Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Surprise meSurprise meSubscribe
Encyclopedia

Universal TV

Pay television channel

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
4 min read
Source updated July 6, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Universal TV, formerly Universal Channel, is an international pay television network specializing in movies and television series in the thriller, drama, comedy, horror, crime and investigation genres, owned by NBCUniversal International Networks, a division of NBCUniversal and available on satellite and cable platforms. They were formerly branded as USA Network until 2003 when the name was changed to take more advantage of the Universal branding, but continue programming as that network does like a general interest network.

01Launched in other countries

Original launch

Universal Channel was officially launched on 1 September 2004 in Latin America, then it launched on 1 December 2007 in Poland (as Kanał Universal) and Romania (as Canalul Universal) and on 1 July 2008 in Southeast Asia.

Re-branded in selected countries

In South Africa, Hallmark Channel was re-branded under that name on 24 March 2010 for DStv subscribers. In Japan, Sci Fi Channel re-branded to that name on 1 April 2010. In Australia, Hallmark Channel re-branded to that name on 1 July 2010. In Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and ex Yugoslav countries Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hallmark Channel was re-branded to that name on 3 September 2010. And in the Philippines, this channel was launched on 26 July 2010 and replaced the Sci Fi Channel which was rebranded as Universal Channel.

On 18 October 2010, the Hallmark Channel in the UK and Ireland was rebranded, adopting the Universal Channel name. The UK version closed on 27 January 2020. On 3 May 2018, starting with the UK, they have begun the global rebrand of the channel as 'Universal TV'. In August 2018, the Brazilian signal of Universal Channel was rebranded to Universal TV, with the Latin American variant following suit in October.

Launch in New Zealand

In 2021, SkyTV New Zealand and NBCUniversal had signed a multi-year deal allowing Sky to broadcast their new movies, programmes and content while also taking into effect their current catalogue. Therefore, releasing Universal TV to New Zealand audiences as a part of Sky New Zealand’s Starter pack.

Closure in Russia

On April 30, 2015, Universal Channel was closed due to financial problems in the Russian market, along with E!.

The Universal Channel logo used from 2007 to 2010 (used until 2011 in Latin America, and Brazil)
The Universal Channel logo used from 2007 to 2010 (used until 2011 in Latin America, and Brazil)

02Universal Channels around the world

ChannelCountry or regionFormerlyLaunch yearShutdown year
Universal TVLatin America USA Network (first era) September 1, 2004
Universal Channel (Polish TV channel)Poland December 1, 2007 December 31, 2017
Universal Channel (Romanian TV channel)Romania April 30, 2015
Universal Channel (Russian TV channel)Russia May 29, 2008
Universal Channel (Asian TV channel)Asia July 1, 2008 July 1, 2017
Universal Channel (Greek TV channel) Greece May 7, 2009 May 31, 2012
Cyprus March 31, 2013
Universal Channel (Turkish TV channel) Turkey December 17, 2009 2013
Universal Channel (South African TV channel) South Africa Hallmark Channel March 24, 2010
Universal Channel (Japanese TV channel)Japan Sci Fi April 1, 2010 March 31, 2013
Universal TV (Australian TV channel)Australia Hallmark Channel July 1, 2010
Universal Channel (Eastern European TV channel) Czech Republic, Slovakia 3 September 2010 July 30, 2016
Hungary August 28, 2016
Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia September 1, 2016 (replaced by Diva Universal)
Universal TV (British and Irish TV channel)United Kingdom, Ireland 18 October 2010 27 January 2020 (replaced by Sky Comedy)
Universal TV (German TV channel)Germany, Switzerland September 5, 2013
Universal TV (New Zealand) New Zealand April 30, 2021
Universal Channel logo used from 2013 until 2018.
Universal Channel logo used from 2013 until 2018.

03Programmes

Latin America

Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia

Source:

South Africa

United Kingdom

Watch videos about Universal TVExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Universal TV”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.

Continue exploring

Related topics

Universal TV (United Kingdom and Ireland)

Universal TV was a British and Irish pay television channel owned by the NBCUniversal International Networks division of NBCUniversal. It was devoted primarily to imported drama series, mostly from the United States, and operated under various names between 1999 and 2020.

Universal Channel (Asia)

Universal Channel was a television channel specializing in movies and television series in the thriller, drama, comedy, crime and investigation genres. It was owned by Universal Networks International.

Universal TV (Australian TV channel)

Universal TV is an Australian cable and satellite television channel, owned and operated by NBCUniversal International Networks. It has been available on most subscription television platforms in Australia since 1998.