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Animax (Asian TV channel)

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Animax
CountrySingapore
Broadcast area
  • Southeast Asia (excluding Brunei)
  • India
  • Hong Kong
  • Macau
  • Maldives
  • Mongolia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
NetworkAnimax
HeadquartersNumber 10, Changi Business Park Central 2 #03-01, Hansapoint @ Changi Business Park, Changi, Singapore
Programming
Language(s)Japanese
English
Indonesian
Malay
Mandarin
Cantonese
Thai
Vietnamese (Subtitles)
Picture format1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerSony Pictures Entertainment (2004–2020)
KC Global Media Entertainment
Sister channelsAXN
ONE
History
Launched11 January 2004; 20 years ago (11 January 2004)
Links
Websitewww.animax-asia.com
Availability
Terrestrial
MNC VisionLCN 157
Nex IndonesiaLCN 6
Streaming media
Jio TV (India)Watch Live
Prime Video (India)Subscribe
Samsung TV Plus (India)Samsung TV Plus

Animax (stylized in all uppercase) is an Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia. The channel was originally owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and took its name from the Japanese satellite TV network; which was then-majority owned by subsidiary Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan. The channel would be sold to its current owners on January 1, 2020.[1]

Animax is the first television channel in Asia dedicated to anime, and was initially launched in Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia in January 2004.[2] The channel primarily broadcasts Japanese language programming (including same-day simulcasts, and other anime-related content) through English-language feeds in Southeast Asia (excluding Brunei), South and East Asia.

History

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On December 17, 2015, Animax Asia announced that it would begin broadcasting in high definition (HD), with high definition channel being a simulcast with its standard definition (SD) channel, carrying the same content. On July 29, 2024, Animax Asia migrated to widescreen format (16:9) on its standard-definition feed, eliminating the use of letterbox.[3]

Hong Kong

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Animax first launched in Hong Kong on 11 January 2004. It broadcasts a variety of anime programming, from old to modern television series. Animax also airs anime series that premiered in Hong Kong prior to their release in Southeast Asian networks, some of them are Death Note, Blood+, Trinity Blood and Mushishi. After the TV premiere of Gurren Lagann, Animax's TV ratings recorded a huge increase and moved 80% more TRP than its closest competitor, Cartoon Network Asia.[4][5]

Southeast Asia

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A week after its launch in Hong Kong, Animax was launched in Southeast Asia on 19 January 2004, initially featuring its anime programming exclusively in the original Japanese audio with English subtitling, becoming the company's first English language network.[6] It also later incorporated an English audio dub feed[6] and subtitles in local languages such as Chinese.[7]

Programming blocks seen include "Ani-Chan", which is aired on weekdays at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm (featuring shows such as Naruto, Danball Senki (a.k.a. Little Battlers eXperience) and Tsubasa Chronicle); "Animania", which is aired on weekdays from 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm (featuring the Dragon Ball franchise and Law of Ueki); "Mega Zone", its prime time programming block is aired on weekdays from 7:00 pm; and its weekend programming block aired every Sunday at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm.[8]

The channel reached Singapore's Starhub TV in November 2004.[9]

In March 2005, Animax and Singapore's Media Development Authority organized a Storyboard Competition for its viewers in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines using Animax's own characters Quu and Tee.[10]

In June 2006, Animax launched Imagine-Nation,[11] an initiative for featuring "successful people in the arenas of games, film and design".[12]

Animax aired its first animated feature film, LaMB, based on the pop rock band Simple Plan,[13] as a two-parter in March 2009 and in full in April.[14] The film was supposed to air in late 2008[15] before being delayed to February 2009.[13]

Animax began airing the latest anime titles simultaneously with Japan in March 2009, starting with Tears to Tiara.[16]

Animax launched its video catch-up service in May 2010 along with sister channel AXN.[17]

On July 5, 2013, Animax was forced to close down in Vietnam due to failure to meet Decision No. 20/2011/QD-TTG on Regulations on management of pay television activities issued by the Prime Minister.[18] 7 years later, on 1 April 2020, it was relaunched on VTVCab and later distributed by MSky to other cable or pay TV providers, some titles are available with Vietnamese subtitles.[19]

Malaysia

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Astro began broadcasting the channel on 31 August 2006 after sometime being aired as a time-block.[11] The channel ceased transmission on January 1, 2022, however selected anime series broadcast by Animax is still made available on Astro's Video-on-Demand platform and Astro GO.[20]

Unifi TV started rebroadcasting Animax on 1 June 2017 along with Sony Channel.[21][22] They initially ceased its transmission of the channel on 1 July 2020, but would resume on 1 October 2021 along with introduction of AXN & GEM, two other channels owned by KC Global Media Asia.[23][24]

On April 24, 2023, Animax relaunched in Malaysia via tonton alongside its sister channel GEM.[25]

South Asia

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India

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See also: Animax India

On 18 April 2017, Animax India ceased broadcasting in India, with Sony Yay ultimately replacing the network. Sony would later make the Asian feed of Animax available on its Indian digital platform, Sony LIV, until 8 May 2020, when several Sony-owned networks were acquired by KC earlier that week.

