Flix (TV channel)

Flix
Launched	August 1, 1992
Owned by	Showtime Networks (CBS Corporation)
Picture format	480i (SDTV) 1080i (HDTV)
Slogan	Movies You Grew Up With (primary) Cool Classics for the Movie Generation (secondary)
Country	United States
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Headquarters	New York City
Sister channel(s)	Showtime The Movie Channel Smithsonian Channel
Website	Flix
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV	Channel 557 (SD) Channel 1557 (VOD)
Dish Network	Channel 333 (SD)
Cable
Available on most cable systems	Check local listings for channels
IPTV
Verizon FiOS	Channel 390 (east) Channel 391 (west)
AT&T U-verse	Channel 890 (SD)

Flix is an American premium television network that is owned by CBS Corporation subsidiary Showtime Networks, Inc., which also runs Showtime and The Movie Channel. Although most cable and satellite providers include Flix as part of the Showtime premium package, some cable providers do not offer Flix with the remainder of the Showtime/The Movie Channel multiplex at all, depending on market.

Background

The channel launched in August 1, 1992 as a single-channel "mini-pay" service. Flix originally featured movies from the 1960s to the 1980s, with some 1990s film titles scattered on the network's schedule, however the channel has since begun to feature some film titles from the 2000s as well. The channel's tagline is "Movies You Grew Up With". A notable aspect of Flix during its early days was that the channel did not advertise the primetime lineup of solely itself, but also ran during breaks between daytime movies, a primetime schedule of programs that were slated to air that night on all major premium channels including HBO, Cinemax and Encore.

Before its launch, Tele-Communications, Inc. made a failed attempt to acquire a 50 percent stake in Showtime in 1989. there was some debate as to whether Viacom or TCI originally conceived the idea for Encore, a service similar to Flix, that also focused on films from the 1960s to the 1980s until a format change in 1999 in which recent films were added to the mix. Viacom executives insisted TCI lifted part of the plan from Showtime Networks, Inc. Then-Encore president John Sie said in an 1991 interview with Multichannel News that TCI brought up the concept of the Encore network as a way to revitalize Showtime, either by launching a new service from scratch or overhauling the format of Showtime sister network The Movie Channel.

Starting in 2007, Flix began to show some R-rated movies during the day. Also in 2007, Flix began showing movies from the year 2000; those titles include Reindeer Games and Pitch Black. Unlike most other premium movie channels, Flix does not offer multiplex services other than the main network.

Flix On Demand

Launched in 2005, Flix On Demand is the subscription video-on-demand counterpart to Flix, available to subscribers who receive the channel along with the other Showtime multiplex channels. Flix On Demand offers classic movies from the '50s through the '90s. Flix On Demand divides movies by decades: '50 & '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s.

Slogans

• 1992–present: "Movies You Grew Up With"
• 2007–present: "Cool Classics for the Movie Generation"