AXN is an pan-Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia, which is based in Singapore. It primarily airs action, police procedural, and crime-arrested shows, mostly came from North America. The network was formerly wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, but the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa channels were sold to KC Global Media in January 2020.[2]
Upon its launch, in the late 1990s and early 21st century, AXN used to broadcast several anime series, many of them in Japanese audio with English subtitles and held annual anime festivals around Southeast Asia.[3][4] Its anime programming would later be moved to Animax Asia in 2004, the preparations for which Sony had been planning since the late 1990s.[4] In the last quarter of 2010, selected English-dubbed anime programs from Animax Asia were broadcast during mornings and late-afternoon. This feed was then made available in the Philippines only, but was discontinued in August 2016 as AXN would focus on its main programming.[citation needed]
Original productions
Adventure Your Way - adventure show; hosted by Atom Araullo
Sony Style - lifestyle and entertainment magazine show sponsored by Sony; seasons two and three hosted by Oli Pettigrew[11]
Ultimate Escape - holiday adventure show; the first season aired from October 29, 2007, to November 19, 2007[12]
Feeds
There are two feeds for the channel. One is aimed only at viewers in Hong Kong and Thailand, the other is aimed towards the rest of the region. Programming on both feeds are the same, with the exception of local advertising. The Philippine feed also sometimes modifies its own programming due to broadcast issues.
AXN Japan (separated from the SEA feed including local advertisements, sales to Nojima in 2021 and relaunced as Action Channel [ja] in October 2023)
AXN Mystery Japan (separated from the SEA feed including local advertisements, sales to Nojima in 2021 and relaunced as Mystery Channel [ja] in October 2023)
AXN first launched its high-definition feed in Korea on 1 March 2009 which was later made available in Singapore on StarHub TV on 25 May 2010.[13] In Malaysia, it was launched on 16 June 2010 on Astro and 1 October 2023 on NJOI.[14] In Thailand it was launched on 12 July 2011 on TrueVisions; in India it was made available on Videocon D2H on 19 July 2014. The HD feed premiered in Sri Lanka on Dialog TV 2013. In the Philippines it was launched on 20 April 2015 on SkyCable, Sky Direct, Cignal and Singtel TV in Singapore.