AXS TV

AXS TV (pronounced "access"; AK-sess) is an American cable television channel majority-owned by Canadian broadcaster Anthem Sports & Entertainment. It is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat sports–related programming (including boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling). The network was originally established in 2001 as HDNet, with investor Mark Cuban as a founding partner. HDNet was originally intended as an exclusively-high-definition network, carrying films and acquired television series, concerts, news programming, and sporting events produced in the format. HDNet's original niche became increasingly redundant as more cable networks established their own HD feeds. In 2012, HDNet sold ownership stakes to Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Creative Artists Agency, and Ryan Seacrest, with Cuban retaining a majority stake. The network was then relaunched under its current name—taken from AEG's online ticket platform AXS.com—on July 2, 2012, pivoting to a format based on music and popular culture. In September 2019, Anthem Sports & Entertainment acquired a majority stake in AXS TV, with AEG and Cuban retaining minority stakes. As of November 2023, AXS TV is available to approximately 32,000,000 pay television households in the United States.