.svg) | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Poland, Romania, Middle East and Africa |
| Programming | |
| Languages | English, Polish, Romanian |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (Poland) 576i16:9SDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | AMC Networks International Paramount Networks EMEAA |
| Sister channels | CBS Europa |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 December 1999; 25 years ago (1999-12-01) |
| Closed | 1 June 2022; 3 years ago (2022-06-01) (Russia) 23 November 2023; 2 years ago (2023-11-23) (UK and Ireland, replaced by True Crime) 31 December 2023; 22 months ago (2023-12-31) (Czech Republic, Slovakia and in the Netherlands)[1][2] 3 January 2024; 22 months ago (2024-01-03) (CIS, Baltic,[3] Hungary, Bulgaria and Croatia)[4][5][6][7] 31 December 2025; 36 days' time (2025-12-31) (Poland) |
| Replaced by | True Crime (UK and Ireland) |
| Former names | Reality TV (1999–2006) Zone Reality (2006–2012) |
| Links | |
| Website | |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| See separate section | |
CBS Reality is a Europeanpay television channel specializing inreality-based programming, including true crime documentaries and factual entertainment. It is operated byAMC Networks International in partnership withParamount Networks EMEAA. The channel was launched on 1 December 1999 as Reality TV, rebranded to Zone Reality in 2006, and adopted the CBS Reality name in 2009 following a joint venture betweenCBS Studios International andChellomedia. In 2014, AMC Networks acquired Chellomedia, which was subsequently rebranded as AMC Networks International.
In recent years, CBS Reality has significantly reduced its presence across Europe. The channel ceased broadcasting in selected countries, including Portugal (2022), the Netherlands (by 31 December 2023) and parts of Central and Eastern Europe (by 31 December 2023).[8][9][10] In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the channel was rebranded asTrue Crime in November 2023 under the same ownership.[11][12] Earlier rationalisation outside Europe also included the withdrawal of a Southeast Asia feed (then branded Zone Reality/Reality TV) that operated in the mid-2000s.[13][14] As of 2025, CBS Reality remains available only in Poland and Romania, where it continues to operate with localized feeds. Outside Europe, the brand continues in the Middle East and Africa.[15][16][17]
Programming is centered on true crime and factual entertainment, including police-pursuit and custody series and courtroom shows; the schedule has featured U.S. imports from networks such astruTV/Court TV (Bait Car,Jail) alongside titles likeJudge Judy and48 Hours.[18][19][20]
CBS Reality was launched asReality TV on 1 December 1999 as a joint-venture betweenUPCtv andZone Vision.[21] The Reality TV channel began broadcasting in Poland on 17 March 2000 on the UPC subsidiary Wizja TV satellite platform. The channel started broadcasting to Africa on 1 November 2001.[22] In 2005, Liberty Global, owner of UPC, bought Zone Vision. In 2006, they decided to put all their channels under the unified "Zone" brand. Reality TV becameZone Reality.[23]
On 1 August 2012, Chellomedia revealed that the European version of Zone Reality would be rebranded into CBS Reality.[24] In Europe, Zone Reality was rebranded on 3 December 2012.[25]AMC Networks acquired Chellomedia on 2 February 2014. Chellomedia was rebranded asAMC Networks International on 8 July 2014.[26]
CBS Reality is available in HD in Poland since 23 September 2019.[27]
A dedicated Romanian feed was launched on 13 May 2022, with a different schedule and Romanian adverts. However, promos and trailers are subtitled in Romanian.
CBS Reality closed on 1 June 2022 in Russia,[28][29] and on 1 July 2022 in Portugal.
CBS Reality closed in the UK on 22 November 2023 and was rebranded asTrue Crime.[30]
CBS Reality closed on 31 December 2023 in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and in the Netherlands.[31]
CBS Reality closed on 3 January 2024 in Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, CIS and Baltic.[3]
CBS Reality is scheduled to close down alongside Film Cafe in Poland on December 31, 2025.[32]
| A&E | |||||
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| Aleph Media |
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| AMC | |||||
| Antenna |
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| CNM | |||||
| Clever Group |
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| Digital Broadcast |
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| Disney Romania | |||||
| Doğan Holding | |||||
| Intact |
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| ISG Media |
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| Kino Polska | |||||
| NBCUniversal | |||||
| Paramount | |||||
| Pro TV | |||||
| Digi Communications |
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| Tematic Media | |||||
| TVR | |||||
| Viasat World | |||||
| Warner Bros. Discovery | |||||
| Others |
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| Defunct |
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