FXX
| File:FXX logo.svg | |
| Company type | Basic cable network |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pay television |
| Founded | September 2, 2013 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
| Parent | FX Networks (Disney Entertainment) |
| Website | www |
FXX is a U.S.-based basic cable network owned by FX Networks, which is part of Disney Entertainment under the umbrella of The Walt Disney Company. It operates alongside its sister channels FX and FXM, specializing in both original and acquired comedy series as well as feature films aimed primarily at men between the ages of 18 and 34.
The channel debuted on September 2, 2013, at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, taking over from Fox Soccer. It garnered significant attention with a marathon event that aired every episode of The Simpsons along with The Simpsons Movie continuously over a twelve-day span. This record was later eclipsed by VH1 Classic’s nineteen-day Saturday Night Live marathon.
As of , FXX is available in roughly 58 million pay television households across the United States, down from its peak distribution of 87 million in 2019.
Development
In early 2013, it was reported that the sports channel Fox Soccer would be replaced by a general entertainment network designed as a companion to FX. The new channel was named FXX—initially considered as "Fox Extended Extra"—with "FX2" also proposed as a possible title. This change came after Fox Sports lost the American broadcasting rights for English Premier League soccer to NBC Sports beginning with the 2013–14 season. Additionally, on August 17, 2013, Fox rebranded the motorsports network Speed to Fox Sports 1, and transformed extreme sports channel Fuel TV into Fox Sports 2, aligning with NBC’s Premier League coverage.
On March 28, 2013, FX Networks under News Corporation announced that FXX would launch on September 2, replacing Fox Soccer and initially reaching approximately 74 million homes in the U.S. FX President John Landgraf described FXX’s target audience as adults aged 18–34, complementing FX’s broader demographic of 18–49 and FX Movie Channel’s focus on viewers aged 25–54; he oversees programming across all three networks.
Prior to launch, Fox was hesitant to confirm FXX’s exact placement on cable and satellite lineups but did confirm it would replace Fox Soccer. The transition took place on September 2, 2013, starting with the final Fox Soccer broadcast of Being: Liverpool, followed by an hour of infomercials featuring an FXX disclaimer at 6 a.m. ET, before officially launching FXX at 7 a.m. ET.
Launch
The inaugural launch sequence showcased FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi poised to score during UEFA Champions League matches from 2012 and 2013, which was then abruptly interrupted by Danny DeVito portraying Frank Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia bursting through a leather couch—symbolizing the arrival of FXX. This led into an all-day marathon of Parks and Recreation. After rebranding, remaining Fox Soccer event rights—including those for CONCACAF and UEFA competitions—were transferred to Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, or Fox Soccer Plus.
Although Fox intended for FXX to be part of basic cable packages, it initially launched on many providers such as Comcast, DirecTV, and Verizon Fios within premium sports bundles that required additional fees. Over time, most providers shifted the channel to basic cable tiers, often positioning it near FX in channel lineups.
2013–2019: Early Development
In October 2013, oil giant ExxonMobil initiated legal action against Fox, accusing FXX’s logo of infringing on its trademark due to similarities with Exxon’s interlocking X design. Fox contested the claim, arguing there was no likelihood of consumer confusion. The court dismissed the case in October 2015.
On November 15, 2013, FXX obtained syndication rights for The Simpsons, which had previously been withheld from cable broadcasts until the series finale. The show debuted on FXX on August 21, 2014, marked by a twelve-day marathon that aired all 552 episodes alongside The Simpsons Movie. This event became the network’s highest-rated day and significantly elevated its prime time viewership.
A Canadian iteration of FXX was launched on April 1, 2014, as part of a joint venture between FX Network and Rogers Sports & Media, which also manages FX Canada.
On December 17, 2014, FXX rolled out a late-night animation segment featuring programs produced by Fox's Animation Domination High-Def Studios, such as Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and Stone Quackers. This programming block was discontinued in 2016 along with the associated series.
