Charge! (TV network)

Charge! is an American digital broadcast television network owned by the Sinclair Broadcast Group that airs action and adventure-based programming. It launched on February 28, 2017, and was originally a joint venture with MGM.

In addition to its broadcast network affiliates, Charge is also available through its website and apps.

History

Since 2014, Sinclair had launched several digital broadcast networks, or "diginets"; including the American Sports Network (formally Sinclair's sports programming arm which became the framework for Stadium), and TBD (which targets millennial audiences). The science-fiction network Comet, launched in October 2015, was Sinclair's first joint venture with MGM. Charge! was formally announced by Sinclair and MGM on January 17, 2017.

The network debuted on February 28, 2017, at 10 am ( ET) with an airing of the 1978 film '' Here Come the Tigers''. Stations carrying The Works replaced the network with Charge.

'' Ring of Honor Wrestling'', the weekly professional wrestling television series produced by the then-Sinclair-affiliated Ring of Honor, was syndicated on the network from July 9, 2017, to 2019. The series was previously syndicated to Comet.

In 2020, MGM sold their operation stake in Charge and Comet to Sinclair. On April 6, Charge! began airing '' Magnum, P.I.'' and '' Knight Rider''. In the Fall, Charge began airing '' Hunter''.

In the years since Sinclair took control of the network, Charge would begin acquiring more contemporary crime dramas; including '' CSI: Miami'' in June 2021, '' CSI: NY'' in late 2022, and '' Without a Trace'' and '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' in 2023.

Programming

Charge! currently provides up to 18 hours of programming to its owned-and-operated and affiliated stations on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time and weekends from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The remaining vacated hours are occupied by paid programming.

Programming on Charge! was originally sourced from MGM's library, and was expressed by Sinclair's press release announcing the launch as "one of the deepest libraries of premium action-themed content in the world." Launch titles indicated included the TV series '' In the Heat of the Night'' and '' The Magnificent Seven'', the '' Rocky'' and ''James Bond'' film series, and other motion pictures including ''Platoon'' and '' Dances with Wolves''. As a result, the network has a similar demographic to that of Heroes & Icons and Start TV.

Affiliates

At its outset, Sinclair slated the launch of Charge! to primarily take place on digital subchannels of stations it owns or operates. Other Sinclair stations will likely add Charge! during Spring 2017 (and also used it to replace Grit and Ion Mystery when their carriage agreements with Sinclair expired in January 2018), and Sinclair will continue to offer the network to stations outside its geographic footprint (the company projects Charge to reach over 50% of the U.S. by the end of 2nd quarter 2017). As of February 12, 2019, there are 56 affiliates of which 49 have the network on the air and 7 that have committed to broadcasting the network.
It was announced that YouTube TV will add Charge! to their lineup on June 1, 2023.

References

External links

*

{{United States broadcast affiliates

Television networks in the United States
Classic television networks
Nostalgia television in the United States
Television channels and stations established in 2017
2017 establishments in the United States
Sinclair Broadcast Group