Animax Asia
| Animax | |
|---|---|
 Animax logo | |
| Launched |
19 January 2004 4 May 2004 – 2012 25 July 2016-present |
| Network | Animax |
| Owned by | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
| Picture format |
1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 480i/576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Slogan |
It starts with a stroke of imagination Re-create your world. |
| Country |
Singapore (main) Indonesia Malaysia Philippines Taiwan |
| Broadcast area |
Southeast Asia: Brunei Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Papua New Guinea Philippines Singapore Timor-Leste East Asia: Hong Kong Macau Taiwan South Asia: Maldives Sri Lanka India (via Sony LIV) |
| Headquarters | Singapore |
| Sister channel(s) |
AXN Asia Sony Channel One Gem |
| Website |
animax-asia |
Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Nexmedia (Indonesia) | Channel 305 |
| Satellite | |
| Astro (Malaysia) | Channel 715 (SD) |
| MNC Vision (Indonesia) | Channel 157 (SD) |
| Big TV (Indonesia) | Channel 243 (SD) |
| Transvision (Indonesia) | Channel 360 (SD) |
| Cignal (Philippines) | Channel 73 (SD) |
| G Sat (Philippines) | Channel 25 |
| Sky Net (Myanmar) | Channel 106 |
| CANAL+ (Myanmar) | Channel 105 |
| Skynindo (Indonesia) |
Channel 38 Channel 20 |
| OrangeTV (Indonesia) | Channel 215 |
| Cable | |
| First Media (Indonesia) |
Channel 52 (SD) Channel 342 (HD) |
| StarHub TV (Singapore) | Channel 532 (HD) |
| Sky Cable / Destiny Cable (Philippines) | Channel 46 (Digital) |
| Cable TV Hong Kong (Hong Kong) | Channel 321 |
| Cablelink (Philippines) | Coming Soon |
| MediaNet (Maldives) | Channel 204 |
| Macau Cable TV (Macau) | Channel 66 |
| Dialog TV (Sri Lanka) | Channel 134 |
| South Luzon CATV (Philippines) | Channel 105 (Digital) |
| IPTV | |
| now TV (Hong Kong) | Channel 150 |
| Singtel TV (Singapore) | Channel 342 (HD) |
| PTCL Smart TV (Pakistan) | Channel 57 |
| myTV Super (Hong Kong) | Channel 504 |
| HyppTV (Malaysia) | Channel 472 (HD) |
Animax Asia is a Southeast Asian pay television channel operated by Sony Pictures Television which broadcasts Japanese language anime programmings and English-language feeds in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. It is a regional version of Japanese BS channel Animax.
Animax is the first television channel in Asia fully dedicated to broadcasting anime 24 hours a day. It was initially launched in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia in January 2004,[1] and was launched in several other countries soon after. The company has reached over 66 million viewers spanning 15 markets throughout Asia.[2] Since 2013, the network is unavailable in Vietnam due to government content restrictions.[3]
History
Hong Kong and Taiwan
Animax Asia first launched in Taiwan on 1 January 2004, and then in Hong Kong 11 days later.[4] It broadcasts a variety of anime programming, from old to modern television series. Animax also airs anime series that premiered in Taiwan and Hong Kong prior to their release in Southeast Asian networks, some of them are Death Note, Blood+, Trinity Blood and Mushishi. After the TV premiere of Gurren Lagann, Animax's TV ratings recorded a huge increase and moved 80% more TRP than its closest competitor, Cartoon Network Hong Kong.[5][6]
Southeast Asia
A week after its launch in Taiwan and Hong Kong, Animax launched in Southeast Asia on 19 January 2004, initially featuring its anime programming exclusively in the original Japanese audio with English subtitling, becoming the company's first English language network.[4] It also later incorporated an English audio dub feed.[4] On 31 August 2006, Animax launched in Malaysia, in the Southeast Asian English language feed and also in Japanese audio feed with subtitles in the local languages. Prior to this, selected Animax shows were shown on astro@15 (formerly channel 15, now channel 715), an interactive channel, starting 15 December 2004, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., later shortened to 2 hours (until 9 a.m.). Anime such as Chobits, Cardcaptor Sakura, Great Teacher Onizuka, Ultra Maniac, Haibane Renmei, Doctor Dokkiri, Vision of Escaflowne, Midori no Hibi, Captain Tsubasa, Wolf's Rain, Mobile Suit Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. were some of the network' early airing in Southeast Asia. It has also aired several series, including Fate/stay night, Blood+, Honey and Clover, Maria-sama ga Miteru, Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, Otogizōshi, Jigoku Shōjo, Galaxy Angel, Witch Hunter Robin, Samurai 7, Gunslinger Girl, Urusei Yatsura, Ranma 1/2, and Detective Conan.
