2×2 (TV channel)

2×2 (Russian: Дважды два, romanized: Dvazhdy dva, lit. 'Twice Two') is a Russian television channel. Founded in 1989, it was the first commercial TV station in the Soviet Union. The channel was shut down from 1997 to 2003, at which point it was started up again. Since then, the channel has predominantly broadcast foreign animated TV series, including children's television series, anime, and adult animation shows (similar to the American channel Adult Swim).

The channel has 4-hour versions for broadcasting in other regions of Russia.

The channel began broadcasting trials in July of 1989 on the Moscow Programme frequency, becoming the first commercial channel in the USSR. Full broadcasting began on November 1st, 1989. The network's programming was initially composed of advertising blocks, modern Soviet and Western music videos, cartoons, and TV series.

Broadcasting of 2×2 on Channel 3 ended on June 9th, 1997, moving to Channel 51's decimetre band, where it broadcast low quality content with a focus on home shopping.

Starting in April 1st 2007, an animated Russian channel began broadcasting content aimed at a teen and adult audience under the name of 2x2.

Since 2014, the channel has been part of the holding company Gazprom-Media. As of April 2017, it employs 45 people. The channel applied for inclusion in the second multiplex of digital terrestrial television in Russia, but failed to win the competition held by the Federal Competition Commission (FCC).