David Farnor | On 18, May 2021

Fox UK is preparing to close its linear TV channel as part of a shift to Disney+.

FOX TV UK launched back in 2004 as FX before rebranded to become “FOX”. Since then, it has been the home of a number of Fox titles, such as Family Guy, Arrested Development and King of the Hill an has snapped up the rights to a number of third party titles, such as Falling Skies, Babylon 5 and, most notably, AMC’s The Walking Dead, which has continued to air on FOX UK all the way through its 10th season and subsequent bonus episodes.

When Disney acquired 21st Century Fox in 2019, the channel fell under the ownership of the House of Mouse. While the channel has continued to broadcast since then, Disney has now taken the decision to shut its doors and change its focus to streaming.

Fox will stop broadcasting on pay TV from 30th June, with original shows such as War of the Worlds and exclusive third party titles, such as The Walking Dead, instead jumping to Star on Disney+.

“On 30th June the FOX channel in the UK will close. Many titles will become available on Star on Disney+ and will be announced in the near future,” said a spokesperson in a statement. “We appreciate the support of our UK fans and can’t wait to keep sharing the best stories with you.”

The closure follows a similar move by Disney to pull its family-oriented linear channels – Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior – from the air, with their titles instead debuting directly on Disney+. Star, which launched earlier this year, is Disney’s adult-friendly brand that provides a home to titles from 20th Television, ABC Signature and FX Productions.

For more details on The Walking Dead arriving on Disney+ in the UK, click here.

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