History (European TV channel)

History (known as Sky History in the UK and Ireland) is a European general entertainment television channel which broadcasts programs related to reality programming, historical events and persons.

History
Launched11 November 1995 (1995-11-11)
Owned byA+E Networks UK (A&E Networks/Sky Group)
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Audience share
  • Netherlands: 0.3% (2018)[1]
  • UK: 0.18% (January 2019)[2]
SloganMade Every Day (History Europe)
History Is Alive (Sky History)
Country
Broadcast areaArab world, Balkans, Benelux, Central Europe & Eastern Europe, France, Iberian Peninsula, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Scandinavia, South Africa, United Kingdom
Headquarters
Formerly calledThe History Channel (1995–2008)
History (2008–2020, UK & Ireland)
Sister channel(s)
Timeshift serviceHistory +1
Website
Availability
Satellite
Sky (UK & Ireland)
  • Channel 123 (SD/HD)
  • Channel 223 (+1)
  • Channel 825 (SD)
  • On Demand
NOVA Greece (Greece)Channel 404
Canal Digitaal (Netherlands)Channel 49 (SD)
Sky Deutschland
  • Channel 407 (HD)
  • Channel 427
Canal+ (Spain)Channel 35
Sky Italia
  • Channel 407 (SD/HD)
  • Channel 408 (+1)
Digiturk
  • Channel 188 (SD/HD)
  • Channel 386
DStv (South Africa)Channel 186
OSN (MENA)Channel 508 (HD)
Joyne (Netherlands)Channel 33 (HD)
Cable
Virgin Media (UK)
  • Channel 270 (HD)
  • Channel 271 (+1)
  • On Demand (including HD)
Virgin Media Ireland
  • Channel 217
  • Channel 220 (HD)
WightFibre (UK)Channel 82
Ziggo (Netherlands)Channel 28 (HD)
Channel 947 (SD)
Caiway (Netherlands)Channel 46
DELTA (Netherlands)Channel 26 (HD)
Kabel Noord (Netherlands)Channel 258 (HD)
Primacom (Germany)Channel 112
UPC Cablecom (Switzerland)
  • Channel 102 (HD)
  • Channel 103
UPC AustriaChannel 531
ONO (Spain)Channel 91
R (Spain)Channel 53
TeleCable (Spain)Channel 22
Euskaltel (Spain)Channel 55
NOS (Portugal)Channel 112
Cabovisão (Portugal)Channel 24
UPC RomaniaChannel 312 (SD), Channel 180 (HD)
IPTV
BT (UK)
  • Channel 327
  • Channel 354 (via Now TV)
  • Channel 369 (HD) (via Now TV)
  • Channel 379 (HD)
KPN (Netherlands)Channel 32 (HD)
Movistar TV (Spain)Channel 84
MEO (Portugal)Channel 123
Optimus Clix (Portugal)Channel 134
TalkTalk TV (UK)Channel 327
Plusnet (UK)
  • Channel 327
  • Channel 379 (HD)
T-Mobile (Netherlands)Channel 91 (HD)
eir Vision (Ireland)
  • Channel 529
  • Channel 545 (HD)
Tele2 (Netherlands)Channel 35 (HD)
Streaming media
TVPlayerWatch live (UK only) (TVPlayer Plus subscription required)
Sky GoSky (UK & Ireland only)
Virgin TV AnywhereVirgin Media (UK only)
Ziggo GO (Netherlands)ZiggoGO.tv (Europe only)
Horizon GOhorizon.tv (Ireland only)

It is a joint venture between A&E Networks UK and Sky Group with localized channels across Europe. TVT Media is responsible for signal distribution in Europe, with local subsidiaries of A&E Networks as distribution representatives on the continent.[3][4]

Programming across the channels is primarily in English and where available subtitled or dubbed into regional languages. The channel is available through a number of satellite, cable, terrestrial and IPTV distributors across Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. In some countries, advertisements and announcements between programs are localized.

On 6 November 2018, in the wake of the Disney-Fox merger, the European Commission required The Walt Disney Company to sell A&E's European channels, including History.[5]

History has separate versions for Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal:

  • History Germany: Operated by A&E Networks Germany.
  • History Italy: Formerly a joint venture of A&E Networks and Fox International Channels Italy, it became a sole venture of A&E Networks in 2012.
  • History Netherlands, airing in the Netherlands and Flanders. Operated by A&E Networks Benelux. RTL Nederland became responsible for advertising sales on 1 January 2016.[6]
  • Canal Historia (also known as História): The History Channel Iberia joint venture of A&E Networks and AMC Networks International Southern Europe.
  • History Poland - launched on April 9, 2008.

History UK and Ireland

History Channel UK began on 11 November 1995 as a weekday three-hour block (4 to 7 pm), consisting of Biography (restyled for a British audience), History Alive and Our Century. The channel was A&E's first international venture.[7]

Sky Sports 2 began broadcasting all day in 1997, requiring other networks to move to another channel. The History Channel shared transponder 24 with Sky Soap and the Sci-Fi Channel.[8] The launch of Sky Digital allowed the channel to significantly increase its broadcast hours.

On 26 October 2006, History Channel HD launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The HD version was launching across Europe from October 2007,[9] beginning in the Nordic region on 13 December 2007, offering a schedule separate from the standard-definition version.[10] In January 2008, History Channel HD launched in the Netherlands.[11] In November 2008 the History Channel was re-branded as History,[12][13] and the high-definition channel became History HD.

