Applause (TV network)

Applause is an American premium television channel that serves as the flagship property of owner Applause Networks. Programming on Applause consists of theatrically released motion pictures and first-run original television series, along with some acquired programming. Launched on September 1, 1995, Applause operates nine 24-hour, linear multiplex channels; a traditional subscription video on demand service; and ApplauseGo, an over-the-top streaming platform.

Applause is currently led by Kevin Summitt. Since he joined in 2012, the series has produced many hit series under his leadership, including Thoroughbred; Music Row; Broadcast; and the continuation of Barrens. Long-running series on Applause include The Afternoon Club and Greg Tewksbury on Television.

Applause and it's sister networks, Now and TheaterOne, are headquartered in, with satellite office facilities located in and.

Launch and early history
Applause launched on 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time on September 1, 1995 on several systems on the U.S. east coast and a group of cable systems in the  in. Applause was jointly owned by and Cablevision, and was intended as a competitor to, , , ,  and. The channel debuted with an introduction by president James Tonoyan, which was then followed by Applause's first movie telecast, the 1994 film Speed.

Initially, Applause focused on recently-released movies and movies of the prior five years, with some 1980s releases mixed in; the channel used the slogan of "Movies You Can't Ignore" and aggressively promoted upcoming film premieres on the network. The channel had initially broadcast films from (owned by, which ironically is the parent company of rival pay services HBO and Cinemax), /, ,  (which, ironically, was owned by competing networks Showtime and The Movie Channel's then-parent company Viacom),  and /.

Applause implemented the standard United States pay television content advisory system upon launch, and also used the system to provide recommendations and advice for viewers.

On January 1, 1997, Applause launched Now, a new set of channels that broadcast an even mix of recent and classic movies along with acquired programming.

2000s onwards
On October 11, 2001, Belo acquired Cablevision's stake in the Applause/Now venture. Applause and Now became part of Belo Cable Networks.

In July 2004, Belo moved their cable television unit's headquarters from Dallas to an office development in the suburb of. The Applause Networks base in North Richland Hills includes three soundstages, one of which is used as the current taping location for Greg Tewksbury on Television and another of which has been used for sports events (including being the location for several editions of Applause Sunday Night Fights and being the PSL Dome during the 2019–20 PSL season).

On June 13, 2013, announced plans to buy Belo for $1.5 billion and the assumption of debt. On June 18, Belo announced it would divest Belo Cable Networks and BeloWorld Media to Applause Networks, a -based investment group led by private equity investor George Rundle and former Applause president James Tonoyan with additional funding from the. The sale was completed on August 5, 2013.

List of channels
Applause currently operates nine 24-hour, linear multiplex channels.

Film library
Applause has an exclusive first-run film licensing agreement with RKO Pictures.

Applause also shows sub-runs (runs of films that have recently received broadcast or syndicated television airings) of theatrical films from, , , , , , , , and.

Original programming
Applause expanded its program offerings to include some original television series by the late 1990s with a stable of entertainment news programs and shows that focused on the making of upcoming or current feature films. In 2000, Applause debuted Greg Tewksbury on Television, hosted by comedian Greg Tewksbury. Created to "fill a hole in the schedule" and filmed in the facilities of then-sister property, Greg Tewksbury on Television became an unexpected hit for the network and quickly picked up a following.

In 2002, Applause opened an office in, to develop original scripted programming. Applause hired Paul C. Riesz, formerly Head of Original Programming Development for the RKO Network, as their executive vice president of original programming and development.

In September 2004, Applause's first original scripted projects made their debuts: The Afternoon Club, a comedy-drama series from and creator Frank Antonopoulos, and Uptown, a drama from.

Acquired programming
In 2002, Applause Networks acquired the exclusive cable television rights to The Simpsons. This did not affect the syndication rights held by local broadcast stations. Since acquired cable rights to The Simpsons in 2013, the main Applause channel and Applause en Español have shared the cable television rights to the series with  and. In the wake of adding the series, Applause now premieres newer episodes two months after they've aired on Fox and have been added to Disney+.

Applause Kids & Family airs some acquired programming during it's morning children's block.

Sports programming
In 2000, Applause launched Applause Sports, it's sports division, and Applause Championship Boxing, a boxing telecast series. Applause's first boxing broadcast was the Scott Tumiati vs. Vinnie Proctor heavyweight fight, which was broadcast live from the in.

International versions
In 1998, Applause Europe was launched, broadcasting from to  and.

In 2000, Applause Latin America was launched.