Breakfast Time (1994 TV program)
| File:FX Network logo.svg Logo used since 2013 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pay television |
| Founded | June 1, 1994 |
| Founder | News Corporation |
| Headquarters | Century City, Los Angeles, California , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | John Landgraf (President) |
| Products | Television channel, original series, movies, reruns |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | FX Networks (Disney Entertainment) |
FX (initially known as Fox Extended) is a U.S.-based subscription television channel operated by FX Networks, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment under the umbrella of The Walt Disney Company. Headquartered on the Fox Studios lot in Century City, Los Angeles, FX was originally launched by the former News Corporation on June 1, 1994. It became part of Disney following the 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The channel specializes in original series characterized by mature content and high-quality production, similar to premium cable networks. Its affiliated channels include FXM, which debuted in 1994, and FXX, introduced in 2013. FX also broadcasts reruns of theatrical movies and network sitcoms. The channel’s previous commercial-free service, FX+, was discontinued in August 2019, with ad-free programming transitioning to Hulu.
As of November 2023, FX is accessible in about 71 million pay-TV households across the United States, a decline from its peak distribution of 99 million in 2011. The "FX" brand is also licensed internationally for various pay television outlets.
1994–1997: "TV Made Fresh Daily"
Launching on June 1, 1994, FX—originally branded as "fX"—broadcasted from a spacious apartment located in Manhattan’s Flatiron District. This initiative represented an early large-scale venture into interactive television, featuring original live programming streamed daily from the so-called "fX Apartment," alongside reruns of classic television series from the 1960s through the 1980s such as The Fall Guy, Batman, Wonder Woman, and The Green Hornet. The network adopted slogans like "TV Made Fresh Daily" and "The World's First Living Television Network." The lowercase "f" was intended to evoke a casual and approachable tone, while the stylized "X" symbolized the intersecting searchlights found in the 20th Century Fox logo.
The live programming covered a wide range of themes including Personal fX (focused on collectibles), The Pet Department (pets), Under Scrutiny with Jane Wallace (news), and Sound fX (music). The flagship program, Breakfast Time, hosted by Laurie Hibberd and Tom Bergeron and modeled after the British series The Big Breakfast, featured an informal magazine-style format. These shows incorporated "roving reporters" who delivered live satellite reports from distinctive locations across the United States. Prominent contributors included Suzanne Whang, John Burke, Phil Keoghan, Karyn Bryant, and Orlando Jones.
FX placed strong emphasis on audience participation, adopting e-mail and early World Wide Web technologies to gather viewer feedback. Programs frequently reacted promptly to audience messages; for example, Backchat, hosted by Jeff Probst, was dedicated entirely to viewer correspondence. Selected viewers were occasionally invited to appear live on-air from the apartment set. Hosts often appeared during commercial breaks to share news updates and promote upcoming content.
In 1995, Liberty Media acquired a half ownership stake as part of a partnership with News Corporation that established Fox Sports Net; subsequently, FX served as the national broadcaster for Fox Sports content over several years.
Significantly, FX was not available on Time Warner Cable—a major cable provider in New York City—until September 2001.
Gradually, most live shows were discontinued except for Personal fX. In mid-1996, Breakfast Time transitioned to the Fox broadcast network as Fox After Breakfast but was canceled within a year due to insufficient ratings. By mid-1997, FX primarily aired classic television programs pending its relaunch. Personal fX remained on air until May 1, 1998. The network vacated the apartment location during summer 1998 to consolidate operations with other Fox-owned pay channels.
1997–2001: "Fox Gone Cable" Era
At the start of 1997, fX was rebranded as "FX: Fox Gone Cable," with a focus on appealing to men between 18 and 49 years old. The network's initial programming lineup consisted mainly of reruns from Fox series such as The X-Files and Married... with Children, alongside titles from 20th Century Fox's catalog like M*A*S*H and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Additionally, FX incorporated Major League Baseball broadcasts, sharing coverage with its sister channel Fox Family, and by 2001 had expanded its sports offerings to include NASCAR events.
In the summer of 1998, FX premiered original shows including Bobcat's Big Ass Show, Instant Comedy with the Groundlings, and Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular. However, these series were discontinued the following year. The "Fox Gone Cable" slogan was subsequently retired. By 1999, FX launched new original content such as Son of the Beach, a parody of Baywatch executive produced by Howard Stern, along with The X Show, a late-night talk program aimed at male viewers. The channel also secured pay-TV syndication rights to popular series like Ally McBeal, NYPD Blue, and The Practice—all produced by 20th Century Fox Television—at unprecedented costs. When these programs failed to perform strongly in primetime, FX shifted its focus toward airing movies in prominent time slots, capitalizing on the industry trend of moving premiere film rights from broadcast networks to cable channels.
