Flipping through the channels on your TV, FX is one of those channels that can effortlessly capture your attention and glue you to your seat. Whether it’s a favorite movie or a classic episode of an iconic sitcom, FX definitely has a certain magnetism. But what if you don’t want to just stumble upon FX while scrolling through the guide? You’ll need to know the channel number. Here’s how to find FX on your DirecTV channel guide — along with its sister stations FXX and FXM.
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Pick your choice of ESPN+, Hulu, and Disney Plus. Plans start as low as $4.99/month for ESPN+ only.
Free trial available. Watch 75+ channels, including local channels and special premium channel offers.
Take a 7-day free trial and stream more than 70 channels live. Record your favorites with unlimited DVR.
FX Channel Guide
| Channel Name | DirecTV Channel Number |
|---|---|
| FX | 248 |
| FXX | 259 |
| FXM | 258 |
The History of FX
©Marko Aliaksandr/Shutterstock.com
The FX Network is one of Disney’s greatest television assets today. However, it was originally developed by movie studio 20th Century Fox in 1994. The iconic brand envisioned the station as a home for edgy, interactive programs that could compete with the rising number of rival networks in the premium cable space. However, its approach was too bizarre to truly reach a wide audience. From its outlandish morning show Breakfast Time to its abstract news programs Personal FX and Sound FX, the up-and-coming television station failed to show up in any meaningful way.
20th Century Fox’s broadcast station underwent major renovations in 1997. It shifted from its original format to a completely new angle, transforming itself to a place for reruns from the Fox network — both new and old. Typical programming included syndicated episodes of The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer alongside Married… with Children and M*A*S*H. FX also started broadcasting sports such as baseball and NASCAR around this time. Still, the network struggled to garner the viewership it needed in order to survive.
Though it had tried its hand at several original comedies, it wasn’t until FX started creating its own dramas that the network truly found its own voice. From The Shield to Nip/Tuck to Rescue Me and beyond, 20th Century Fox had finally struck gold. This gold rush continued throughout the rest of the decade and into the next. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia came in 2005, Damages arrived in 2007, Sons of Anarchy in 2008, Archer in 2009… Obviously, FX was on a roll at last. The 2010s saw the debuts of Justified, The Americans, American Horror Story, and Atlanta — all hits as well.
FX Sister Stations
| ABC |
| National Geographic |
| Nat Geo Wild |
| Freeform |
| FXX |
| FXM |
FX Programming
What We Do in the Shadows
airs on FX.©FX – License
While we’ve already touched on the shows that helped popularize FX Network, let’s take a look at what’s airing on the station today. For years now, this network has been home to a diverse array of programs that captivate audiences with equal parts hilarity and shock. What might you find on a typical FX programming block? Let’s discuss below, making sure to touch on FX originals, syndicated shows, and movies.
Original Shows
Whether you prefer comedy or drama, FX has something great to offer you. Its current drama slate includes The Old Man, which stars Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow, and American Crime Story, which is an anthology series from Ryan Murphy. (Murphy also presents American Horror Story and Feud on the network.)
In a bit of restructuring, many of FX’s comedies have been moved to FXX in recent years. However, some still remain on FX’s original primetime slate. These include Fargo, a darkly comedic anthology based on the Coen brothers movie of the same name, and What We Do in the Shadows, a fantasy horror comedy based on the 2014 film.
Syndicated Shows
Looking past these original productions, there are a couple of excellent syndicated shows on FX, too. These days, the station only plays reruns of Family Guy and Mom — two contemporary comedies from Fox and CBS, respectively. In time, to keep things fresh, they will likely swap out these two programs for other syndicated shows. This is how most syndicated programming works.
Movies
FX has the movies. At least, that’s what a long-running ad campaign for the network tells the audience during every commercial break. It’s not false advertising. Recent examples include Baby Driver (2017), First Man (2018), Venom (2018), The Equalizer 2 (2018), and The King’s Man (2021), among other new-ish blockbusters.
FXX Programming
The Simpsons
airs in syndication on FXX.©Haelen Haagen/Shutterstock.com
Like FX, sister station FXX has its own unique blend of originals and syndicated shows, as well. First airing in 2013, it helps to think of the network like the B-side to the main station. It was initially pitched as a place for even edgier content than that on FX, but it has since mellowed out a bit with its swarth of syndicated cartoons. Nevertheless, here’s what you can expect to see on FXX on an average day.
Original Shows
While both originated on FX, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Archer now live on FXX. Sitcom Dave and animated comedy Little Demon are FXX originals that air along these other two network staples. Together, these four make up FXX’s small but mighty original lineup. Under Disney ownership, you can expect to see several new shows hit the air once the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are over.
Syndicated Shows
In addition to these four originals, FXX also offers more than half a dozen syndicated comedies. The full list includes The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, King of the Hill, The Cleveland Show, Futurama, Solar Opposites, and Praise Petey. Uniquely, Solar Opposites is a Hulu original — making it one of the rare programs to transition successfully from streaming to broadcasting. Also worth noting: all of these syndicated shows come from other Fox sister stations.
FXM Programming
The Day After Tomorrow
.©20th Century Fox – License
If you combined FXM’s library of movies with FXX’s assortment of shows, you’d have something that looked a lot like FX’s lineup. As it stands, FXM puts the focus on movies above all else. You’re unlikely to find any television shows — syndicated or original — beyond brief installments of behind-the-scenes series FXM Presents. In fact, FXM has showed a scripted series just once in its lifetime — a marathon of Fargo season one in 2015.
Some recent films that have played on FXM include:
- Frank Sinatra film Lady in Cement (1968)
- Roland Emmerich’s classic The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
- Sci-fi remake The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
- John Cena’s 12 Rounds (2009)
- Psychological thriller The Intruder (2019)
It’s quite the eclectic mix of titles, to be sure. 20th Century Fox created the network in 1994, just five months after it established FX that same year. It’s still going strong today.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©FX Networks.