On 20 January 2023, Animax Asia started broadcasting in India exclusively via the streaming platform, JioTV.[26][27] Animax would also become available on Amazon Prime Video, along with sibling brand GEM, that same year.[28]

Animax became available for streaming on Tata Play from 8 February 2024.[29] An Animax-branded FAST channel was launched on Samsung TV Plus in April 2024.[30]

Maldives

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In Maldives, Animax Asia began its availability on MediaNet in 2005, halted its broadcast in 2016 and resumed its broadcast in 2022.[citation needed]

Sri Lanka

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On 30 June 2023,[31] Animax expanded its reach to Sri Lanka via an exclusive partnership with Dialog Television, a satellite TV company based in Sri Lanka under the Axiata conglomerate.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (January 7, 2020). "Sony Pictures Sells Asia Channels to Former Executives Andy Kaplan and George Chien (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
  2. ^ Sony Pictures Entertainment to Launch Animax Asia, Press Release, SPE, 29 October 2003, Anime News Network.
  3. ^ "Animax Asia Launches HD Broadcast on Thursday". Anime News Network. December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "Animax tops ratings among local youths". Marketing Interactive. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
  5. ^ "Animax – Youth Channel of Choice in Hong Kong and Taiwan". Sony Pictures Television International. Archived from the original on September 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
  6. ^ a b "About". Animax Asia. Sony Pictures Television International. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
  7. ^ "More Animax shows may carry English subtitles". Today. 10 November 2005.
  8. ^ "Animax Asia". Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  9. ^ "Work that remote control". The Straits Times. 26 November 2004.
  10. ^ "Growing passion for animation". Today. 24 March 2005.
  11. ^ a b "Animax turns 24x7 in Malaysia; available on Astro". Indian Television Dot Com. 30 August 2006.
  12. ^ "Animax launches in Malaysia". World Screen. 30 August 2006.
  13. ^ a b "Cartoon heroes". The Straits Times. 4 August 2008.
  14. ^ "Animax's first movie 'LaMB' to air this month". Business Times (Singapore). 20 March 2009.
  15. ^ "S'pore-made LaMB to roar on Animax". The Straits Times. 26 April 2008.
  16. ^ "Instant anime". The Straits Times. 20 March 2009.
  17. ^ "It's legit and free too". The Straits Times. 21 May 2010.
  18. ^ "Thông báo ngừng phát sóng kênh Animax trên hệ thống số của VTVcab" [Announcement of the closure of Animax in Vietnam] (in Vietnamese). VTVCab. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  19. ^ "Lần đầu tiên các series phim hoạt hình nhật bản phát sóng trên VTVcab" [For the first time, all the anime series from Japan will broadcast in VTVCab] (in Vietnamese). VTVCab. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "Astro to end Animax channel". GamerBraves. 23 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Cease transmission of Animax HD channel". 17 June 2020.
  22. ^ "TM HyppTV".
  23. ^ "#Showbiz: New channels, streaming platforms on Unifi TV in Oct". New Straits Times. 20 September 2021.
  24. ^ "Newsroom UNIFI UPS ITS CONVERGENCE GAME WITH NEW CONTENT OFFERINGS".
  25. ^ Basir, Maya (28 April 2023). "Siri Anime Popular Saluran Animax & GEM Kini Di Tonton!". Xtra.
  26. ^ Nair, Rupesh (2023-01-22). "Animax, the Popular 24-Hour Network for Anime Is Finally Back in India With Reliance JioTV". IGN India. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  27. ^ "KC GLOBAL MEDIA EXPANDS TO INDIA BY FANS' POPULAR DEMAND WITH THE DEBUT OF ANIMAX ON JIOTV". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  28. ^ "KC Global Media joins hands with Prime Video to Bring Animax + GEM to India - Check subscription fee and other details". Zee Business. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2023-06-21.
  29. ^ "Tata Play Binge - Watch Latest Movies, Web Series, Live Cricket & More". www.tataplaybinge.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  30. ^ "Animax Debuts on Samsung TV Plus in India". worldscreen.com. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  31. ^ "KC GLOBAL MEDIA EXPANDS IN ASIA WITH ANIMAX'S INAUGURAL LAUNCH IN SRI LANKA ON DIALOG TELEVISION : Asia Video Industry Association". avia.org. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
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