Sony Crime Channel killed off


The plug has been pulled - two and a half years after launching with great fanfare.

Sony Crime Channel is to close on Sky and Virgin Media during the early hours of 10th June 2020, as Sony focuses on its entertainment and movie channels.

The channel was launched with a blaze of publicity in February 2018, securing a premium Freeview slot and a range of well known crime dramas including CSI and Orange is the New Black.

But within a year Sony Crime's status was being downgraded and stripped of its national Freeview slot. Low ratings and stiff competition from other crime-themed channels continued and in June 2019, it was confirmed that the channel would no longer show drama, instead moving to a schedule of crime reality series, notably Bait Car, which ended up on a near-permanent loop.

A revamp of Sony's channel portfolio last year left Sony Crime as the only Sony TV service with the old branding as it became a largely forgotten service near the end of Sky's Entertainment section.

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