In November 2016, FXX celebrated a significant milestone by airing a 13-day marathon showcasing all 600 episodes of The Simpsons, including episodes from the current season.
Due to scheduling conflicts on Fox and FS1, a CONCACAF Gold Cup match was broadcast on FXX on July 15, 2017. This decision was influenced by FXX’s larger household reach compared to Fox Sports 2.
2019–2023: Disney Acquisition and Animation Focus
After Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019, FX Networks became part of Walt Disney Television. On April 8, 2019, FX Networks secured off-network rights to Family Guy (beginning with season sixteen) and Bob's Burgers (starting at season nine). Family Guy premiered on FXX on April 16, followed by Bob's Burgers on September 24. These shows’ rights are shared among sister channels Freeform and FX.
Previously held by Warner Bros. Discovery’s Adult Swim and TBS, the rights for earlier seasons transitioned: Adult Swim reacquired Family Guy in January 2025 alongside Comedy Central; for Bob's Burgers, earlier seasons began airing on FXX in September 2023 with later seasons scheduled for Adult Swim.
On August 29, 2019, FXX debuted Cake, a half-hour program blending short-form adult animation with live-action segments—marking its first original animated series since the cancellation of the Animation Domination block.
Beginning September 20, 2021, FXX expanded its daily schedule to approximately fourteen hours of adult animated content from 20th Television Animation (including reruns of King of the Hill and The Cleveland Show), complemented by films during mornings and early afternoons. This expanded further to about sixteen hours daily after acquiring off-network rights to Futurama from Syfy in November 2021. FX Networks shares these shows’ rights with Adult Swim and Comedy Central.
From December 25, 2021 to January 1, 2022, FXX aired its inaugural marathon featuring nearly all episodes from the first nineteen seasons of Family Guy, excluding one episode.
Following this programming evolution, FXX averaged 243,000 viewers during prime time in 2022—a rise of 23% compared to the previous year—ranking it fifty-third among networks and outperforming competitor Adult Swim in key demographic categories.
2023–present: Decline in Carriage
On September 1, 2023, the carriage contract between Disney and Charter expired amid disagreements concerning complimentary access to Disney+ and ESPN+ for Charter’s subscribers. During ongoing negotiations, Charter refused Disney’s proposal for interim carriage, leading to an eleven-day blackout that impacted roughly 15 million Spectrum users.
A revised agreement reached on September 11 reinstated the majority of Disney channels; however, FXX was omitted alongside BabyTV, Freeform, FXM, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Disney Junior, and Disney XD.
On June 26, 2025, Disney and Charter finalized a new deal that introduced Hulu’s ad-supported service and brought back eight previously dropped networks, including FXX and FXM.
Programming
FXX mainly broadcasts comedy series originally developed for Fox’s affiliated networks such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, and former Animation Domination High-Def productions. New episodes generally premiere on Wednesday or Thursday evenings during late primetime. As of September 2021, the channel’s lineup prioritizes morning movie screenings followed by extensive segments of adult animated series predominantly produced by 20th Television Animation, complemented by reruns of flagship comedies like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Programming blocks
- Animation Domination – This late-night adult animation segment began on Fox under the name "Animation Domination High-Def," showcasing short-form programs such as Axe Cop, Major Lazer, and Stone Quackers.
- Simpsons Sunday – A Sunday afternoon block dedicated to themed episodes of The Simpsons that correspond with the episode airing later that evening on Fox.
"Every. Simpsons. Ever."
FXX serves as the sole cable broadcaster for The Simpsons, airing comprehensive marathons that present the entire episode collection in chronological order. These marathons have generated notable increases in viewership; for example, a two-week event in December 2019 featured over 660 episodes (excluding "Stark Raving Dad") along with the syndication debut of the short film The Longest Daycare. This marathon also promoted Disney+, which now holds exclusive streaming rights after the discontinuation of FX's Simpsons World.