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Oxygen (TV network)

From Alfawiki
Oxygen
Company typeCable and digital multicast television network
IndustryTelevision broadcasting
FoundedFebruary 1, 2000; 26 years ago (2000-02-01)
FounderGeraldine Laybourne, Oprah Winfrey, Lisa Gersh, Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, Caryn Mandabach
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Area served
United States
Key people
Lauren Zalaznick (former president), Bonnie Hammer (division head), Frances Berwick (president Oxygen/Bravo)
ProductsTrue crime documentaries, police procedural dramas
OwnerNBCUniversal Media Group (Comcast subsidiary)
ParentNBCUniversal Media Group
Websitewww.oxygen.com

Oxygen, marketed as Oxygen True Crime, is a U.S.-based cable and digital multicast television network owned by NBCUniversal Media Group, a Comcast subsidiary. Its programming centers predominantly on true crime documentaries and police procedural dramas.

Established on February 1, 2000, Oxygen was created by Oxygen Media, a partnership that included Geraldine Laybourne and Oprah Winfrey. The channel originally specialized in lifestyle and entertainment content geared toward women. In 2007, NBCUniversal purchased the network for close to $1 billion. Following this acquisition, Oxygen refocused its target audience to young adult women and, after experiencing success with true crime programming, rebranded in 2017 to concentrate mainly on true crime and crime drama series. The network is scheduled for a spin-off under Versant in 2025.

Initially launched as a cable channel, Oxygen broadened its reach in 2022 by becoming a digital multicast television network available on subchannels affiliated with NBC Owned Television Stations. As of November 2023, the channel is accessible to roughly 59 million pay-TV households across the United States, down from its peak distribution of 80 million in 2012.

History

Oxygen Media was established in 1998 as a privately held enterprise by former Nickelodeon executive Geraldine Laybourne, talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, media leader Lisa Gersh, along with producers Marcy Carsey, Tom Werner, and Caryn Mandabach from The Carsey-Werner Company. Laybourne led the company as founder, chairwoman, and CEO until NBCUniversal's takeover. The subscription-based channel officially launched on February 1, 2000.

The network’s initial headquarters were located near the World Trade Center in Battery Park City, New York City. Oxygen temporarily suspended broadcasting during the September 11 attacks but resumed within a week after simulcasting regional news from Time Warner Cable’s NY1 channel. Subsequently, operations were consolidated at Chelsea Market in Manhattan.

Prior to 2005, Oxygen carried a limited number of regular season WNBA games produced by NBA TV. The channel later shifted its focus toward reality programming, syndicated reruns, and films, including delayed broadcasts of The Tyra Banks Show. Among the last original series maintained into the NBC Universal era was the yoga show Inhale, which was cancelled in 2010.

Original reality content directed at female viewers included titles such as Campus Ladies, Bliss, Oprah After the Show, Talk Sex with Sue Johanson, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, Snapped, Girls Behaving Badly, and Bad Girls Club. Oxygen launched with immediate carriage on DirecTV and was added to Dish Network in early 2006 amid that provider’s carriage dispute with Lifetime.

Acquisition by NBC Universal

In August 2007, speculation arose that NBCUniversal intended to acquire Oxygen, valuing it at approximately $1 billion. On October 9, 2007, NBC Universal officially announced its $925 million purchase of the network.

The acquisition was finalized on November 20, 2007; Lauren Zalaznick from Bravo Media assumed leadership of Oxygen. NBCU aligned Oxygen alongside sister networks targeting upscale female demographics such as Bravo, iVillage, and the Today show. Several key executives left during this integration phase, including Laybourne and programming president Debby Beece; Lisa Gersh moved to other divisions within NBCU.

In April 2008, Oxygen revealed plans for a rebranding effective June that year, unveiling a new logo and adopting the slogan "Live Out Loud." This repositioning aimed at women aged 18-49 with particular emphasis on "young, trend-focused" females between 18 and 34. The relaunch featured expanded video content on its website and new series development such as Coolio's Rules and Dance Your Ass Off. During the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008, Oxygen broadcast daily gymnastics coverage as part of NBC Sports' Olympic programming.

The June 29, 2009 debut of Dance Your Ass Off marked Oxygen’s highest-rated premiere at that time with an audience of 1.3 million viewers. A high-definition simulcast version of the channel was introduced in March 2011. On May 21, 2013, Bad Girls All-Star Battle, a spin-off from Bad Girls Club, set a new ratings milestone by drawing 1.73 million viewers. Alongside a reunion special attracting nearly two million viewers, Nielsen reported this as Oxygen’s most successful night among key demographics and one of the top cable programs for that evening.