It also includes programming blocks, such as "Ani-Chan", which is aired on weekdays at 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm containing the programs Naruto, Danball Senki (a.k.a. Little Battlers eXperience) and Tsubasa Chronicle; "Animania", which is aired on weekdays from 6:00 pm and 6:30 pm containing the programs Dragon Ball and Law of Ueki; "Mega Zone", its prime time programming block is aired on weekdays from 7:00 pm containing the programs Gun X Sword, Fate/stay night and Honey and Clover; and its "Weekends" programming block is aired every Sunday at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm containing the series Dear Boys, Blood+ and Please Teacher!.[7]
Philippines
Animax began its operations in Philippines from January 2004. It is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment, Asian Cable Communications inc. (ACCION) and BDO Equitable Tower, Makati City. Its broadcast was distinct from the Southeast Asia feed, and shared the same schedule as the SEA feed but featured local advertisements.
Later in November 2014, the schedule was revised to air Valvrave the Liberator at 11PM every Monday - Wednesday, at the same time the SEA feed airs Golden Time. It utilizes the same programming feed as Animax Asia, in addition to that it also houses a two- to four-hour block of unique programming. It has occasionally aired localized programs such as Mad Mad Fun and In The Qube. Its simulcasts (of Tears to Tiara, Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, InuYasha: The Final Act and Maid Sama!), former inclusion of Korean programs in its roster, and acquisition of fresh titles like Accel World. Animax Philippines was reverted into its Southeast Asian feed since mid-2015.
On July 25, 2016, Animax was reformatted with the new look, new logo, new graphics and new anime programming lineup for the concede session works by popular demand before the final episode of In Search of the Lost Future and the premiere of Aria the Scarlet Ammo AA. Animax on Cignal Digital TV will be moved to Channel 73 beginning December 19, 2016.
In August 2017, the Philippine feed was returned but, schedules are still remain shared from Southeast Asian feed.
South Asia
Animax began operations across India and the rest of Indian Subcontinent from 5 July 2004 with Irfan Pathan as a brand ambassador.[8] Animax Indian Subcontinent started with 12 hours Hindi feed that targeted young kids and teens ages 7–14 and it had planned to launch Hindi and English language audio tracks[9] but from 15 August 2006, Animax entirely shut down its Hindi feed and kept its English one, since it changed its target audience to the ages 15–40 group.[10]
On 1 January 2008, Animax South Asia merged with Animax Asia's programming feed, including all of its exclusive premieres. Animax India rebranded its logo on 4 May 2010, which began airing American live-action series and reruns from AXN. In 2012, the channel stopped airing such shows and reverted to its old logo, and focused only on anime.
In the Maldives, Animax Asia is available via MediaNet and Dihraggi TV.
India
Animax ceased its television operations in India and was replaced by Sony Yay on April 18, 2017. Sony Pictures Networks decided to bring all anime content from Animax to its digital platform. On July 7, 2017 Animax was launched on Sony LIV as a live streaming channel.[11]
See also
Notes and references
- ↑ Sony Pictures Entertainment to Launch Animax Asia, Press Release, SPE, 29 October 2003, Anime News Network.
- ↑ https://www.animax-asia.com/about
- ↑ "Official announcement of stop broadcasting in Vietnam".
- 1 2 3 "About | Animax Asia". Sony Pictures Television International. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Animax tops ratings among local youths". Marketing Interactive. Retrieved 2015-04-30.
- ↑ "Animax – Youth Channel of Choice in Hong Kong and Taiwan". Sony Pictures Television International. Archived from the original on September 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-27.
- ↑ "Animax Asia". Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- ↑ Viveat Susan Pinto (6 July 2004). "Irfan to bowl for Sony's Animax". Afaqs news bureau. afaqs. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ↑ "Animax plans to go Hindi soon". thehindubusinessline. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ↑ "Animax goes all English from 15 August". indiantelevision. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
- ↑ http://www.sonyliv.com/share/live/5495190673001/Animax%20SD%20-%20LIVE%20CHANNEL?sfp=true
External links
- Animax Asia official website
- Animax Asia at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
