GINX TV Ltd, doing business as GINX.TV, is a

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

–based media group founded in 2007 dedicated to coverage of

video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

–related content. In addition to its television channel, which first launched in 2008, GINX TV produces and distributes content through its website and other platforms.

History

Formation and launch

Ginx was founded in 2007 by Alistair Gosling (founder of the

Extreme Sports Channel The Extreme Sports Channel is a pay television channel that was launched from Amsterdam on 1 May 1999. The channel broadcasts in over 60 countries and 12 languages, and covers extreme sport and adventure sports which include surfing, skateboardin ...

), Udi Shapira, and Cosmo Spens. The Ginx TV television channel would launch in August 2008 on Romania's Boom TV satellite television platform. , Ginx TV operates in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Ginx TV is represented by the Dori Media Group in Indonesia and Turkey. A high-definition

simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...

of the channel, called Ginx HD, was temporarily available on Hispasat 1E during 2011. On 30 July 2012, the channel became available in HD again on

StarHub TV Star Hub TV is a pay television service provided by StarHub in Singapore. It has been a subsidiary of ''StarHub Limited'' since StarHub acquired ''Singapore Cable Vision'' (SCV) in 2001, and was the sole pay-TV operator in the country until 200 ...

in Singapore. In August 2010, Ginx TV announced plans to launch in the UK and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

, where the channel expected a potential audience of over 12 million viewers through

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...

and

Virgin Media Virgin Media Limited is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, television and internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, England. It is owned by Virgin Media O2, a 50:50 ...

. In October 2010,

Red Bee Media Red Bee Media Ltd., formerly Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services (EBMS), is an international broadcasting and media services company and the largest access provider in Europe. Red Bee has its headquarters in London, England, with branch offi ...

was appointed to create a new identity and on-screen presentation for the channel. The British launch was announced to be delayed in March 2011. Ginx would ultimately launch on Virgin Media on 9 July 2013. A

video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos, television shows and films Digital distribution, digitally on request. These multimedia are accessed without a traditional video playback device and a typica ...

service was also available in the UK on

BT Vision EE TV (formerly BT Vision and then BT TV until 2023) is a subscription IPTV service offered by EE; a brand of British telecommunications company BT Group. It requires the signing up to and use of the EE Broadband internet and phone service, w ...

from 26 May 2011. Ginx programming has also been distributed to third-party broadcasters such as

TVNZ U TVNZ U, more known as U, was an interactive youth-oriented New Zealand television channel, owned and operated by TVNZ. The channel launched on 13 March 2011, and featured reality programming, as well as an interactive live show and music cont ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, Zee Trendz in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

OSN Orbit Showtime Network, commonly known as OSN, is a Dubai-based Satellite television, satellite TV company, serving the Middle East and North Africa region. OSN mainly broadcasts programming from TV networks owned by Paramount Global, Warner B ...

in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

and

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and EGO in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

. On 12 December 2011, Ginx TV agreed to license some of its content to the American video gaming website '' The Escapist''. In April 2015, Ginx formed a temporary partnership with DStv to launch the first Esports channel in South Africa. The brand returned in 2017 through a partnership with SuperSport and DStv which would give it a dedicated channel. The channel was closed by 31 March 2024 with further content on Ginx+.

Shift to Esports

In June 2016, it was announced that, with the partnership of

and ITV, Ginx TV was to be relaunched as GINX Esports TV, shifting its focus to covering esports. With the changeover, the channel relaunched on 24 June 2016 on Sky, in addition to it already being available to watch on Virgin Media. On 15 February 2017, it was announced that the Canadian premium service Super Channel would launch a native version of Ginx as a replacement for one of its multiplex channels. Replacing Super Channel 4, GINX Esports TV Canada launched on 4 May 2017 with a live edition of ''The Bridge'' and thereafter combined its own domestic shows with the programming of its parent channel. GINX Esports TV was launched in Israel in 2017 through a partnership with Partner's 4GTV app. In October 2017, Ginx announced a partnership with Telekom Austria Group to make the channel available across Europe on Eutelsat 16A. In October 2018, Ginx announced it had terminated its contract with Virgin Media. In January 2022, GINX Esports TV began broadcasting its programming on

Twitch Twitch may refer to: Biology * Muscle contraction ** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation ** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction ** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle c ...

