Flix (TV network)
| Flix | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | August 1, 1992 |
| Owned by |
Showtime Networks (subsidiary of Viacom, 1992–2005; subsidiary of CBS Corporation, 2006–present) |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) |
| Slogan | Cool Classics. |
| Country | United States |
| Language |
English Spanish (via SAP audio track; some films may be broadcast in their native language and subtitled into English) |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | New York City, New York |
| Sister channel(s) |
Showtime, The Movie Channel, Smithsonian Channel |
| Timeshift service | Flix East, Flix West |
|
Availability
|
|
| Satellite | |
| DirecTV | 556 (SD) 1556 (VOD) |
| Dish Network | 333 (SD) |
| Cable | |
| Verizon FiOS | 390 (east) 391 (west) |
| Available on most other U.S. cable systems | Consult your local cable provider or program listings source for channel availability |
| IPTV | |
| AT&T U-verse | 890 (SD) |
Flix is an American premium cable and satellite television network that is owned by the Showtime Networks subsidiary of CBS Corporation. Its programming consists solely of theatrically released feature films released from the 1970s to the present day, interspersed with some films from the 1950s and 1960s.
It is the only premium television service in the United States that does not operate any multiplex channels that provide additional programming alongside the main service. Although Flix is typically offered as part of the Showtime multiplex, the channel's carriage varies depending on both the cable provider and market, therefore it may not be available alongside Showtime and The Movie Channel's multiplex services in all areas.
The network launched on August 1, 1992, as a single-channel "mini-pay" service. Flix originally featured movies from the 1960s to the 1980s, although it would gradually begin to scatter some 1990s film titles onto the network's schedule over time. At its launch, Flix had been one of the last premium channels to restrict the broadcast of R-rated films to the nighttime hours. A notable aspect of Flix during its early days was that the channel did not solely advertise the channel's own prime time lineup, but also ran a schedule of programs that were slated to air that evening on the other major U.S. premium channels – including HBO, Cinemax and Encore as well as sister networks Showtime and The Movie Channel – during breaks between daytime movies (since 2002, Showtime has been the only other premium service that the network has provided prime time listings during its prime time lineup segment).
Three years prior to the channel's launch, in 1989, Tele-Communications Inc. made a failed bid to acquire a 50% ownership stake in Showtime from Viacom. There was some debate as to whether Viacom or TCI originally conceived the idea for Encore, another (one-time) "mini-pay" service that was originally similar in format to Flix, which also focused on films from the 1960s to the 1980s until a format change in 1999 in which that channel added more recent films to its schedule. Viacom executives insisted that TCI lifted part of the idea for Encore from the company's Showtime Networks division. John Sie, the president of Encore at the time, said in an 1991 interview with Multichannel News that TCI brought up the concept of the Encore network as a way to revitalize Showtime, either by launching a new tertiary service from scratch or by overhauling the format of Showtime's existing sister network The Movie Channel.
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