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Reliance's Jio TV Broadcasts Animax Asia in India

Reliance's Jio TV began broadcasting the Animax Asia channel in India earlier this week. The channel is available for linear streaming on channel 444 of the Jio TV set-top-box and mobile application.

The channel is currently in a testing phase and is only available with Japanese audio without subtitles.

Sony Pictures Entertainment removed Animax Asia from its Sony LIV application in May 2020. Sony did not make an official announcement regarding the removal of the channel. KC Global Media officially acquired four Asian pay-TV channels, including Animax Asia, from Sony Pictures Entertainment in the same week as the removal.

Variety reported in January 2021 that former Sony Pictures Television executives, Andy Kaplan and George Chien, had reached an agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment for the acquisition of three entertainment networks that are broadcast in Southeast Asia and South Korea. The three networks include "AXN-branded channels in the region, the anime-focused Animax and South Korea's Sony One entertainment channel." The final agreement also includes the Japanese entertainment service GEM.

The Indian division of Animax Asia, Animax India, was broadcast over cable and DTH television between July 2004 and April 2017. The channel went through several changes over its time on air. Animax India started broadcasting its entire programming in English from August 2006 onward and was taken off of DTH services from 2012 onward. Sony Pictures Entertainment replaced the channel with Sony Yay in April 2017 and started streaming Animax Asia on the Sony LIV app simultaneously.

Thanks to Vaibhav Bhatter for the news tip.

Source: Jio TV via Sportskeeda