Pop Max (formerly Kix! and then Kix) is a free-to-air children's television channel in the United Kingdom, owned by Sony Pictures Television. As of June 2014, it broadcasts cartoons, action and adventure series, extreme sports, and music videos on Sky and Freesat. Its target audience is 7 to 17-year-old boys.
History
At 06:00 on 19 May 2008, Pop +1 ceased broadcast and was directly replaced on-air with Kix content. Medabots was the first program to be broadcast under the Kix! Identity.
Kix was the fourth dedicated kids' channel to be launched by CSC: its three sister channels are Pop which was launched on 1 October 2002, and shows, cartoons and pop music videos for a mixed audience; Tiny Pop, which was launched on 27 July 2004, and shows, cartoons for young children and pre-schoolers; and Pop Girl, launched on 6 August 2007, and also shows cartoons and live-action shows but is aimed at a female-led audience. Some programs which have aired on Kix have been screened on one or more of the sister channels as well.
On 8 August 2008, Kix launched onto the Freesat platform on channel 606.
On 7 May 2013, Kix! was renamed to Kix. The labeling on the onscreen program guide was changed in accordance with this. However, the channel logo continues to include the exclamation mark.
Kix moved over to 16:9 widescreen broadcasting on 8 July 2013; Pop, Pop Girl and Tiny Pop had all previously moved over to the wider format. Kix retained a version of its prior onscreen graphics, rather than completely relaunching its presentation alongside the move (as Pop Girl had done).
Kix broadcasts on the Freeview digital terrestrial platform since 7 April 2016, following the earlier addition of sister channels POP and Tiny Pop to the service. Kix transmits on the same local-TV multiplex as POP, so that the channel is only available in areas where POP is available. On 30 August 2017, Kix rebranded its identity and is now called Pop Max; however, none of its programmings changed. On 27 June 2019, Pop Max moved to the G-MAN multiplex, meaning that the channel only broadcasts in Manchester on the Freeview TV platform.
