The channel AXN will be gone soon in India. Sony Pictures Networks India is putting a stop to the TV channel’s 21-year long run, effective 12am on June 30. This applies to both the standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) feeds of AXN across the subcontinent, which includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan.
In a statement to Gadgets 360, Sony Pictures Networks said: “In keeping with our growth strategy, we are realigning our channel portfolio. Accordingly, we have decided to discontinue AXN and AXN HD. This decision comes into effect on June 30, 2020.”
DreamDTH was the first one to highlight AXN and AXN HD’s closure.
AXN’s exit halves Sony’s existence in the English entertainment scenario in India, with Sony Pix left as the lone torchbearer. Moreover, Sony Pix only deals entirely in (Hollywood) movies. There’s Sony BBC Earth too, but that only showcases natural history documentaries.
It’s worth to be noted that AXN was primarily counted among the top three channels in English entertainment, as DreamDTH puts forth. Its shutdown does not hold a bright future for channels that centers around English-language content in India.
According to trade reports, the growth of streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+ Hotstar, and TRAI’s new tariff rules from last December are making it consistently difficult for networks to succeed with English entertainment.
On the other side, regional-language entertainment is performing better on TV in India. This might have something to do with the fact that those looking for English entertainment are generally in a better position — digital payment options and fast, reliable Internet to access streaming services.