A+E Networks Rebrands As A+E Global Media

As it prepares to deliver its virtual upfront presentation to advertisers, A+E Networks said it has rebranded itself as A+E Global Media.

The company, which is a joint venture of Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst, also has renamed its ad sales division A+E Media Solutions.

While it is anchored by the domestic operations of its portfolio, which includes The History Channel, Lifetime, and Home.Made.Nation, A+E content delivers programming globally in 40 languages. The company has owned-and-operated channels in South Korea, Japan, and across Southeast Asia, as well as a joint venture in Latin America. A+E series have also been sold or optioned as local formats around the world.

A+E’s upfront has been a streamlined and virtual affair since the onset of Covid in 2020, as buyers and sellers continue to re-evaluate the industry ritual of traditionally lavish in-person presentations in New York. As a programmer, A+E continues to do business with a host of A-list names. The company’s upfront highlighted originals featuring the likes of Kevin Costner, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, LeBron James, Mary J. Blige, President Barack Obama and Tyler Perry, Reese Witherspoon, Dick Wolf and many more.

Watch on Deadline

“The name A+E Global Media reflects who we are today – an innovative, multiplatform content engine that reaches audiences everywhere,” A+E President & Chairman Paul Buccieri said in a press release. “We are powered by our borderless storytelling and worldwide consumption that has no limits. With a vast portfolio of premium brands, cutting-edge studios, and world-class talent, we create compelling narratives that deeply engage viewers across every screen and platform. As we expand our global footprint, our focus remains on delivering exceptional storytelling that resonates across cultures and connects with audiences in meaningful ways.”

Toby Byrne, a veteran Fox sales exec who joined the company in January 2024 and was named head of sales in December, told Deadline in an interview that the two name changes “go together. We very much think of ourselves as a full service innovative team that provides solutions to our clients.”

A+E’s upfront drew connections between the company’s programming and the objectives of buyers, highlighting sports as connective tissue. Research by The History Channel showed that the channel is a valuable strategic complement of sports media buys.

“Sports buys are a powerful and impactful part of any media plan,” Byrne said. And “while we are not suggesting replacing sports investments,” he continued, it can help by “enhancing reach and engagement in a highly efficient and effective way,” especially by reaching lighter sports viewers.

A+E Digital has recently been reconfigured as it looks to boost the company’s 70,000 distinct assets across longform and shortform. The digital operation includes brand sites with editorial content; websites; YouTube channels; SVOD platforms including A&E Crime Central, History Vault and Lifetime Movie Club; short form video creation; editorial newsletters; and dozens of social handles across Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok.

The company also operates 60 FAST channels and has a stake in both Range Media Partners and Propagate Content, which together represent more than 3,000 artists, athletes, directors, musicians, writers and producers.