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FXX

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This article is about the U.S. television network. For other uses, see FXX (disambiguation).
"FX2" redirects here. For the film starring Bryan Brown, see F/X2.
FXX
CountryUnited States
NetworkFX
HeadquartersLos Angeles, CA[1]
Programming
Language(s)English
Ownership
Owner21st Century Fox (FX Networks, LLC)

FXX is an American digital cable and satellite television channel launched on September 2, 2013, owned by 21st Century Fox through FX Networks, LLC.[2] It is the sister channel of the larger network, FX. The channel's programming focuses on original and acquired comedy series, some dramatic programs, acquired children's series, and feature films.

FXX launched at 7:00 a.m. Eastern/6:00 a.m. Central on September 2, 2013, replacing Fox Soccer.[3] The channel is best known for setting the record for the longest continuous marathon in the history of television, which featured every single episode of The Simpsons that had already been released at the time, which numbered over 550.[4] This record has since been broken.

As of July 2015, approximately 78,498,000 households in the United States (67.4% of those with television) receive FXX.[5]

History

Development

In January 2013, it was reported by various media outlets that sports-focused channel Fox Soccer would be shut down and be replaced with a general entertainment network that would act as a brother service to FX; while FXX was a possible name from the start, another name proposed for the new net was FX2.[6] The decision appeared to stem from Fox Sports' loss of U.S. television rights to English Premier League soccer matches, rights it shared with ESPN; NBC Sports had secured U.S. rights to the league in October 2012, a deal that took effect at the start of the 2013–14 season.[7] Also likely having an effect on Fox Soccer's future was the eventual conversion of two other Fox Sports specialty channels on August 17, 2013, when the motorsports-oriented Speed became the new general-interest Fox Sports 1 and the extreme sports-heavy Fuel TV converted to Fox Sports 2 (Premier League broadcasts on NBC began that same day).

Fox Entertainment Group announced its plans for FXX on March 28, 2013 for a planned launch on September 2, 2013, intending for FXX to be available in approximately 74 million American homes "in year one".[2][3] In the months leading up to the launch, Fox was generally coy about definitively confirming where FXX would be placed on cable/satellite channel lineups, though Fox officials had indicated off the record that the plan was to indeed replace Fox Soccer with the new network.[8]

Fox Soccer's conversion to FXX took place on the morning of September 2, 2013, leading out of a final airing of Fox Soccer's Being: Liverpool with an hour block of paid programming (which featured a FXX disclaimer card at the front) at 6 a.m. (ET), followed by the proper launch an hour later at 7 a.m. ET.

Launch

The launch clip had FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi about to score a goal broken up by Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito) of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia coming through a leather couch (representing a television screen being "ripped") being "birthed" in the nude (a scene taken from the 2009 Christmas special episode "A Very Sunny Christmas"), suggesting the "birthing" of FXX; this led into the pilot episode of Parks and Recreation, the start of an all-day marathon airing of the series.[9][10] As a result of the rebranding, Fox Soccer's remaining event rights, including CONCACAF and UEFA matches, have moved to Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, or in some cases Fox Soccer Plus.

Although the channel is intended by Fox to be part of the basic cable lineup, on many providers (including Suddenlink Communications, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS, and Charter Communications) the channel was previously placed in a specialty sports package, a holdover from the channel's previous iteration as Fox Soccer,[11] although most providers have since moved FXX into more basic slots on the lineup.

A Canadian version of FXX launched on April 1, 2014.[12]

2014–present

In 2013, FXX acquired broadcast syndication rights to the long-running Fox series The Simpsons for a reported $750 million, a deal which broke the record for being the biggest off-network deal in television history. Original contracts had previously stated that syndication rights for the series would not be sold to cable until the series conclusion; however, the series has been syndicated to several local broadcast stations throughout the United States since 1993.[13]

The series premiered on August 21, 2014, starting a twelve-day marathon which featured the first 552 episodes (every single episode that had already been released at the time) aired chronologically, including The Simpsons Movie, which FX Networks had already owned the rights to air. It was said to be the longest continuous marathon in the history of television, until VH1 Classic broke FXX's record with their nineteen-day marathon of Saturday Night Live.[14][15] The first day of the marathon was the highest rated broadcast day in the history of the network so far, the ratings more than tripled those of regular prime time programming for FXX.[16] Ratings during the first six nights of the marathon grew night after night, with the network ranking within the top 5 networks in basic cable each night.[17]

