Disney Just Killed the Iconic 71-Year-Old 20th Century Fox Brand

• Disney just officially killed the iconic 20th Century Fox brand.
• This followed after the studio arm dropped the name Fox from its branding.
• While it is unclear why Disney decided to drop “Century” and “Fox” during the name change, the TV arm will now be known as 20th Television.
• Not much has changed, except the words “Century” and “Fox” will be cut out from the logo and title card of new shows starting this fall.

18 months after the Disney-Fox merger closed, one of the most recognized names in the entertainment industry, 20th Century Fox, which dates back 71 years ago, has just officially disappeared.

In an announcement, The Walt Disney (DIS) Company shared that one of its TV studios, 20th Century Fox Television, will be renamed as 20th Television, cutting out the words “Century” and the “Fox”. 

“Our new studio names and logos mark a new day for ABC Signature, 20th Television, and Touchstone Television while honoring their rich histories and the creative power of The Walt Disney Company,” says Craig Hunegs, Disney television studios president.

Since its birth in 1935, 20th Century Fox has produced many films that turned it a household name with a recognizable logo and music. The list includes “Star Wars,” “The Sound of Music,” “Die Hard,” “Home Alone,” “The Simpsons,” and “Modern Family.”

Earlier this year, Century announced that it will be dropping the Fox name from its 20th Century Fox film brand and renaming it into 20th Century Studios. This move followed the company’s $71-billion acquisition for most of Fox’s assets last year, winning it over a competing bid by Comcast. 

According to reports, the purge is part of a larger rebrand for all of Disney’s TV studios, which includes renaming Fox 21 Television Studios into Touchstone Television and ABC Studios and subsidiary ABC Signature merging under a single ABC Signature banner.

This name change also entails some other changes. The well-known logo and title card, for example, will cause little change, including the removal of the words “Century” and “Fox.” The words “20th Television” will still be stacked above the spotlights in the new logo and graphics which will appear on episodes airing this fall. Older titles that have already aired before the rebranding will keep the former name and logo.

The reason for the purging of the Fox branding from Disney’s studios is unclear but an insider claims it might be because “the Fox name means Murdoch, and that is toxic.”

Officially, the announcement is believed to remove the confusion about Disney and Fox Corporation as separate companies. Fox Corporation has nothing to do with Disney, but it does own television assets including Fox Entertainment, Fox Sports, Fox Broadcasting, and Fox News.

It is also unclear why Disney stuck with the name 20th Television instead of 20th Century Television like its studio. What was clear is that the Disney television studio is looking forward to a bright future.

“We believe that with our powerhouse talent roster and exceptional studio teams, the best is yet to come,” says Hunegs.