Sony Channel (formerly known as Sony Entertainment Television) was a general entertainment channel that was part of the
DStv bouquet of
Sub-Saharan Africa satellite channels owned by
MultiChoice
MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries of this area and Showmax service. MultiChoice was formed out of the sub ...
.
History
The Sony Channel was the local South African version and subsidiary of the
Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (SET) is an Indian Hindi-language general entertainment pay television channel, that was launched on 30 September 1995, and is owned by Culver Max Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese Sony.
SET India's ...
brand, which is seen in over 100 countries worldwide. It was launched in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
on 2 November 2007 and was based in
Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
.
The channel broadcasts a mix of programming including drama, comedy and reality series as well as commercial and independent movies. The channel was also the premiere broadcaster of the reality series ''
The Amazing Race
''The Amazing Race'' is an adventure reality game show franchise in which teams of two people race around the world in competition with other teams. The ''Race'' is split into legs, with teams tasked to deduce clues, navigate themselves in forei ...
''.
On 22 September 2014, the channel abruptly rebranded to Sony Channel with its new logo on air.
The channel, alongside Sister
channel,
Sony MAX
Sony Max (known popularly as Set Max) is an Indian pay television entertainment channel which is a sister channel to Sony Entertainment Television, operated by Culver Max Entertainment. The channel started broadcasting on 20 July 1999 and is ...
, were discontinued on 31 October 2018 on
DStv, and on 28 February 2019 on
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
.
Sony Pictures Television Networks decides to leave Africa as the Sony Channel and Sony MAX are yanked from Cell C black
TV with Thinus. 21 January 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2021
Former series and shows
*''The Bernie Mac Show
''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured Bernie ...
''
*''Billable Hours
Billable hours are hours worked by an employee for an employer that are billed to the employer's client.Horace R. Brock, Charles Earl Palmer, Linda A. Herrington, ''Cost Accounting: Principles and Applications'' (1989), p. 547. In certain professio ...
''
*''The Boondocks
Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas.
Boondocks may also refer to:
* The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band
* ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder
** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...
''
*'' Chef Roblé & Co.''
*''Crossing Lines
''Crossing Lines'' is a German-French-Italian-American action crime thriller television series created by Edward Allen Bernero and Rola Bauer. The series premiered on June 9, 2013, at the screening for the Opening Ceremonies of the 53rd editi ...
''
*''Drop Dead Diva
''Drop Dead Diva'' is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that aired on Lifetime from July 12, 2009, to June 22, 2014. The series was created by Josh Berman and produced by Sony Pictures Television. It stars Brooke Elliott ...
''
*''Early Edition
''Early Edition'' is an American fantasy comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from September 28, 1996, to May 27, 2000. Set in Chicago, Illinois, it follows the adventures of a man who mysteriously receives each ''Chicago Sun-Times' ...
''
*''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...
''
*'' Friends''
*''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
''
*'' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper''
*'' In the House''
*'' Just Shoot Me''
*'' Kung Faux''
*''Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
''
*'' Later with Jools Holland''
*''Law & Order: Criminal Intent
''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural Drama (film and television), drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and Executive producer#Motion pictures and television, p ...
''
*''Less Than Kind
''Less Than Kind'' is a 2008–2013 Canadian television comedy-drama series that stars Jesse Camacho as Sheldon Blecher, a teenager growing up in a loving but dysfunctional Jewish family in Winnipeg. The show's cast also includes Maury Chayki ...
''
*''Leverage
Leverage or leveraged may refer to:
*Leverage (mechanics), mechanical advantage achieved by using a lever
* ''Leverage'' (album), a 2012 album by Lyriel
*Leverage (dance), a type of dance connection
*Leverage (finance), using given resources to ...
''
*''Malcolm & Eddie
''Malcolm & Eddie'' is an American sitcom that premiered August 26, 1996, on UPN, and ran for four seasons, airing its final episode on May 22, 2000. This series starred Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin in the lead roles. The program was ...
''
*'' Missing''
*''NewsRadio
''NewsRadio'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995 to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Steph ...
''
*''The OC
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
''
*'' The Outer Limits''
*''Packed to the Rafters
''Packed to the Rafters'' was an Australian family-oriented comedy drama television program which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The show continued on Tuesdays in this timeslot for its entire run. The d ...
''
*''Party of Five
''Party of Five'' is an American television teen and family drama created by Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman that originally aired on Fox for six seasons from September 12, 1994, to May 3, 2000. The series featured an ensemble cast led by ...
''
*'' Providence''
*'' Rabbit Fall''
*''The Shield
''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...
''
*''Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, ...
''
*'' Scrubs''
*''The Steve Harvey Show
''The Steve Harvey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on The WB from August 25, 1996, to February 17, 2002. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.
Synopsis
Steve Hightower ( Steve Harvey) is a 1970s funk ...
''
*'' Sue Thomas F.B. Eye''
*''The West Wing
''The West Wing'' is an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White Hous ...
''
*''Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...
''
*''Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Messi ...
''
See also
* Sony Channel (Latin America)
Sony Channel (commonly referred to on-air as Sony) is a Latin American pay television channel that broadcasts TV series and movies. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and distributed by Ole Distribution. It was the first pan-regional bas ...
* Sony Channel (Southeast Asia)
Sony Channel (formerly Sony Entertainment Television) was a Southeast Asian pay television channel broadcasting to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was launched on 1 August 2008 as an entertainment channel, and ...
References
External links
Sony Channel official site
Television stations in South Africa
English-language television stations in South Africa
Television channels and stations established in 2007
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Television channels and stations disestablished in 2019
Defunct mass media in South Africa
{{Africa-tv-station-stub