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We TV
	Logo used as of July 1, 2024
Country	United States
Broadcast area	Nationwide
Headquarters	New York City
Programming
Language(s)	English
Picture format	1080i HDTV; (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
Ownership
Owner	AMC Networks
Sister channels	AMC; BBC America; IFC; Sundance TV
History
Launched	September 1, 1997; 27 years ago
Former names	Romance Classics (1997–2000); WE: Women's Entertainment; (2000–2006)
Links
Website	www.wetv.com
Availability
Streaming media
Philo	Internet Protocol television
YouTube TV	Internet Protocol television
Sling TV	Internet Protocol television

We TV is an American pay television channel owned by AMC Networks that is oriented mainly towards lifestyle and entertainment programming targeting women. It was originally launched on September 1, 1997 as Romance Classics, before adopting its current name on January 1, 2001.

As of November 2023^[update], We TV is available to approximately 64,000,000 pay television households in the United States-down from its 2017 peak of 87,000,000 households.^[1]

History

Relaunch and early years

Romance Classics launched on September 1, 1997, under the ownership of what was then the Cablevision Systems Corporation-controlled Rainbow Media. It was originally a movie channel focusing mostly on romantic dramas and comedies, and television miniseries. Similar to the original format of AMC, the channel initially broadcast its films commercial-free.^[2] On January 1, 2001, the network was relaunched as WE: Women's Entertainment, taking on an ad-supported general entertainment format. By 2006, the network's name was shortened to WE tv.^[3]

WE's programming would shift towards reality shows as the decade progressed. In addition to general fare (like Secret Lives of Women), the network became known for airing several shows related to weddings (such as Bridezillas, Big Easy Brides and My Fair Wedding with David Tutera).^[4] On August 18, 2009, Rainbow launched a sister network called Wedding Central; the channel would last less than two years before it was closed on July 1, 2011.

In January 2011, We TV confirmed that it had signed Toni Braxton for a reality series, entitled Braxton Family Values, which is marketed as one of the flagship shows. The network was given a new logo and branding ahead of the show's launch, with the tagline "Life As WE Know It".^[5]

In March 2012, the network ordered 14 episodes of Kendra on Top; a reality show following the lives of Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett, who previously appeared in the E! reality series Kendra. Kendra said the show focuses on "motherhood, parenthood, and wife hood".^[6] Kendra On Top premiered on June 5, 2012.^[7]

2014–present

In June 2014, We TV unveiled a new logo; AMC Networks president Marc Juris explained that while We TV was to remain "a leading destination for women on television and online", the goal of the new branding was to broaden the focus on the word "we" as representing shared experiences, describing it as "a powerful and universal theme which drives connection, conversation, collaboration and community".^[8]

During this period, the network attempted a move into scripted series. The Divide, which was originally pitched for AMC, was cancelled after 1 season.^[9]^[10] Its second series, South of Hell premiered in its entirely on November 27, 2015 as a Black Friday programming stunt.

In 2018, We TV premiered Love After Lockup, a reality show following relationships formed by singles who had been recently released from prison. Benefitting from word of mouth via fans on social media, Love After Lockup was one of the fastest-growing, newly-launched reality series on cable that year, became We TV's second-highest rated series among women 25–54 behind Marriage Boot Camp, while the show and its spinoff Life After Lockup helped make We TV the highest-rated cable network among African American women 25–54 on Friday nights in 2019.^[11]

In December 2020, Urban Movie Channel (now Allblk) head Brett Dismuke became the general manager of both We TV and UMC, with plans to increase the synergies between the two services amid internal consolidations at AMC Networks, and ratings successes at the channel among African American audiences.^[12]