The company behind the channel was known as The History Channel (UK) Limited until July 2009, when it was renamed AETN UK to reflect the company's several channels.[14] On 22 September 2011, AETN UK was re-branded A&E Networks UK.[15] The channel launched on British Telecom on 15 August 2013, and on TalkTalk on 28 August 2014.

Sky History logo from 27 May 2020 onwards

On 27 May 2020, History, History +1 and History 2 rebranded to Sky History, Sky History +1, and Sky History 2 respectively, alongside the launch of Sky Documentaries and Sky Nature.[16] The networks will retain strong ties with AETN, and the network's logos will retain the network's insignia, being co-marketed with Sky.[17][18] The network also took a new channel position formerly held by E!.[19]

History Scandinavia

The History Channel began in Scandinavia in September 1997, broadcasting for three hours daily on the analogue Viasat platform. Initially time-sharing with TV1000 Cinema, it was later moved to the Swedish TV8 channel until November 2004 (when Viasat launched Viasat History).

History Netherlands and Flanders

History Channel launched in the Netherlands and Flanders on 1 May 2007.[20][21]

History Germany

In German-speaking countries, History is operated by History Channel Germany, which was a joint venture of A&E Networks and NBC Universal Global Networks Germany. The channel began as the History Channel on 15 November 2004, and changed its name to History on 11 January 2009.[22] Since 1 June 2017 the channel is fully owned by A&E Networks Germany.[23]

History is available on the Kabel Deutschland, Kabel BW-Unitymedia, Primacom and KabelKiosk cable networks in all German states, and is also available on cable in Austria and Switzerland. Although the channel was available on satellite on Arena, it was not available on Premiere until the latter was renamed Sky on 4 July 2009. At that time, History HD (a high-definition version of the channel) was introduced. The channel hosts the annual History Award, which has been given since 2005.

History Channel Iberia (Spain and Portugal)
História logo used in Spain and Portugal

Since 1996, History has been distributed under the name Canal de Historia—and, more recently, História—in Spain and Portugal by AMC Networks International Southern Europe in a joint venture with A&E Networks[24] (owner of History). The channel has Spanish and Portuguese feeds with dubbed English programs and locally produced programming.

História is available in Spain on Movistar+, cable networks (Telecable, R, Euskaltel), IPTV providers (Vodafone, Orange TV) and streaming media (TotalChannel).[25] Historia HD became available in Spain on 3 November 2015.[26] In Portugal, História is available through cable providers (NOS, Cabovisão) and IPTV (MEO, Vodafone).[27]

Spanish locally produced programming
  • Arqueólogo por un día (2015), where a local celebrity spends a day working with archaeologists on an excavation
  • La última cena (2014–2015)

Portuguese local-history programming
gollark: Although if you want to maintain good current quality of life for *you* via slavery you'll need most of this infrastructure anyway.
gollark: Since nowhere has ALL the stuff you need you need a ton of transportation.
gollark: But then you have to locate factories in places with the right minerals.
gollark: 2% or 0.5% efficiency or something, but they conveniently store to chemical energy
gollark: I was thinking just in general.

References
  1. "Jaarrapport 2018" (PDF). SKO.
  2. "Monthly viewing summary". BARB. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  3. "History Channel UK Appoints Chello Zone As Distribution Representative". 4rfv.co.uk. 6 February 2008.
  4. TVT Media clients
  5. Roxborough, Scott (6 November 2018). "Disney's Fox Deal Gets European Union Clearance Subject to Divestments". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. Robert Briel (3 December 2015). "RTL Netherlands to handle A+E ad sales". BroadbandTVNews.com.
  7. "A & E Television Networks History". International Directory of Company Histories. 32. St. James Press. 2000. Retrieved 4 December 2013 – via Funding Universe.com.
  8. "Report from the Sat-UK mailing list: Report #98".
  9. Jarco Kriek (17 October 2007). "A&E Television Network breidt uit in Europa". Totaal TV.
  10. "THE HISTORY CHANNEL HD TO LAUNCH IN SCANDINAVIA" (Press release). AETN International. 8 October 2007. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012.
  11. Robert Briel (14 November 2007). "History Channel HD to launch in Holland". Broadband TV News.
  12. "History Channel rebranded 'History'". Digital Spy. 19 November 2008.
  13. Jan-Hein Visser (19 December 2008). "History Channel heet nu History". Totaal TV.
  14. "The History Channel UK Changes Name to AETN UK". AETN International. 2 July 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  15. "AETN UK rebrands as A+E Networks UK". Broadband TV News. 22 September 2011.
  16. "Launch of Sky Documentaries, Sky Nature and Sky HISTORY". Sky Group Newsroom. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  17. https://www.digitaltveurope.com/2020/02/20/aes-history-channel-to-be-rebranded-sky-history/
  18. "Sky History". Sky Group. 20 February 2020.
  19. "Sky_Factual_Channels_Press_Pack_08.1.pdf" (PDF). Sky Group Newsroom. Sky. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  20. Robert Briel (5 April 2007). "History Channel komt naar de Benelux". Broadband TV News.
  21. Robert Briel (5 April 2007). "UPC digital met vier nieuwe kanalen". Broadband TV News.
  22. "The History Channel ab Januar in neuem Gewand". Digital Fernsehen. 19 December 2008.
  23. "A+E Buys Out NBCUniversal From Its German Channels". Variety.com. 1 June 2017.
  24. "The History Channel Iberia". Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  25. "Historia: Dónde vernos". Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  26. "Historia: Historia HD". Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  27. "Canal História: Dónde vernos". Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
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