The Desk appreciates the support of readers who purchase products or services through links on our website. Learn more...

Disney to rename Fox channels in Latin America

The channels will soon carry the "Star" branding, bringing them in line with Disney's forthcoming streaming service.

The channels will soon carry the "Star" branding, bringing them in line with Disney's forthcoming streaming service.

(Image: Fox Corporation/Graphic: The Desk)

The Walt Disney Company plans to rename a handful of Fox-branded channels in Latin America that were acquired as part of the entertainment company’s acquisition of Fox assets last year.

The announcement was made in a statement distributed to pay TV operators in several Latin American countries with international variants of Fox and its sister channel Fox Life.

In February, Disney will re-brand Fox to Star Channel and Fox Life to Star Life. Both channels are available in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The re-brand comes several weeks after Disney executives announced they would similarly change the names of several domestic film and studio assets acquired from Fox Corporation in 2019. The company is also building a new streaming service that will incorporate its own TV shows and movies that are geared toward an older audience.

That streaming service, which is also expected to be called Star, will be similar to Disney’s stateside service Hulu, except Disney will not carry any licensed third-party content. Company executives are expected to announce more details about the Star streaming service at an investor conference on December 10.

Disney continues to operate other Fox-branded channels in Europe, North Africa and Asia, though these channels could also re-launch under the Star branding in the future.

Photo of author

About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

Email: [email protected] | Signal: 530-507-8380