Following Comcast's acquisition of NBC Universal and the September 2013 replacement of sister channel Style Network with Esquire Network, originally planned to succeed G4, several shows transitioned to Oxygen.

In April 2014, under new leadership from division head Bonnie Hammer and Oxygen/Bravo president Frances Berwick, the network shifted its content strategy toward appealing to a "modern" young female demographic. Upcoming series like Fix My Choir, Funny Girls, Nail'd It, Sisterhood of Hip Hop, Street Art Throwdown, along with spin-offs from Preachers of L.A., were designed to offer authentic and optimistic programming resonating with millennial women. At this time, Oxygen adopted the slogan "Very Real".

Shift to true crime focus and Versant separation

In December 2016, NBCUniversal explored the idea of transforming Oxygen into a channel dedicated exclusively to true crime, aiming to leverage the rising popularity of the genre among young adult female viewers. The network’s primetime Crime Time segment, which included shows such as Snapped, led to a 42% increase in overall audience numbers and a 22% growth in ratings among women aged 25–54. NBCUniversal initiated discussions with producer Dick Wolf, famed for his work on Law & Order and Chicago, regarding a possible equity partnership in the revamped channel, potentially anchored by reruns of his well-known series. Early in 2017, Oxygen ventured into true crime podcasting with the launch of Martinis & Murder.

By February 2017, NBCUniversal officially confirmed Oxygen’s transition toward true crime content aimed at female viewers, unveiling a new brand identity featuring a police tape-inspired logo. The refreshed programming lineup prioritized unscripted true crime series such as Snapped alongside syndicated reruns from procedural franchises like CSI and NCIS. The future of non-crime shows like Bad Girls Club remained unclear following the rebranding.

Oxygen’s programming slate for 2017–2018 included fresh true crime productions from Dick Wolf, including the docuseries Criminal Confessions, a collaborative project with BuzzFeed investigating the Jessica Chambers case, as well as a renewed season of Wolf’s Cold Justice. In September 2017, Oxygen and USA Network acquired syndication rights for reruns of Chicago P.D., which were incorporated into their schedules starting in October.

In November 2024, Comcast revealed plans to separate most of NBCUniversal’s cable properties—including Oxygen—into a newly established publicly traded entity named Versant, signaling a strategic realignment in ownership and operational direction for these networks.

International

On October 17, 2024, NBCUniversal announced a partnership with Bell Media to introduce a Canadian version of Oxygen launching January 1, 2025. Previously, this channel space was occupied by a Canadian version of Oxygen rival Investigation Discovery, until its factual programming rights under Warner Bros. Discovery expired and transitioned to Rogers Media.

Current

  • Kill or Be Killed
  • Buried in the Backyard
  • 911 Crisis Center
  • Cold Justice
  • Dateline: Secrets Uncovered
  • Dateline: Unforgettable
  • Homicide for the Holidays
  • Killer Siblings
  • Snapped
  • Mark of a Killer
  • Final Moments
  • Accident, Suicide or Murder
  • The Real Murders of Orange County
  • The Real Murders of Atlanta
  • The Real Murders of Los Angeles
  • Blood & Money
  • Living with a Serial Killer
  • Snapped: Killer Couples
  • Twisted Killers
  • Floribama Murders
  • Fatal Family Feuds
  • Prosecuting Evil with Kelly Siegler
  • Sin City Murders
  • Sins of the South
  • Deadly Waters With Captain Lee
  • A Plan To Kill
  • Philly Homicide
  • Unknown Serial Killers of America
  • The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher

Former Programming

Syndicated Shows


Over-the-air Affiliates

Starting May 2, 2022, Oxygen became available as a digital terrestrial subchannel through NBC Owned Television Stations, primarily broadcast on NBC and Telemundo's owned-and-operated stations.

Oxygen Affiliate Stations
Media market State or District Station Call Sign Channel Number
Birmingham Alabama WBRC-DT4 6.4
Mobile WALA-DT6 10.6
Montgomery WSFA-DT6 12.6
Phoenix Arizona KTAZ-DT5 39.5
Tucson KHRR-DT4 40.4
Little Rock Arkansas KWMO-LD6 34.6
Bakersfield California KTLD-CD4 8.4
Fresno KNSO-DT5 51.5
Los Angeles KNBC-DT3 4.3
Sacramento KCSO-LD6 33.6
San Diego KNSD-DT4 39.4
San Francisco KSTS-DT6 48.6
Denver Colorado KDEN-TV#KDEN-DT5 KDEN-DT5 25.5
Hartford–New Haven, Connecticut#Hartford Hartford–New Haven Connecticut WVIT#WVIT-DT4 WVIT-DT4 30.4
Washington, D.C. District of Columbia WRC-TV#WRC-DT4 WRC-DT4 4.4


External links

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