History (known as Sky History in the UK and Ireland) is a European documentary television channel which broadcasts programs related to reality programming, historical events and persons. It is a joint venture between A&E Networks UK and Sky Group with localized channels across Europe. TVT Media is responsible for signal distribution in Europe, with local subsidiaries of A&E Networks as distribution representatives on the continent. Programming across the channels is primarily in English and where available subtitled or dubbed into regional languages. The channel is available through a number of satellite, cable, terrestrial and IPTV distributors across Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. In some countries, advertisements and announcements between programs are localized. On 6 November 2018, in the wake of the Disney-Fox merger, the European Commission required The Walt Disney Company to sell A&E's European channels, including History. History has separate versions for Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal: History Germany: Operated by A&E Networks Germany. History Italy: Formerly a joint venture of A&E Networks and Fox International Channels Italy, it became a sole venture of A&E Networks in 2012. History Netherlands, airing in the Netherlands and Flanders. Operated by A&E Networks Benelux. Canal Historia (also known as História): The History Channel Iberia joint venture of A&E Networks and AMC Networks International Southern Europe. History Poland - launched on April 9, 2008. Sky History (UK and Ireland) History Channel UK began on 11 November 1995 as a weekday three-hour block (4 to 7 pm), consisting of Biography (restyled for a British audience), History Alive and Our Century. The channel was A&E's first international venture. Sky Sports 2 began broadcasting all day in 1997, requiring other networks to move to another channel. The History Channel shared transponder 24 with Sky Soap and the Sci-Fi Channel. The launch of Sky Digital allowed the channel to significantly increase its broadcast hours. On 26 October 2006, History Channel HD launched in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The HD version was launching across Europe from October 2007, beginning in the Nordic region on 13 December 2007, offering a schedule separate from the standard-definition version. In January 2008, History Channel HD launched in the Netherlands. In November 2008 the History Channel was re-branded as History, and the high-definition channel became History HD. The company behind the channel was known as The History Channel (UK) Limited until July 2009, when it was renamed AETN