ABC Family Channel
| Freeform | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | April 29, 1977; 40 years ago |
| Owned by |
Disney–ABC Television Group (The Walt Disney Company) |
| Picture format |
720p (HDTV) (HD feed downgraded to letterboxed 480i for SDTVs) |
| Slogan | Become With Us |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Spanish (via SAP audio track) |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California |
| Formerly called |
|
| Sister channel(s) | |
| Timeshift service | Freeform East Freeform West |
| Website | freeform |
|
Availability
|
|
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | 311 (HD/SD) 1311 (VOD) |
| Dish Network | 180 (HD/SD) |
| Cable | |
| Available on most U.S. cable systems | Consult your local cable provider or program listings source for channel availability |
| IPTV | |
| AT&T U-verse | 178 (SD) 1178 (HD) |
| Verizon FiOS | 199 (SD) 699 (HD) |
| Streaming media | |
| WATCH Freeform |
freeform (U.S. cable internet subscribers only; requires login from pay television provider to access content) |
| Sling TV | Internet Protocol television |
| PlayStation Vue | Internet Protocol television |
| DirecTV Now | Internet Protocol television |
Freeform is an American basic cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the Disney–ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The channel primarily consists of TV series and films geared towards teenagers and young adults – with some programming skewing towards young women – in the 14-34 age range, a target demographic designated by the channel as "becomers" while some programming featured on Freeform (primarily consisting of movies) is secondarily geared towards a family audience. Its programming includes contemporary off-network syndicated reruns and original series, feature films and made-for-TV original movies, and some religious programming.
Since the network was launched in April 1977, it has undergone various changes to its on-air identity – having changed its name seven different times, the most of any American television network – and programming over the course of its history. The network was founded as the CBN Satellite Service, an extension of televangelist Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network; it evolved into a family-focused entertainment network in 1981, eventually becoming known as The Family Channel by 1990—after the network was spun out of CBN into the for-profit International Family Entertainment.
In 1997, IFE and The Family Channel were acquired by a joint venture between News Corporation and Saban Entertainment, resulting in its re-branding as the Fox Family Channel. The new owners sought to re-position the network towards younger viewers as a companion for their popular Fox Kids programming block. After the network began to struggle as a result of their changes, the venture was sold to The Walt Disney Company in May 2001, in a sale that also included Saban Entertainment; the channel altered its name to ABC Family six months later on November 10. On October 6, 2015, Disney–ABC Television Group announced that the network would rebrand as Freeform, officially adopting that name on January 12, 2016.
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Wikipedia