2002–2007: Growth in Original Content
Beginning in 2002, FX emerged as a significant force in original pay television by launching provocative dramas. The critically acclaimed police series The Shield marked this shift, soon followed by Nip/Tuck and Denis Leary’s Rescue Me, which portrayed the lives of New York firefighters after 9/11. Both series received strong critical acclaim and attracted substantial audiences; notably, FX committed to an 18-episode sixth season of Rescue Me even before the fifth season aired.
FX set itself apart by embracing bold content, with most original productions carrying a TV-MA rating due to explicit language, sexual themes, or violence. Despite facing criticism and advertiser pullouts encouraged by groups such as the Parents Television Council, the network’s storytelling was widely praised for its depth and engagement.
Following the success of the documentary Super Size Me, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock launched the reality-based series 30 Days in 2005, which immersed participants in challenging social experiments lasting one month.
In mid-2005, FX introduced two comedy series: Starved, focusing on friends battling eating disorders but canceled after one season due to poor ratings and negative feedback; and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, depicting politically incorrect escapades of bar owners. The latter quickly garnered critical acclaim and strong viewership, becoming FX’s longest-running live-action sitcom, especially after veteran actor Danny DeVito joined the cast in its second season.
In 2006, FX premiered reality show Black. White. and drama mini-series Thief, both short-lived. The following year saw the launch of dramas such as Dirt starring Courteney Cox, The Riches featuring Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, along with Damages starring Glenn Close, Ted Danson, and Rose Byrne. Each was renewed for a second season. By 2008, FX had expanded its reach to 90.6 million households across the United States.
2008–2018: The Following Era
In 2008, FX introduced a branding initiative called "There Is No Box," highlighting its original content aimed at rivaling premium networks such as HBO. The network refreshed its logo on December 18, 2007, by eliminating the searchlight elements and focusing solely on the FX wordmark. This campaign featured a post-game commercial during Fox’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLII, accompanied by James Morrison’s track "You Give Me Something."
The year 2008 saw increased competition, resulting in notable audience drops for shows like Dirt and The Riches, both of which were canceled that year along with acquired series including Dharma and Greg and Fear Factor.
On September 3, 2008, FX debuted Sons of Anarchy, created by Kurt Sutter. The series achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success throughout its seven-season run, averaging 4.9 million viewers weekly by 2010—making it FX’s highest-rated program to date. Alongside it, the comedy Testees premiered in 2008 but was canceled after one season. Additionally, FX revamped its website in August 2008 to provide streaming access to full episodes of its original series.
In July 2009, FX commissioned three comedy pilots: Archer, an animated series about a spy agency; The League, focusing on friends involved in a fantasy football league; and Louie, starring comedian Louis C.K., which combined stand-up performances with narrative sketches. The following year, FX launched Wilfred, featuring Elijah Wood in an adaptation of an Australian show.
March 2010 marked the premiere of Justified, a drama starring Timothy Olyphant as U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. That same year, FX added the crime comedy-drama Terriers to its lineup, followed by the boxing drama Lights Out in 2011. Despite receiving critical praise, both shows were canceled after their initial seasons due to low ratings; FX president John Landgraf later described canceling Terriers as one of his most difficult decisions.
On October 1, 2010, News Corporation removed FX from Dish Network amid carriage disputes; the channel was reinstated on October 29 following a long-term agreement. A similar conflict with Cablevision was resolved by November 1, restoring access to FX channels.
On October 14, 2011, FX acquired development rights for a series based on autobiographies by Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis; however, the project was eventually shelved. On January 30, 2013, FX premiered the Cold War drama The Americans.
In 2013, alongside launching its comedy-centric spin-off channel FXX, FX underwent rebranding with the new slogan "Fearless." According to Landgraf, this tagline reflected programming that challenges norms and avoids traditional limitations.
2019–present: Under Disney Ownership
Following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019, FX Networks became part of the newly named Walt Disney Television. FX CEO John Landgraf expressed measured optimism regarding this transition, acknowledging its necessity and potential benefits.
On April 8, 2019, FX Networks secured off-network rights for Family Guy beginning with season 16 and Bob's Burgers starting from season 9. Family Guy premiered on FXX on April 16, 2019, while Bob's Burgers debuted on September 24, 2019. FXX shares broadcasting rights for Family Guy with sister network Freeform. WarnerMedia’s licenses for earlier seasons expired in 2021 for Family Guy and are set to expire for Bob's Burgers by 2023, consolidating control under FX.
