Defy (TV network)
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | July 1, 2021 |
| Founder | E. W. Scripps Company (originally) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Digital multicast television network |
| Owner | Free TV Networks (current), previously E. W. Scripps Company |
Defy (initially known as Defy TV) is a United States-based digital multicast television network operated by Free TV Networks in collaboration with A&E Networks. It primarily broadcasts reality shows sourced from A&E’s programming catalog. The network commenced operations on July 1, 2021, reaching approximately 64% of the United States population.
History
On March 2, 2021, Scripps revealed plans to introduce two multicast channels—Defy and TrueReal—following its acquisition of Ion Media and the nationwide discontinuation of Qubo and Ion Plus broadcast signals. These new networks targeted viewers who have moved away from conventional pay television services.
The channels officially launched on July 1, 2021, achieving about 92% coverage across the country. Distribution was mainly through Ion broadcast transmitters alongside subchannels belonging to Scripps-owned local stations and other broadcasting groups.
On March 10, 2023, Scripps declared that TrueReal would cease operations on March 27, with its programming lineup being consolidated into Defy TV.
On June 17, 2024, Scripps announced that the broadcast space occupied by Defy would be repurposed to relaunch Ion Plus, effective July 1, 2024. Concurrently, A&E’s content transitioned to a newly established over-the-air network named Dare, managed by the Free TV Networks joint venture.
Shortly before the relaunch on July 1, 2024, Free TV Networks acquired the Defy brand from Scripps and launched an updated Defy channel at 6:00 a.m. ET that day. This rebranding involved dropping the "TV" suffix and foregoing the earlier plan to use the Dare name.
On July 1, 2025, Defy broadened its reach by securing new affiliation agreements with eleven Ion stations under Scripps ownership as well as additional Gray Television stations following the expiration of other subchannel contracts.
Programming
The network’s lineup predominantly consists of reruns of unscripted series from the A&E Networks portfolio, mainly featuring shows originally aired on the A&E and History Channel. Notable reality titles include Swamp People, American Pickers, Ax Men, Counting Cars, UFO Hunters, Forged in Fire, and Pawn Stars.