Latin America Īnimax was launched in Latin America on July 31, 2005, replacing Locomotion after Sony's purchase from Hearst Corporation and Corus Entertainment, in January 2005. In January 2020, Sony sold the South Korean and Southeast Asian Animax channels to former Sony Pictures Television executives Andy Kaplan and George Chien, who have since formed KC Global Media. On April 29, 2006, Animax started its operations in South Korea, broadcasting separately from Seoul.
On July 5, 2004, Animax India was launched across India and neighboring countries featuring its programming in English. A week later, Animax launched in Southeast Asia on January 19, 2004, featuring its programming within feeds in English audio, as well as Japanese audio, with English subtitling, and other languages in the region, becoming the company's first English-language network. The first one was launched in Taiwan and the Philippines on January 1, 2004, and in Hong Kong on January 12, 2004. Main articles: Animax Asia, Animax India, and Animax (South Korea)Īnimax launched separate Asian versions of the channel featuring its anime programming within separate networks and feeds in the respective regions and languages beginning in 2004. In February 2007, Animax announced that it would be launching a mobile television service of its network on the mobile phone company MOBAHO! from April 2007, having its programming being viewable by the company's mobile phone subscribers. Īpart from operating its business primarily as a television network, Animax has also begun operating a mobile television service. Animax also hosts and organizes several anime-based competitions across Japan, such as the Animax Taishō scriptwriting competition and Animax Anison Grand Prix anime song music competition, which are judged by a panel of noted anime figures, as well as several events and concerts across Japan, such as the annual Animax Summer Fest ( アニマックスサマーフェス, Animakkusu Samāfesu), an annual live concert during which renowned Japanese bands, artists and voice actors perform to a live audience, often held at Zepp Tokyo. The network's narrators are the voice actors Yukari Tamura and Kōsuke Okano, and from October 2007, Sayuri Yahagi. Noted Japanese celebrities and personalities to have appeared on Animax with their own programs, include actress Natsuki Katō, among numerous others. It has produced and exclusively premiered several anime in Japan, such as Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ultra Maniac, Astro Boy, Hungry Heart: Wild Striker, Aishiteruze Baby, and many others, including Madhouse's anime adaptations of Marvel's Iron Man, Wolverine, and X-Men. The network began broadcasting in high definition from October 2009.Īnimax also exhibits affiliations with anime pioneer Osamu Tezuka's Tezuka Productions company, Pierrot, Nippon Animation, and numerous others. Its founders also include noted anime producer and production designer Yoshirō Kataoka. Headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and presided by Masao Takiyama, Animax's shareholders and founders include Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan), Sunrise, Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment, and NAS. ( 株式会社アニマックスブロードキャスト・ジャパン(Hiragana), Kabushiki-gaisha Animakkusu Burōdokyasuto Japan) originally premiered in Japan on July 1, the same year, across the SKY PerfecTV! satellite television platform. Japan Įstablished on May 20, 1998, by Sony, Animax Broadcast Japan Inc.
Īnimax operates as separate 24-hour TV channels for Japan, Asia (four separate feeds for South East Asia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and South Korea, in addition to VOD platforms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.Īnimax's third logo, used from 2010 to 2016 in numerous countries. Īnimax is the first and largest 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime. A subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, it is headquartered in New Pier Takeshiba North Tower in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan and the noted animation studios Sunrise, Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment and production company NAS. The channel also dubbed cartoons in Japanese language. ( Japanese: アニマックス, Hepburn: Animakkusu), stylized as ANIMAX, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming.