Upfronts 2009: Complete Coverage from B&C
Sci Fi Channel announced Monday that it will rebrand
itself as Syfy in an effort to broaden its programming profile beyond science
fiction while retaining—phonetically, at least—its sci-fi
roots.
The announcement comes on the day of the NBC
Universal-owned cable channel's upfront presentation to advertisers, where
executives will discuss the planned rebrand, which includes the new tagline
"Imagine Greater." The channel, which reaches some 95 million households, has
long strived to show its range with "imagination-based entertainment" that
includes paranormal series like Ghost
Hunters and supernatural shows like Eureka, as well as traditional sci-fi series
like Battlestar
Galactica.
"Without abandoning our legacy or our core audience, we
needed to cultivate a distinct point of view with a name that we could own that
invites more people in and recognizes our broader range of programming with
literally something for everyone," said Sci Fi president David Howe in a
statement. "Syfy allows us to build on our 16-year heritage of success with a
new brand built on the power that fuels our genre: the imagination. Syfy ushers
in a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater
entertainment that paves the way for us to truly become a global lifestyle
brand."
The rebrand is set for July, when it will launch in
tandem with the premiere of new scripted series Warehouse 13 on both the linear
channel and scifi.com.
The network explained that the rebrand also enables it
to trademark the name Syfy and leverage the brand through extensions like Syfy
Games, Syfy Films and Syfy Kids. However, the network will not change the name
of its standalone news forum, Sci Fi Wire.