. On 24 June 2023 it was announced that the UK version of the channel would cease satellite broadcast on 29 June 2023, and continue on Sky Glass and Sky Stream. On 17 July 2024 the channel launched as an

IPTV Internet Protocol television (IPTV), also called TV over broadband, is the service delivery of television over Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Usually sold and run by a Telephone company, telecom provider, it consists of broadcast live telev ...

service on

Freeview Freeview may refer to: *Freeview (Australia), the marketing name for the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia *Freeview (New Zealand), a digital satellite and digital terrestrial television platform in New Zealand *Freeview (UK), a ...

on channel 296. However, just over 6 months later on 22 January 2025, the service closed on Freeview.

GINX.TV programming

The company has produced several esports and gaming-related programmes for its television channel, website, and digital outlets through its production arm, GINX Studios. Ginx has also produced programming and content for third-party publishers, media organizations, brands and esports organizations.

Current programming

* '' The First Hour'' – Shows the latest big release or revisited a modern classic by playing through the first 60 minutes. Reintroduced in 2017. Presented by Adam Savage (2013–present), Neil Cole (2014), Simon Longden (2013–2014), Lucy James (2013–2014) and Anthony Richardson (2014–present). * ''GINX Docs'' – Documentary style content covering an array of video game related topics, including the history of a game or the current state of a video game at present. * ''GINX News'' – A daily gaming news show, presented by Ash Dixon. * ''Origins'' – A look back at the origins of some of your favourite Esports titles. * ''Shut Up & Play (ex. GINX Plays)'' – The cast and crew of Ginx Esports TV plays some of their favourite titles in this stream-on-TV format. * ''Top 10'' – Countdown of the Top 10 characters, games of a certain genre, etc. Presented by Adam Savage (2017–present).

Former programming

* ''101'' – Instructional show, demonstrating the high-level techniques used in a number of popular e-sports titles ("to go from being a newbie to a pro").x * ''Action Figures Adventure Series'' – Reality show. Follows collector Jay Bartlett across

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

as he attempts to build the ultimate

action figure An action figure is a poseable character model figure made most commonly of plastic, and often based upon characters from a film, comic book, military, video game, television program, or sport; fictional or historical. These figures are usually ...

auction for charity. * ''Ant & Sav vs The World'' – RL to FIFA or Street Fighter V, Ant and Save invite their viewers to join them in an exclusive competition. * ''The Blurb'' – The channel's

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

show. It compiled the latest in gaming news, reviews, and previews. Presented by

Julia Hardy Julia Hardy, also known as Jules Hardy, is a British television presenter known for their interests in gaming, music, e-sports, and new technology. They are the creator and presenter of the online fitness programme Game to Train. In addition t ...

(2011–2012), Anthony Richardson (2012), Lizzie Huang (2013), and Lucy James (2013–2014). The show was replaced by ''The Essentials'' in September 2014. * ''The Bridge'' – Late night talk show. Multi-game coverage of live eSports (similar to sports channel live compilations of simultaneous matches). Hosted by Frank Soldato. * ''Connector –'' ''The CS:GO Podcast'' – James Banks's interview podcast sees top CS:GO personalities give insights into the esports scene. * ''Console Yourself'' – A show in which stand-up comedians confessed their videogame loves, hates, and guilty secrets. Presented by Neil Cole (2014–present). * ''Crossfeed'' – Reality show/contest. Seeks the best influencers and streamers in the world over the prior two weeks. * ''Culture Shock'' – Series dedicated to the culture surrounding video gaming including

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

and

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

s. * ''Daily Download'' – From the latest mercato news to the most recent merchandise launch, a light-hearted look at what's happening in the world of Esports and gaming with Emile Cole and Alex Knight. * ''The Dojo'' – A deep dive into the world of the FGC (Fighting Game Community) led by Fighting Game players/casters Damascus and Tyrant. * ''Faster'' – Games that focused on

racing In sports, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific g ...

with a particular focus on

motorsport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of Car, automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and Aircraft, powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific term ...

. Presented by

Neil Cole Neil Cole (born 1 March 1972) is an English television presenter, comedian, radio broadcaster and actor. Early life Cole was born in Bristol in 1972, lived in Allendale, New Jersey, USA as a child, and attended King Edward Grammar School in ...