On May 14, 2019, Comcast transferred its Hulu stake entirely to Disney, positioning Hulu within Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, with Comcast becoming a silent partner. In November of the same year, FX announced plans to produce series under the "FX on Hulu" banner for streaming platforms. Titles such as Devs, Mrs. America, and A Teacher transitioned from traditional FX premieres to streaming debuts. Episodes broadcast on FX also became available on Hulu the next day.
On June 11, 2019, Hulu and FX secured a two-year deal for Lionsgate film releases scheduled for 2020 and 2021.
By December 2021, Disney simplified the "FX on Hulu" brand to just "FX" and expanded the imprint across original content distributed via Disney’s international platforms such as Disney+ (Star) and Star+.
In 2024, FX received its inaugural Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series with Shōgun, which set a new record by winning a total of eighteen Emmy Awards.
Programming
Among FX's standout original productions are Justified, Damages, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Sons of Anarchy, The Shield, The Strain, Archer, American Horror Story, Anger Management, The Americans, Better Things, Louie, You're the Worst, Fargo, American Crime Story, Legion, Snowfall, and Atlanta.
FX's schedule features theatrical releases from affiliated studios such as Walt Disney Pictures, Marvel Studios, and 20th Century Studios, alongside films from major studios including Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation. These movies predominantly fill FX's prime-time and weekend slots. Additionally, the network airs reruns of popular network sitcoms like Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother. Historically, FX acquired numerous shows initially broadcast on Fox during the late 1980s through the 2000s, such as That '70s Show and Married... with Children.
Sports programming
Serving as an auxiliary sports platform for its sister channels, FX initially aired content from Fox Sports under News Corporation and 21st Century Fox ownership, transitioning to ESPN-produced sports programming following Disney's acquisition.
In 2001, FX collaborated with Fox Sports to televise NASCAR events, including the Busch Series and Winston Cup races, aiming to boost channel visibility and subscriber numbers. This partnership contributed to an increase in FX’s household reach from 58.5 million to 76.6 million by 2002. NASCAR broadcasts shifted exclusively to ESPN by 2007.
Beginning in 1997, FX held partial cable rights to Major League Baseball, showcasing Monday night games that later moved to Saturdays. From 2000 onward, it shared broadcasting rights with Fox Family Channel and started airing MLB Division Series contests in 2001, notably featuring Cal Ripken Jr.’s final home appearance that year.
Starting in April 2011, under Fox Sports’ agreement, FX began airing UEFA Champions League soccer matches. Later that year, it expanded into college football by broadcasting Big 12, Conference USA, and Pac-12 games on Saturdays as part of Fox College Football agreements.
Following the debut of Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2 in 2013, FX discontinued regular sports programming but maintained coverage of overflow events such as UFC preliminary fights and select soccer matches.
In September 2019, FX presented the preliminary card for UFC 242—the first UFC event produced by ESPN on FX after Disney’s acquisition—and continued with similar broadcasts including UFC 309 in 2024. ESPN viewed this approach favorably, extending the practice of airing UFC preliminary bouts on FX for events at least through early 2025.
In May 2022, Disney secured exclusive XFL broadcasting rights starting with the 2023 season; games were shown on FX alongside ESPN and ABC under an "ESPN on FX" branding. However, due to insufficient ratings, XFL games were removed from FX’s lineup by March 2023 and redistributed across other ESPN channels. Coverage did not resume in 2024 following the merger of the XFL and USFL into the United Football League, where broadcast rights were divided among ESPN networks, ABC, and Fox Sports—excluding FX.
Network slogans
- The World's First Living Television Network (primary; 1994–1996)
- TV Made Fresh Daily (secondary; 1994–1996)
- TV with You in Mind (1996–1997)
- Fox Gone Cable (1997–1999)
- Please Watch Responsibly (1999–2001)
- Are You Xperienced? (2001–2008)
- There Is No Box (2008–2013)
- FX Has the Movies (alternative slogan, 2008–present)
- Fearless (2013–present)
High definition
In 2007, FX launched a 720p HD channel accessible through most subscription television services. The standard definition channel now derives its signal from the HD feed via downscaling, aligning with practices used by Fox and Disney networks. On Hulu, FX content streams at enhanced bitrate and resolution levels, with original series produced and broadcast in up to 4k resolution.
International distribution
Beginning in 2004, Fox extended FX's reach into overseas markets and established collaborations to distribute FX programming worldwide. Following Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 21st Century Fox, multiple Fox channels in the Baltic region, CIS, Greece, and Poland were rebranded as FX to unify the brand internationally.
In Canada, distribution of FX programming is managed through a licensing agreement with Rogers Sports & Media.