Sci Fi Channel Rebranding Itself SyFy

The Sci Fi Channel will rebrand itself Syfy on July 7. Plans for the future include additional expansion into other countries, jumping from 15 to a projected 50 by the end of the year; a Syfy Games division that includes a partnership with video game company Acclaim; and a new Syfy Kids venture. The network’s search for a new name dates back years. The network’s President Dave Howe says that a variety of factors went into the decision, not least of which was the company’s previous inability to trademark its own name (Sci Fi is used commonly enough that no version of the company’s name – not Sci Fi, Sci-Fi or SCI FI – was eligible for trademark).

But there’s a stigma behind the term that, Howe observes, scares other networks as well. “If you listen to anyone (who works on the ABC show) describe “Lost,” the letters S-C-I-F-I are never used — they’re ashamed of them, because they’re probably one of the most widely accessible shows around.” The fear of pigeonholing has dogged the net for a while. The only barrier in the way of the new name was science-fiction website “SyFy Portal,” which recently sold its domain name to an undisclosed buyer and is now called Airlock Alpha.

Nevertheless, the network isn’t exactly running away from its fanbase with its new slate of programming: Warehouse 13 boasts a geek-friendly X-Files-style premise involving two FBI agents assigned to “a warehouse in the middle of nowhere,” as Howe puts it. “It’s bang in the middle of where we believe our brand needs to live,” he said. Other upcoming shows include Battlestar Galactica spinoff Caprica and Stargate Universe, the third live-action installment in the Stargate TV franchise (starring Robert Carlyle). Warehouse 13 will be the “light switch” for the rebranding and will premiere the day the rebranding takes effect.