 | |
| Type | Digital broadcasttelevision network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide, viaOTA digital TV (coverage 82.99%),[1] Stremium, and Stirr. |
| Affiliates | List of Charge! affiliates |
| Headquarters | Hunt Valley, Maryland |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format |
|
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Sinclair Broadcast Group |
| Parent | Sinclair Television Group, Inc. |
| Key people | |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | February 28, 2017; 8 years ago (2017-02-28) |
| Replaced | The Works |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Watch live |
| Website | watchcharge |
Charge! is an Americandigital broadcasttelevision network owned by theSinclair Broadcast Group that airsaction andadventure-based programming. It launched on February 28, 2017, and was originally ajoint venture withMGM.
In addition to its broadcast network affiliates, Charge is also available through its website and apps.
Since 2014, Sinclair had launched severaldigital broadcast networks, or "diginets"; including theAmerican Sports Network (formally Sinclair's sports programming arm which became the framework forStadium),[3] andTBD (which targetsmillennial audiences).[4] The science-fiction networkComet, launched in October 2015, was Sinclair's firstjoint venture with MGM.[5] Charge! was formally announced by Sinclair and MGM on January 17, 2017.[5]
The network debuted on February 28, 2017, at 10 am (ET) with an airing of the 1978 filmHere Come the Tigers.[6][7] Stations carryingThe Works replaced the network with Charge.[8]
Ring of Honor Wrestling, the weeklyprofessional wrestling television series produced by the then-Sinclair-affiliatedRing of Honor, was syndicated on the network from July 9, 2017, to 2019. The series was previously syndicated to Comet.[9]
In 2020, MGM sold their operation stake in Charge and Comet to Sinclair.[10] On April 6, Charge! began airingMagnum, P.I. andKnight Rider.[11] In the Fall, Charge began airingHunter.[citation needed]
In the years since Sinclair took control of the network, Charge would begin acquiring more contemporary crime dramas; includingCSI: Miami in June 2021,CSI: NY in late 2022,Without a Trace andLaw & Order: Criminal Intent in 2023,Homicide: Life on the Street andCriminal Minds in 2025, andThe District in 2026.[12]
Charge! currently provides up to 19 hours of programming to its owned-and-operated and affiliated stations on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time and weekends from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The remaining vacated hours are occupied by paid programming.
Programming on Charge! was originally sourced from MGM's library, and was expressed by Sinclair's press release announcing the launch as "one of the deepest libraries of premium action-themed content in the world." Launch titles indicated included the TV seriesIn the Heat of the Night andThe Magnificent Seven, theRocky andJames Bond film series, and other motion pictures includingPlatoon andDances with Wolves.[5] As a result, the network has a similar demographic to that ofHeroes & Icons andStart TV.[citation needed]
At its outset, Sinclair slated the launch of Charge! to primarily take place ondigital subchannels of stations it owns or operates. Other Sinclair stations will likely add Charge! during Spring 2017 (and also used it to replaceGrit andIon Mystery when their carriage agreements with Sinclair expired in January 2018), and Sinclair will continue to offer the network to stations outside its geographic footprint (the company projects Charge to reach over 50% of the U.S. by the end of 2nd quarter 2017).[6] As of February 12, 2019, there are 56 affiliates of which 49 have the network on the air and 7 that have committed to broadcasting the network.[1]It was announced thatYouTube TV will add Charge! to their lineup on June 1, 2023.
It is also available on the third digital subchannel on all ABC stations owned byABC Owned Television Stations, which includesFresno,Los Angeles,San Francisco,Chicago,New York,Durham,Philadelphia, andHouston.
On Friday the company said Chief Operating Officer David Amy, who has served in that role and as executive vice president since 2014, will become vice chairman and oversee human resources, corporate marketing and the networks group.
And it also rebranded a classic TV diginet, The Works. It's now called Charge! and has narrowed its retro focus to action-adventure.
