Foxtel Arts

Foxtel Arts

Company type	Subscription television channel
Industry	Television broadcasting
Predecessor	Studio (SBS-operated arts channel)
Founded	March 28, 2015 (2015-03-28)
Defunct	September 1, 2021 (2021-09-01)
Successor	FOX Docos
Area served	Australia
Owner	Foxtel

Foxtel Arts was an Australian subscription-based television channel dedicated to the arts, available on the Foxtel service.

History

Replacing the SBS-operated arts channel Studio, Foxtel Arts became the third arts-focused channel introduced by Foxtel within a six-year span. The channel officially launched at 10am AEST on 28 March 2015. Its primary audience was viewers aged over 55, a segment Foxtel had begun prioritizing since 2014. Furthermore, Foxtel aimed to internalize more channels to secure exclusive content agreements and strengthen its position against streaming competitors such as Netflix and Stan.

Starting 11 October 2017, Foxtel Arts limited its broadcast hours to evenings, airing from 6pm until midnight, while sharing transmission capacity with Foxtel Smooth, which occupied the midnight to 6pm slot. This arrangement ended on 1 July 2020 when Foxtel Smooth ceased operations, allowing Foxtel Arts to resume a full 24-hour broadcast schedule.

The channel discontinued broadcasting on 1 September 2021 and was succeeded by FOX Docos on channel 129 across both Foxtel and the streaming platform BINGE.

Programming

The channel’s inaugural locally produced show was Screen, a film and television review program hosted by Margaret Pomeranz and Graeme Blundell, which debuted on 2 April 2015. The series received renewal in 2018 and continued airing as of 2021, with previous episodes accessible via YouTube.

Its regular content lineup included opera, ballet, music, theatre, dance, along with classical and contemporary performances. The channel also featured documentary specials and series exploring cinema, literature, visual art, and profiles of artists.