Blaze is a free-to-air television channel owned by A&E Networks UK, a joint venture between A&E Networks and Sky Group, while in Spain and Portugal it is owned and run by History Channel Iberia joint venture. This channel allows UK A&E to use its programming for the complete "lifecycle". The channels' programming is a best of A&E shows Blaze was the first channel launched in the UK by A&E Networks that didn't borrow its name from one of the company's U.S. channels. The abbreviation "A&E" is commonly used to mean "Accident and Emergency unit" in the UK, so the company decided not to use that brand for the channel.