtel and Austar Digital Services on Channel 150. This allows the viewing of the same programs on Fox8, but two hours later. One of the known advantages of this TimeShift Channel, is that Western Australian viewers can see this channel at the correct time in their state as advertised. FOX8 and Foxtel have a deal with Network Ten to receive their shows bought from the USA Fox network. Some shows like this include The Simpsons, Futurama, and The Simple Life. During the migration to the digital platform, Foxtel's Fox Kids (similar to the US version) channel was discontinued in 2004 and a selection of its programming was moved to FOX8 in the early mornings.
The channel was rebranded significantly at the start of 2005, matching the American Fox channel's logo with the addition of the 8 at the end. FOX8's overall graphics also changed in style. Shortly after the rebranding, the station received its first official website. The website was relaunched in October 2005 as a fuller visual experience showing extracts from the top shows.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the channel screened a 17-day, multiple animated show marathon named "Battle of the Animations" involving Family Guy, American Dad!, The Simpsons, Futurama and King of the Hill. The event concluded on Sunday 24 August with a smaller marathon involving the winning show, as chosen by the viewing audience over the course of the 17 days. The winning show was Family Guy.
On 1 November 2008, as part of the launch of a new channel named 111 HITS, many shows from Fox8 and other channels moved to 111 Hits. 111 Hits is a hit shows channel including programs from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and today.
On 15 November 2009, FOX8 HD launched on Austar and Foxtel.
On 16 March 2010, FOX8 launched a brand new website.
In May 2011, FOX8 underwent a major rebrand, incorporating a new look, with a new style of branding programs.
In October 2011, FOX8 was launched a Program Return Graphic during a Show.
In February 2013, Foxtel announced a deal with The Walt Disney Company which included an exclusive output deal with ABC Family. ABC Family produces some of FOX8's hit programs such as Bunheads, Switched at Birth and The Secret Life of the American Teenager, as well as The Fosters and Twisted which were to premiere later in 2013.
In October 2013, FOX8 launched a new on-air look that included the new slogan TV for the Now Gen (replacing So Fox8).