This news should be a real shock for many fans of the series “The Walking Dead”. The last season apparently changes channels. Instead of FOX, according to reports, you have to take out an additional subscription to see season 11. Because FOX will be history from October 2021.
The bad news for Sky , the leading German pay- TV broadcaster , does not end. The pay-TV company, which once started as a “premiere”, will not only have to forego the UEFA Champions League in the future , but also all Sunday games in the Bundesliga . And now there is also a shock message for all series fans. Already in mid-June it became clear that the FOX Channel could soon disappear in Germany after its exit in Great Britain . Now that is exactly what has become a certainty, reports the online portal DWDL . Especially for fans of the original series of “The Walking Dead” this is nothing less than catastrophic news.
FOX GOES FROM THE STATION, CONTENT GOES TO DISNEY + AND STAR
Because actually die-hard fans of the zombie series had been looking forward to seeing the final season 11 of “The Walking Dead” again from late summer 2021 on FOX. But with a probability bordering on certainty nothing will come of it. Because the Walt Disney Company Germany, owner of the FOX Channel, confirmed to DWDL that the home station of “The Walking Dead” will only remain on the air until September 30, 2021. It will then be switched off after 13 years and will then no longer be available to Sky customers. In addition, the program also flies from various pay TV packages, which can be booked for example with MagentaTV from Telekom or GigaTV from Vodafone .
It remains to be seen how Disney will position itself with German fans in terms of the eleventh season of “The Walking Dead”. So far, there is still no information about when the new episodes start in Germany. And that, although AMC in the USA has long since revealed that the start of season 11 should start on August 22nd. That would give the FOX Channel, at least in theory, the opportunity to broadcast six episodes before the official end of the channel in Germany.
“THE WALKING DEAD” PROBABLY NO LONGER ON FOX
But it is also true that such a scenario is rather unlikely. Showing six episodes on FOX so that two more would only be available on Disney + would be a clever move from a commercial point of view, but it would not be easy to explain to the fan base with simple words. It is more likely that it will continue directly with episode 1 of season 11 at Disney + or Star. This is how the words of a Disney spokeswoman can be interpreted, who told DWDL: “We look forward to sharing more about the upcoming, eleventh season soon.”
For series fans, the end of FOX will be difficult to endure. From a Disney perspective, however, the move is understandable. Because much of the content that was previously shown on FOX will move to Disney + without further ado from October; or the affiliated adult offer Star. So if you want to watch the final season of “The Walking Dead”, you have to take out an (additional) subscription to Disney + in the future. It is still unclear whether Prime Video will still have the license from 2022 to enter the series finale of the zombie apocalypse with a one year delay in a secondary exploitation.
THE LIGHTS GO OUT AT DISNEY JUNIOR TOO
Meanwhile, the end of FOX is not the only terrible news for Sky. After Disney Cinemagic ended in 2019, Disney Junior will also fall victim to the cross-off list from October 2021, according to DWDL information. The free TV station Disney Channel, however, remains on the air. The same applies to the pay-TV channels National Geographic and National Geographic Wild. They too are part of the Disney empire.
For the pay TV broadcaster Sky, the end of the FOX Channel means a blow to the office. Although the pay TV broadcaster has also been producing its own series (“Das Boot”, “Babylon Berlin”, etc.) for a number of years, it also relies on high-quality licensed content to keep its own customers happy. And that is becoming more and more difficult with the success of streaming services on the Internet.
In the not too distant future, further adversity could loom. Then namely, should the previous program partner HBO decide to start its streaming service HBO Max in Germany as well. So far this has not been the case. But if this step follows, Sky would have to do without many other program highlights from HBO. Namely to those that are currently still running exclusively on Sky Atlantic. Difficult times for the pay-TV heavyweight.
