Country | United States |
---|---|
Broadcast area | United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Japan, South Korea, Israel |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English Spanish |
Picture format | 480i (SDTV) (Americas) 576i (SDTV) (Europe) 1080i (HDTV) (United States, Latin America and Russia) |
History | |
Launched | January 22, 1982 |
Former names | Escapade (1982) The Playboy Channel (1982 – 1989) |
Links | |
Website | Playboy TV |
Availability | |
Cable | |
Videotron (Canada) | Channel 221 (SD) |
Com Hem (Sweden) | Channel 54 |
UPC Romania | Channel 974 |
Izzi Telecom | Channel 691 |
Altice USA | Channel 530 Channel 532 (Spanish) |
Available on most U.S. cable systems | Channel slots vary on each provider |
Satellite | |
Sky (Mexico) | Channel 926 |
Movistar+ (Spain) | Channel 111 |
DigitAlb (Albania) | Channel 153 |
Dish Network (U.S.) | Channel 488/9 (English) Channel 487 (Spanish) |
DirecTV (U.S.) | Channel 580 and 589 (English; HD) Channel 583 (Spanish) |
Shaw Direct (Canada) | Channel 680 |
Bell Satellite TV (Canada) | Channel 780 |
IPTV | |
Telus TV (Canada) | Channel 910 |
AT&T U-Verse (U.S.) | Channel 3952 (English) Channel 3954 (Spanish) |
Telekom Entertain (Germany) | Channel 279 (SD) |
Free (France) | Channel 374 |
SomTV (Andorra) | Channel 270 |
Playboy TV (originally The Playboy Channel) is a pay television channel based in the United States.
The channel first launched on January 22, 1982 as Escapade, a joint-venture of Playboy Enterprises and Cablevision's Rainbow Media.[1][2] The channel rebranded the Playboy Channel on November 1, 1982. The original programming and style of the Playboy Channel was developed by Hugh Hefner, and producer Michael Trikilis. Playboy hired its own sales and marketing staff and launched the channel on several major multiple system operators. At the time of its launch, programming featured on the channel consisted of R-rated films. It was broadcast for only ten hours each day, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET, during its first eleven years of existence. In October 1983, Rainbow Media exited the partnership by selling its share to Playboy, but would continue to distribute the channel until 1986.[3] The channel re-launched as Playboy TV and adopted its current name on November 1, 1989. The network expanded its programming with the adoption of a 24-hour schedule in 1994.
Playboy TV was originally developed as a video version of Playboy Magazine. Programming featured music reviews, celebrity interviews, men's fashion and segments on cars. It was a video extension of the magazine - an established lifestyle brand. Slowly the programming on the channel evolved to feature more attractive women and eventually soft core features. This then evolved to what would become more standard television programming with a focus primarily on a male demographic.
In 2010, Playboy TV unveiled a new program slate,[4] which featured series tailored to both male and female viewers.[5]