Syfy, in some countries named Sci Fi and stylized as SYFY, is a pay channel brand owned and operated by NBCUniversal International Networks that broadcasts in-house and acquired science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural and paranormal programming. Originally named the "Sci-Fi Channel" and first launched in the United States on September 24, 1992, it expanded to the United Kingdom 3 years later, followed by the Netherlands and Belgium a year after that, i.e. 1996.
 Syfy’s current logo used since 2017 | |
| Network | Versant |
|---|---|
| Programming | |
| Picture format | 1080i HDTV (downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Versant (as of 2026) |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Former names | Sci-Fi Channel |
| Links | |
| Website | Official website |
The name Syfy was officially adopted on July 7, 2009, and most were renamed Syfy Universal during the early 2010s. Sci Fi Channels in Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and future Sci Fi Channels in Greece, Malta and the now defunct Sci Fi Channel in Romania, became Sci Fi Universal due to syfy having a profane meaning in Polish. In 2017, the channel got rebranded and the Universal suffix was already dropped.[1]
Global Syfy or Sci Fi channels
edit| Channel | Country or region | Launch date |
|---|---|---|
| Syfy | United States | 1992 |
| Syfy (Spain) | Spain and Andorra | June 1, 2006 |
| Sci Fi (Poland) | Poland | December 1, 2007 |
| Syfy (Portugal) | Portugal | December 6, 2008 |
| Sci Fi (Balkans) | Serbia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro | October 1, 2009[2] |
Former channels
edit| Channel | Country or region | Launch year | Shutdown year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syfy (UK & Ireland) | United Kingdom and Ireland | October 1, 1995 | July 26, 2022 (Channel rebrands as Sky Sci-Fi) |
| Syfy (Germany) | Germany and Switzerland | September 1, 2003 | January 27, 2026 (channel rebrands as Sky Sci-Fi) |
| Syfy (France) | France | December 2, 2005 | March 17, 2026 (channel rebrands as SCIFI) |
| Syfy (Netherlands) | Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders) | October 1, 1996 – 1998 as Sci-Fi Channel, re-launched on March 30, 2007 | July 1, 2016 |
| SF (Australia) (part ownership) | Australia | December 1, 2006[3] | December 31, 2013, replaced by Syfy in 2014 |
| Syfy (Latin America) | Latin America | 1995 (block on USA Network) | November 2001 (block on USA Network) |
| April 1, 2007 | October 1, 2023 (replaced by USA Network (second iteration)) | ||
| Syfy (Italy) (as a block on Steel) | Italy | January 19, 2008 | January 1, 2013 |
| Sci Fi (Japan) | Japan | April 1, 2008 | March 31, 2010 |
| Sci Fi Universal (Romania) | Romania | April 18, 2008[4] | December 31, 2011 |
| Syfy (Russia) | Russia | May 30, 2008 | February 28, 2013 |
| Syfy (Asia) | Asia | July 1, 2008 | July 1, 2017 |
| Syfy (Australia) (wholly owned) | Australia | January 1, 2014, replaced SF | December 31, 2019 (replaced by Fox Sci-Fi)[5] |
| Syfy (MENA) | Middle East and North Africa | July 6, 2016[6] | 2019 |
See also
edit- CTV Sci-Fi Channel, a Canadian television channel that shows most of Sci-Fi Channel/Syfy's programming
References
edit- ↑ Liptak, Andrew (March 11, 2017). "The Syfy channel is rebooting with a new focus on science fiction fandom". The Verge. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ↑ "Sci Fi Channel to launch in Balkans". Digital TV Europe. September 23, 2010. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Australia To Get Its Own SciFi Channel". Slice of SciFi. October 18, 2006. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ↑ "Două canale NBC Universal la noi: SCI FI și Universal Channel". Comanescu. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ↑ Team, The IF (November 7, 2019). "Foxtel to launch murder-mystery, sci-fi channels as part of entertainment refresh". IF Magazine. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
- ↑ "SyFy channel for MENA". June 9, 2016. Retrieved August 21, 2023.