AB1

* Original
* Website Only

**AB1** *(formally AB Channel 1 until 1995)* is a French television channel aimed at young adults.

## History

AB1 was launched in December 1995 under the name *AB Channel 1*. One year after the launch of satellite provider AB Sat, the channel was the premier channel of the satellite service. The first programmes on the channel were of sitcoms, series and anime of *Dorothée Club* with AB Groupe as the producer.

In 2000, the channel set up a new French production arm called AB Production, replacing many American programmes that the channel had broadcast, with a film on the channel every week. In 2002, the channel returned to its old style of programming including series, sitcoms and anime.

In July 2002, AB1 was given a new look, as that of the Belgian channel AB3. The sitcom and series programmes returned in force in a format intended for 15- to 34-year-olds.

In May 2006, the channel achieved its best audience since its creation by programming a special evening devoted to the Club Dorothée.

In October 2008, the AB group withdrew from paying DTT, stopping the broadcast of its channel AB1. The reason given is "the lack of visibility" of paying DTT. The frequency freed has been reassigned to France Ô so that it can be broadcast over the whole of France.

As of 27 August 2010 the channel began broadcasting WWE SmackDown on Friday night as a complement to WWE Raw broadcast on RTL9, thus giving the premiere of these programs to subscribers of both channels before their broadcast on NT1, previously belonging to the AB Groupe and free-to-air. In March 2013, AB1 obtains the broadcast rights for all 2013 pay-per-view live, including WrestleMania 29 on 7 April. The channel also announced that it will broadcast the WWE Main Event from 5 April 2013, at 20:45. On 6 April 2014 WrestleMania XXX takes place in New Orleans, and to celebrate the event Phillipe Chereau and Christophe Agius had their own tables of commentator alongside American and Spanish commentators from the WWE.

AB1 went into high definition at the beginning of July 2014.

On 16 May 2013 the channel broadcast a new documentary titled *La fabuleuse histoire de Dorothée*.

On 31 December 2013 the channel broadcast the event program *Et ça Amuse?* previously broadcast on RTL9, with Gérald Dahan as its presenter.

On 14 February 2014 humorist Daniela Martins and wrestler Sébastien Loew presented *My First Great Love*, on Valentine's Day.

For the 2014/2015 season, the channel offered new series as well as new unpublished episodes. It also featured feature films and reality TV shows.

## Programming

### Imported shows

* Friends
* American Dreams
* Dawson's Creek
* Family Matters
* Home and Away
* Arrow

### WWE Wrestling

* WWE Elimination Chamber
* WWE Extreme Rules
* WWE Hell in a Cell
* WWE Main Event
* WWE Money in the Bank
* WWE Night of Champions
* WWE Over the Limit
* WWE Payback
* WWE Royal Rumble
* WWE Smackdown
* WWE SummerSlam
* WWE Survivor Series
* WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs
* WWE WrestleMania

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "La HD bientôt généralisée sur toutes les chaînes AB". *ariase.com*. 5 March 2014.
2. ↑ "Mon 1er grand amour". *ab1.tv*. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
3. ↑ RTL9 (24 September 2014). "Démo de rentrée RTL9 - AB1 Septembre 2014". *youtube.com*. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015.