Sony Channel, the stylish female-skewing companion channel to AXN, also gained momentum in 2015, improving its ratings by 277 percent. Japanese anime channel Animax grew its loyal fan base to 11.2 million in 2015 up from 10 million in 2014 in Southeast Asia. In October 2015, SPT Networks, Asia launched GEM, a joint venture channel with leading Japanese broadcaster, Nippon TV. The channel is currently available in four markets and is set to expand its footprint this year.