Syfy is the French-speaking 24-hour science fiction entertainment channel based on the US version of the same name. The channel launched on December 2, 2005, under the branding of Sci-fi. It became the fourth "Sci Fi Channel" alongside channels in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, UK and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. The channel was rebranded Syfy on January 5, 2010, as part of global rebrand. Some years later, it was changed for SYFY on August 29, 2017, as part of another global rebrand.

History

Sci-Fi Channel started as a programming block on 13ème Rue in 1999. Sci-Fi launched as a channel in France on 2 December 2005. Sci-fi was rebranded as Syfy on 5 January

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

, with the suffix Universal in the beginning. The channel rebranding coincides with NBC Universal Global Networks rebranding campaign which initially started in the US in July 2009. Syfy created the pop-up channel ''La Chaîne de la Fin du Monde'' to mark the announcement of the End of the World scheduled on 21 December 2012, it broadcast on Canalsat from 21 November to 21 December 2012.

Distribution

*France: Syfy is widely available in France on SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free,

Molotov TV Molotov TV, stylised as Molotov.TV or simply Molotov, is a French streaming television distribution service launched on 11 July 2016. Founded by Jean-David Blanc (founder of AlloCiné) and Pierre Lescure (former chairman of Canal+), the servi ...

and

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

. *Belgium: Syfy is available in option on Proximus Pickx, VOO and

Telenet Telenet was an American commercial packet-switched network which went into service in 1975. It was the first FCC-licensed public data network in the United States. Various commercial and government interests paid monthly fees for dedicated lin ...

. *Switzerland: Syfy is available on

Swisscom Swisscom is a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland. Its headquarters are located in Worblaufen near Bern. The Swiss government owns 51% of Swisscom. According to its own published data, Swisscom holds a market share of 56% for mob ...

(Blue TV XL) and

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

(Premium Plus). Syfy initially was exclusive to CanalSat in France (except on cable networks). In December 2016, SFR announced that it had signed an exclusivity agreement with

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...

and resumed exclusive distribution of Syfy, 13ème Rue and E!, available until then in the

Canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

offers (which are as well distributed via the ISP boxes such as

Freebox The Freebox is an Asymmetric digital subscriber line, ADSL-VDSL-FTTH modem and a set-top box that the French Internet service provider named Free (ISP), Free (part of the Iliad group) provides to its DSL-FTTH subscribers. Its main use is as a hi ...

of Free). In March 2017, the channels have arrived at SFR. They were removed of

on 26 September 2017, in Metropolitan France. In Overseas France and Africa, Canal+ still distribute the channels, while SFR also added them where it operated. With the end of the exclusivity on SFR, the Universal+ service along with Syfy, 13ème Rue, E!, and the new DreamWorks channel, were launched on 17 November 2022 on SFR, and in December on Bouygues Telecom and Prime Video Channels. Universal+ along with Syfy was also added to

on 18 October 2023, and Free in January 2024. However, the channels did not return on Canal+ in mainland France.

References

External links

Syfy France
{{NBCUniversal International Networks Syfy Television stations in France French-language television stations Television channels and stations established in 2005 2005 establishments in France Science fiction television channels Universal Networks International

History

Distribution

See also

References

External links