News Corp. says spinoff will be called 21st Century Fox

NEW YORK, April 16 (UPI) -- News Corp. said Tuesday in New York the entertainment and media company it is spinning off will be called 21st Century Fox.

The new company previously was expected to be called Fox Group.

Reaching more than 1 billion people in 100 languages every day, 21st Century Fox will be home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including Fox, FX, FXX, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, Fox Pan American Sports, MundoFox and STAR. It also will include film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film, and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and Shine Group.

The company will also provide premium content to millions of subscribers through its pay-television services in Europe and Asia, including Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and its equity interests in BSkyB and Tata Sky.

"Over the years, we have built a global portfolio of companies that has consistently defied conventional wisdom, and succeeded where others have failed because we are driven by a steadfast belief in great ideas, the power of imagination and the desire to thrill and engage audiences with enduring stories and experiences. 21st Century Fox is a name that draws upon the rich creative heritage of our film studio, while also speaking to the innovation and dynamism that define all of our global media and entertainment businesses and will guide us into the future," Rupert Murdoch, who will serve as chairman and chief executive officer of 21st Century Fox, said in a statement.