In 2015, FXX introduced a late-night block of animated programming, featuring reruns of series that originally premiered on Fox's previous late-night animation block Animation Domination High-Def, new episodes of Lucas Bros. Moving Co., the new original series Stone Quackers, and later joined by Major Lazer, an animated series based on the Diplo-fronted electronic music group of the same name.[18][19]

For Thanksgiving 2016, FXX launched a 13-day, 600-episode run of The Simpsons in honor of the show's 600th episode, the marathon which would include the first four episodes of The Simpsons' 28th season and ending with the episode Treehouse of Horror XXVII. Unlike the previous 552-episode marathon FXX had aired, this marathon did not include The Simpsons Movie.[20]

On July 15, 2017, a 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer game featuring the U.S. men's national team was relegated to FXX due to sports programming conflicts with Fox and Fox Sports 1; The Washington Post noted that the match was likely placed on FXX rather than Fox Sports 2 due to its broader carriage, as it is available in nearly as many households as FS1, and on basic tiers on some providers.[21]

Programming

Current

Scripted

Acquired syndicated shows

Upcoming

Scripted

Past

Scripted

Acquired

Notes

  1. ^ Downscaled to letterboxed 480i

References

  1. ^ "Company Overview of FX Networks, LLC".
  2. ^ a b "FX NETWORKS TO LAUNCH FXX" (PDF) (Press release). FX Networks. March 28, 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (March 28, 2013). "FX Officially Unveils FXX Channel To Launch In September, New Branding Campaign". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  4. ^ "'The Simpsons' Marathon Shattered FXX's Ratings Records".
  5. ^ "List of how many homes each cable network is in as of July 2015". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  6. ^ "Fox Soccer to relaunch as FXX". Deadline.com. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
  7. ^ "NBC secures English Premier League football rights". Associated Press. October 28, 2012.
  8. ^ Harris, Christopher (2013-03-28). "FOX Soccer's Days Are Numbered With Upcoming Launch of FXX On Sept. 2". EPLTalk. Retrieved 2013-04-21. 'The launch of FXX this September was announced this morning, but we have nothing to announce today about FOX Soccer,' said a FOX Sports spokesperson.
  9. ^ Burke, Timothy (2 September 2013). "Watch Fox Soccer Channel Die In The Most Undignified Manner Possible". Deadspin. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  10. ^ "FXX to Launch in 72 Million Homes Two Weeks From Today", TV by the Numbers, August 19, 2013
  11. ^ Channel Surfer: Tonight's TV (with VIDEO) Amarillo Globe News, September 4, 2013
  12. ^ Rogers goes after younger audience with new FXX channel Toronto Star, 14 January 2014
  13. ^ FXX Lands 'The Simpsons' In Biggest Off-Network Deal In TV History Deadline Hollywood, November 15, 2013
  14. ^ Bradley, Bill. "'The Simpsons' Launches On FXX With Longest Continuous Marathon Ever". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  15. ^ Steinberg, Brian. "VH1 Classic To Run 433-Hour 'Saturday Night Live' Marathon". Variety. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  16. ^ Kissell, Rick. "'The Simpsons' Marathon More Than Triples Primetime Audience for FXX". Variety. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  17. ^ Kondolojy, Amanda. "FXX Paints Labor Day Weekend Yellow". TV By the Numbers. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  18. ^ Weiner, Natalie (March 31, 2015). "Major Lazer's FXX Animated Series Is 'Like Being High'". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015.
  19. ^ "Fox's ADHD Cartoons Find New Home on FXX". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  20. ^ Negley, Erin. "As 'Simpsons' 600-episode marathon winds down, can you pick a favorite?".
  21. ^ "The FXX is in: U.S. national soccer team will appear on different channel". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  22. ^ "Marvel's Deadpool to Star in Adult Animated Comedy Series for FXX". Retrieved 2017-05-10. {{cite news}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 62 (help)
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