LOS ANGELES/TORONTO – Rogers Media Inc. and FX Networks have announced a deal at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Los Angeles to bring FX’s programming north of the border.
“Clearly in my opinion, FX is a network in a States that’s on a rise,” said Scott Moore, president of broadcast for Rogers Media at the press conference. “It’s the number four cable network in the U.S. now. Its programming is edgy, it’s high-quality, and it’s a great fit with our existing brands.”
FX Canada will launch on November 1 as anew digital service, and will deliver acclaimed programming to Canadian audiences including FX original series, U.S. acquired movies and series, original Canadian programming, and Canadian sports events. Some of the more notable shows in the FX lineup have included Damages, Sons of Anarchy, The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, Justified, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Louie, Archer and Wilfrid.
One of the first new original FX shows to air on FX Canada will be the series American Horror Story, which comes from Glee creator Ryan Murphy. While FX has never been available legally in Canada, many of its programs have aired on a show-by-show and season-by-season basis on Showcase, Super Channel and others.
“Canadian viewers and television journalists have been inquiring for years about the lack of full availability of FX’s great original series in Canada. In response to their fervent desire we felt the next step was to establish a dedicated home for our shows and for the FX brand in Canada,” said Eric Schrier, executive vice-president of FX Productions.
FX Network is part of the FOX Group, and serves as the flagship basic entertainment cable network offered by Fox. The network debuted in June 1994 and is currently seen in more than 99 million homes.
The digital channel will be available to as many as 1.7 million Canadians who subscribe to the Rogers VIP Digital service, with offerings to other satellite providers, Moore said.
Moore added that FX complements Rogers Media’s existing portfolio of broadcast assets such as Citytv, OLN and Rogers Sportsnet.
