BREAKING. FOX Movies channel and its time-shifted channel FOX Movies+2 removed from On Digital Media's StarSat.

FOX Movies and its time-shifted channel FOX Movies+2 from FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) are the latest TV channels getting dumped from On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes Media SA's satellite pay-TV platform.

FOX Movies and FOX Movies+2 were added to StarSat just a year ago, in June 2014.

FOX Movies and FOX Movies+2 will be gone within days - apparently getting dropped by 5 July from StarSat.

No word on it from StarSat yet, which says a press release about it is on the way.

So far also no word from FOX International Channels Africa.

FIC Africa provides channels such as FOX, FX, FOX Crime, FUEL, BabyTV, Setanta Africa, Setanta Action and Nat Geo Gold to StarSat.

More news and this story will update as StarSat and FIC Africa respond to media enquiries with press statements.

UPDATE 12:40 Monday 29 June - FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) confirms FOX Movies is gone from StarSat from 5 July.

FIC Africa tells TV with Thinus that the axed FOX Movies (which was added just a year ago to StarSat) will be gone by 5 July.

"It is in keeping with the company's global strategy to have a strong reference brand - FOX - ready for a future with multiple choices".


UPDATE 16:20 Monday 29 June - StarSat is issuing a press statement regarding the shuttering of FOX Movies saying FOX International Channels is to blame for the loss of the channel, and that StarSat regrets the loss of the channel.

"StarSat has been informed that as from 6 July 2015, FOX Movies will no longer feature on the StarSat platform. The decision to close down the channel was made by the supplier."

"In the world of pay-TV, the adding and removing of channels is part of the industry," says Ian Woodrow, the head of content at StarSat.

"We regret the removal of FOX Movies, but we are constantly looking at new channels and programmes to add to our various packages."

"We remain committed to bringing high quality and affordable content to our valued subscribers," says Ian Woodrow.

FOX International Channels Africa comments on adding FOX Movies to StarSat; FOX Life possibly added as a new channel soon as well.

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FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) says the addition of the new TV channel, FOX Movies that will start on On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform in South African on Saturday 7 June helps to increase FOX International Channel's footprint and now makes its the most relevant supplier of TV channels to StarSat.

FIC will provide a lifestyle TV channel to StarSat as well, but is not saying what the channel is, or when the channel will be added.

It's however very likely that it will be FOX Life that will be added to StarSat, FIC's global mother lifestyle television brand that has scripted and non-scripted shows which are inspired by real-life, including drama series, comedies and reality shows.

With the addition of FOX Movies, FIC Africa will now oversee 7 TV channels on StarSat - FOX, FX, BabyTV, FUEL, FOX Crime and Nat Geo Gold.

"The FIC Africa strategic plan has been to ensure increased distribution of our key channel brands to all platforms thus strengthening our presence," says Alessandro Tucci, the senior vice president and general manager for FIC Africa.

"FIC will be the most relevant channels supplier of StarSat".

About the FOX Movies addition Alessandro Tucci says "the deal will increase FIC's footprint and support the global corporate strategy of channels remaining non-exclusive".

"This move is very encouraging for us as a distributor of powerhouse channel brands globally".

FOX Movies is already available in West Africa on Montage and will now be available in South Africa as well. The channel broadcast comedy, drama, action, science fiction, horror and thrillers.

BREAKING. StarSat making FOX Movies available from Saturday 7 June, plans to add FOX Movies+2 as time-shifted channel 'in near future'.

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On Digital Media (ODM) is finally adding FOX Movies to the StarSat pay-TV platform from Saturday 7 June.

StarSat will also add a time-shifted channel, FOX Movies+2 "in the near future", where films start two hours after its started on FOX Movies.

It's been four months since FOX International Channels (FIC) made FOX Movies available to ODM and its new financial backer, China's StarTimes. StarSat kept saying that it's "testing" FOX Movies.

FIC Africa already provides channels such as FOX, FX, FOX Crime, FUEL, BabyTV, Setanta Africa, Setanta Action and Nat Geo Gold to StarSat.

FOX Movies from 20th Century FOX broadcast comedy, drama, action, science fiction, horror and thrillers and has already been available as a TV channel in West Africa.

StarSat isn't saying why it took so long to make FOX Movies available after news leaked in February that the satellite pay-TV platform has the channel, other than to say that "the wait is finally over for StarSat subscribers".

FOX Movies will go live on Saturday 7 June at 09:00. FOX Movies will run for 24 hours on StarSat channel 135 in standard definition (SD), StarSat tells TV with Thinus.

"A time shifted channel, Fox Movies+2, will also be added in the near future, allowing StarSat subscribers the opportunity to watch the movie two hours after it was broadcast on the FOX Movies channel," says StarSat.

"The channels from FIC provide quality viewing across a number of genres on the StarSat platform, contributing to meeting our subscriber demand for continuously improving content choices," says Ian Woodrow, the head of content at StarSat in a statement.

"We are extremely happy that the strategic partnership with FIC has been welcomed by all of our stakeholders".

StarSat silent over where the promised new FOX Movies channel is, when it will launch, and why its addition has been delayed for so long.

Where is FOX Movies that On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform has promised StarSat subscribers months ago?

FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) made FOX Movies available to StarSat since 15 February already but StarSat keeps saying that its been "testing" FOX Movies.

The problem is that StarSat has therefore been testing FOX Movies - should the claim be truthful - for the past four months now, an insubordinate amount of time to test or decide if a single TV channel is correct or not.

FIC Africa already provides channels such as FOX, FX, FOX Crime, FUEL and Nat Geo Gold to StarSat.

FOX Movies from 20th Century FOX broadcast comedy, drama, action, science fiction, horror and thrillers and has already been available as a TV channel on the continent in North Africa.

I asked StarSat if it can please specifically say when FOX Movies will start, and why the addition of the TV channel has been delayed so long? StarSat didn't give answers to these two specific questions for publication purposes.

It does however seem that FOX Movies will launch on StarSat and that StarSat is working towards, or on, a launch date.

I also asked FIC Africa about FOX Movies on StarSat, who denies that the problem is with them, and says StarSat needs to be asked.

"The FOX Movies channel has launched in West Africa on Montage. Channel launches are at the discretion of the relevant affiliate and therefore the query needs to be directed to StarSat in relation to the channel launch dates," says FIC Africa.