Branding the future: Syfy in the post-network era

Abstract

This essay explores Syfy as an example of a contemporary television network caught between the desire to both target and grow its audience. Conglomerate ownership patterns within the industry complicate the potential of niche channels that appeal to small target audiences, requiring networks like Syfy to shape their brand images and consequently their programming to reach larger, more diverse audiences. The branding and programming strategies adapted by Syfy to navigate its industrial position illustrate that, despite the promise of new media technologies to empower viewers, sf television is continually compromised.