Syfy (a Neologism of former name Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY in all caps since 2017) is an American cable cable television, owned by the NBCUniversal Media Group division and business segment of Comcast's NBCUniversal. Launched on September 24, 1992, the channel broadcasts programming relating to the science fiction, Horror fiction, and fantasy genres. , Syfy is available in approximately 69 million pay television households in the United States, down from its 2011 peak of 99 million households.
In 1992, Rubenstein and Silvers sold the channel to USA Networks, then a joint venture between Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures. Rubenstein and Silvers became vice-chairs of USA Networks. The channel was seen as a natural fit with the classic films and television series that both studios had in their vaults, including Universal's Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Rod Serling television series Night Gallery, along with Paramount's television series.
Star Treks creator Gene Roddenberry and author Isaac Asimov were recruited by Rubenstein and Silvers to serve on the initial advisory board, but both Roddenberry and Asimov had died by the time the channel finally launched on September 24, 1992. Rubenstein recalled: "The first thing that was on the screen was 'Dedicated to the memories of Isaac Asimov and Gene Roddenberry'." Leonard Nimoy was master of ceremonies at the channel's launch party, held at the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan. Asimov's widow Janet Asimov and Roddenberry's widow Majel Barrett were both in attendance. The first program aired on the network was the film Star Wars.
In 1994, Paramount was sold to Viacom, followed by Seagram's purchase of a controlling stake in MCA (of which Universal was a subsidiary) from the Panasonic in 1995. In 1997, Viacom sold its stake in USA Networks to Universal, who spun off all its television assets to Barry Diller the next year into the new company Studios USA. Three years later, Diller would sell Studios USA back to Universal, by then a subsidiary of Vivendi SA (at the time known as Vivendi Universal). Vivendi's film and television production and cable television assets were then merged with General Electric's NBC to form NBCUniversal in 2004. In 2009, the network was rebranded as Syfy, and in 2010 Comcast purchased Syfy's parent company NBCUniversal. Comcast was one of the original cable TV operators to carry the channel.
A high-definition version of the channel launched on October 3, 2007, on DirecTV.
In 2013, Syfy was given the James Randi Educational Foundation's Pigasus Award for what was described as questionable reality programming involving paranormal subjects.
Comcast then announced plans in November 2024 to place Syfy and other cable properties into a spinoff company. The move comes amid declines in linear television accelerated by cord-cutting. On May 6, 2025, the spinoff company was named as called Versant.
On March 16, 2009, NBCUniversal announced that Sci Fi was rebranding as "Syfy". Network officials also noted that, unlike the generic term "sci fi", which represents the entire science fiction, the term "Syfy" as a sensational spelling can be protected by trademark and therefore would be easier to market on other goods or services without fear of confusion with other companies' products. The only significant previous use of the term "Syfy" in relation to science fiction was by the website SyFy Portal, which became Airlock Alpha after selling the brand to an unnamed company in February 2009.
The name change was greeted with initial negativity, with people deliberately mispronouncing "Syfy" as or to make fun of the name change. The parody news anchor Stephen Colbert made fun of the name change on The Colbert Report by giving the channel a "Tip of the Hat" for "spelling the name the way it's pronounced" and noting that "the tide is turning in my long fought battle against the insidious 'soft C. The new name took effect on July 7, 2009. Syfy has since added reality shows and edged further from strictly science fiction, fantasy and horror programming. Syfy is Turning Into VH1: More Reality TV and Tracy Morgan , io9, March 18, 2010 Syfy Announces New Programming for 2010-2011 , The Flick Cast, March 19, 2010 Syfy Channel 2010: More Reality, More Games , Inside TV, March 23, 2010
The rebranding efforts at NBC Universal's Syfy Universal resulted in most rebranding as "Syfy" or "Syfy Universal"; however, over one-third of the channels did not take on "Syfy" as any part of their names: channels in Japan and the Philippines rebranded to or were replaced by Universal Channel, while each of the channels in Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia would become Sci Fi Universal. In Polish language, "Syfy" does not suggest imagination or science fiction, but rather something gross, without value or even syphilis. SCI FI president Dave Howe answers your SYFY questions , SYFY Wire, July 5, 2015 In Australia, NBCUniversal was a partner in SF alongside Foxtel, CBS Studios International and Sony Pictures Television; after the channel shut down in 2013, NBCUniversal launched a local version of Syfy in 2014.
On May 11, 2017, in honor of the network's upcoming 25th anniversary, Syfy unveiled a major rebranding that took effect on-air June 19. The new branding was intended to re-position the channel back towards targeting fans of the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Network head Chris McCumber explained that the network's goal was to "put fans at the center of everything we do", and explained a stacked, square-shaped form of the logo as being akin to a "badge". Syfy also planned to place a larger focus on its genre news division Syfy Wire, disclosing the possibility of extending the website to television as well.
Syfy has been used for overflow sports and sports entertainment programming from its sister networks. It has participated in NBC Sports' "Survival Sunday" effort to broadcast all matches on the final matchday of the Premier League soccer season across NBCUniversal cable networks. In February 2022, WWE Raw and NXT aired on Syfy for two weeks due to USA Network's broadcasts of the 2022 Winter Olympics; this was repeated during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
On April 20, 2019, Syfy launched a new late night adult animation block called TZGZ which aired until March 13, 2021.
From 2000 to 2005, SciFi.com published original science fiction short stories in a section called "Sci Fiction", edited by Ellen Datlow, who won a 2005 Hugo Award for her work there. The stories themselves won a World Fantasy Award, the first Theodore Sturgeon Award for online fiction (for Lucius Shepard's novella "Over Yonder"), and four of the Science Fiction Writers of America's , including the first for original online fiction (for Linda Nagata's novella "Goddesses").
On April 22, 2006, the site launched Sci Fi Pedia, a commercial wiki on topics including anime, , fandom, fantasy, , horror fiction, science fiction, , , genre-related art and sound, and the paranormal. In 2009, Sci Fi Pedia was shut down without explanation.
As part of the channel's rebranding in 2009, the URLand the site's namewas changed to Syfy.com. As of 2010, Syfy.com began to contain webisode series including (as of October 26, 2010), The Mercury Men (as of July 25, 2011), and Nuclear Family (as of October 15, 2012).
In 2010, Syfy Games signed a deal with the now defunct publisher THQ to co-produce De Blob 2. Syfy Games would also co-produce .
As of March 2018, Syfy Wire releases five regular podcasts, including two recap series following The Expanse and the final season of Colony, as well as The Fandom Files, which features interviews with public figures about their pop culture obsessions. Guests have included Leland Chee and Mike Daniels of the Green Bay Packers.
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