![]() | |
Native name | GINX TV Ltd |
---|---|
Industry | |
Genre | Entertainment |
Founded | 2007 |
Headquarters | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Michiel Bakker (CEO) |
Services |
|
Owner | ITV plc[citation needed] |
Website | https://www.ginx.tv/ |
Ginx TV, officially GINX Esports TV (stylised as GiПX ESPORTSTV), is a United Kingdom–based media group specialised in Esports for an international audience. Alongside its TV channel, Ginx TV also publishes a website focused on gaming and esports news and guides.
Ginx TV was founded in 2007 by Alistair Gosling (who founded the Extreme Sports Channel), Udi Shapira, and Cosmo Spens.[1][2]
Ginx TV was launched in August 2008 on Romania's Boom TV satellite television platform.[3] As of December 2012[update], Ginx TV operates in Southeast Asia, East Africa and Europe.[4] In two regions, Indonesia and Turkey, Ginx TV is represented by the Dori Media Group.[5][6] A high-definition simulcast of the channel, called Ginx HD, was temporarily available on Hispasat 1E during 2011.[7] On 30 July 2012, the channel became available in HD again on StarHub TV in Singapore.[8]
In August 2010, Ginx TV announced plans to launch in the UK and Ireland,[9] where the channel expected a potential audience of over 12 million viewers through Sky and Virgin Media.[10] In October 2010, Red Bee Media was appointed to create a new identity and on-screen presentation for the channel.[11]
In March 2011, it was announced that the British launch had been delayed[1] until its release on Virgin Media on 9 July 2013.[12] A video on demand service was also available in the UK on BT Vision from 26 May 2011.[13] The company's programmes are also globally distributed to third party broadcasters such as TVNZ U in New Zealand,[14] Zee Trendz in India,[15] OSN in the Middle East and North Africa[16] and EGO in Israel.[17]
On 12 December 2011, Ginx TV agreed to license some of its content to American video gaming website The Escapist.[18]
In April 2015, Ginx formed a temporary partnership with DStv which would welcome esports into South Africa, becoming the first dedicated esports channel in South Africa. The brand returned in 2017 through a partnership with SuperSport and DStv which would give it a dedicated channel.[19][20]
In June 2016, it was announced that, with the partnership of Sky and ITV, Ginx TV was to be relaunched as GINX Esports TV, shifting its focus to covering esports. With this change, the channel launched on 24 June 2016 on Sky, in addition to it already being available to watch on Virgin Media.[21]
On 15 February 2017, it was announced that Canadian premium service Super Channel would launch a domestic version of Ginx as a replacement for one of its multiplex channels.[22] Replacing Super Channel 4, GINX Esports TV Canada launched on 4 May 2017 with a live edition of The Bridge.[23]
The same month, GINX Esports TV also entered Israel, via a partnership with Partner's 4GTV app.[24]
In October 2017, Ginx announced a partnership with Telekom Austria Group to make the channel available across Europe on Eutelsat 16A.[25]
In October 2018, Ginx announced it had terminated its contract with Virgin Media.[26]
In October 2019, Ginx launched the ginx.tv website dedicated to gaming and esports news in English. It expanded to Spanish in 2020.
On June 24, 2023, it was announced that the UK version of the channel would cease satellite broadcast on June 29, 2023, and continue on Sky Glass and Sky Stream.[27]
Utilising its own TV studios and production arm, GINX TV creates and publishes the GINX Esports TV channel, backed by Sky Group and ITV plc.
Since June 2016, the channel has partnered with game publishers and tournament organisers to broadcast some of the most prominent esports competition. GINX Esports TV also broadcasts its own creations such as Origins, a docu-series looking back at how the most popular video-games came to be, Top 10 or That Gaming Show.
In January 2022, GINX Esports TV also started broadcasting some its shows live on Twitch.
Through its production arm, GINX Studios, the company also creates and delivers esports programmes and competitions for publishers, media organizations, brands and esports organizations including OG esports or EXCEL esports.
GINX TV owns and operates ginx.tv, a digital outlet dedicated to esports, gaming and entertainment. The website is monetized through programmatic static and video advertising. In 2021, the website expanded to cover mobile gaming, slowly becoming one of its core competencies.