(2011–2014). * ''Fight Card'' – Showcases games involving members of the "Ginx community". * ''Game Set to Music'' – Gameplay footage from recent releases renowned for their graphical fidelity, at their maximum detail settings, synchronised with popular music. * ''GameFace'' – Started broadcasting in 2009 on

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels * Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 * Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...

, before being replaced by The Blurb in 2011 on Challenge. * ''Games Evolved'' – Tracked the history of a particular game or genre and comments on how different themes or ideas have been treated by different companies, series or decades. * ''Games Games Games'' – Previews and reviews of games that are both child and family friendly. * ''Games Room'' – Esports and streaming personalities face various games challenges that test their skill and reactions across a number of competitive titles, before being allowed to leave. * ''Gamesport'' – Provided reviews and commentary on games within the

sport Sport is a physical activity or game, often Competition, competitive and organization, organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The numbe ...

s genre. Presented by Anthony Richardson (2010–2014). * ''Get Fragged'' – Followed the genre of

first-person shooter A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game genre, video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a First person (video games), first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through t ...

s. * ''GGM (Good Games Monthly)'' – A monthly magazine show counting covering the world of Esports and casual gaming. * ''Ginx Files'' – GameFace's sister show. * ''Ginx Live'' – A live show fronted by Adam Savage with special guests, gameplay coverage and giveaways every week on Virgin Media, Twitch and later on YouTube. The news was presented by Chris Bond and Lydia Ellery while Chris Slight and Haplo Shaffer talked to the public and communicated their views. * ''The Ginx Masterchart'' – A weekly top ten of chart games, counting down the biggest sellers of that week. * ''Ginx News'' – A daily update of news within the gaming world. Presented by Lucy James (2013–2014). * ''Ginx Playlist'' – A look at recommended games. * ''The Ginx Top 40/10 Chart'' – A countdown of the biggest games of the week. * ''The Ginx Vault'' – A look at retro games. * '' HUD'' (Canadian) – Heads Up Daily TV. At the time, the first and only Esports TV show in Canada. * ''IRL'' – Docu-reality series centered on the daily life of some the most notorious UK eSports personalities, presented by Charleyy. * ''LetsPlay Live'' – Players from different teams compete to gain points to qualify into the OCE championship later that year. * '' Minecraft: Digging Deeper'' – Teaches the basics of Minecraft and also more "advanced" and lesser-known Minecraft features with gameplay and narration. Explains from how to survive the first night all the way to how to dye wool, how to build a good home, how to use redstone well, etc. * ''Most Wanted'' – Interviews and previews. * ''Planet of the Apps'' – Previews, reviews and recommendations of

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...

s, games and gadgets. Presented by Adam Savage (2011–2015), Lucy Hedges (2014–2015) and David McClelland (2014–2015). * ''The Quest'' – Focused on the genre of

role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...

s. * ''Rumble Pack'' – A series of top ten countdowns that compared characters, genres and specific games. * ''Social Gaming and Coconuts'' – Behind the scenes access to the world of social and casual gaming. * ''SQUAD'' – Variety show covering gaming and internet culture. * ''That "Gaming" Show'' – Covers recent stories from gaming, e-sports and entertainment. Hosted by Stumpie and Cole. * ''This Week in Esports'' – Retrospective of the last seven days in Esports, hosted by former pro and Esports commentator F-Word. * ''Under the Radar'' – A show introduced in June 2015 which focused on brand new and classic indie games, DLC and other games which may have gone under the radar. * '' Videogame Nation'' – Only airing on Challenge in the UK, but on Ginx TV in other countries, each episode focused on one game, series or developer, with discussion of related titles and gaming history. In August 2014, the show was revamped with new hosts and a new format following criticism of the original version. Variously hosted by Tom Deacon (2014), Emily Hartridge (2014), Nathan Caton (2014), Aoife Wilson (2014–2016), Dan Maher (2014–2016) and John Robertson (2014–2016) with additional insight from 'talking heads' such as Steve McNeil and Chris Slight in the show's current format.

References

External links

* {{Sky Ltd 2007 establishments in the United Kingdom Digital television in the United Kingdom ITV television channels Mass media companies based in London Sky television channels Television channels and stations established in 2008 Television channels in the United Kingdom Television shows about video games Video game culture