VICE to launch new TV channel on Sky
VICE Media and Sky today announced a new partnership that will offer VICELAND, the brand new TV channel from VICE, to Sky and NOW TV customers when it launches in the UK & Ireland in September this year.
The 24-hour channel will be programmed, developed and produced entirely in-house by VICE’s creative team, and the channel will be available for all Sky TV customers in their basic TV subscription packages either live, on demand or on the go through Sky’s mobile TV service, Sky Go. NOW TV Entertainment Pass customers will be able to enjoy VICELAND on demand. NOW TV is Sky’s Online TV streaming service.
The partnership between VICE and Sky means that for selected VICELAND series, Sky and NOW TV customers will have exclusive on demand access to the first episode 24 hours ahead of the first live airing. In addition, every subsequent episode of the series will be exclusively available to Sky and NOW TV customers immediately after the premiere episode has aired.
Ahead of the launch of VICELAND, Sky Q customers, Sky’s next generation home entertainment system, will be able to start watching content from VICE’s globally popular digital channels including VICE.COM, VICE News, Motherboard and Munchies in Sky Q’s online video section. This is expected to be available in the coming weeks.
The launch of VICELAND in the UK & Ireland is the next chapter in VICE’s explosive multiplatform growth beyond online and mobile, where it has become the preeminent destination for young people around the world.
Oscar-winning film director, Spike Jonze, serves as Co-President of VICELAND and is overseeing the development of the new channel, from show creation, to production, to brand identity. VICELAND will focus on a distinct, immersive style of original lifestyle and culture content for young viewers and will feature a slate of brand new VICE-produced UK programming, including a cast of talent both familiar and new to British and Irish audiences, ensuring the channel has a strong local feel and voice.
VICELAND launched to critical acclaim in the US and Canada in February 2016 and features hundreds of hours of original programming, including Gaycation (with Ellen Page and Ian Daniel), Huang’s World (with Eddie Huang), Noisey (with Zach Goldbaum), F*ck, That’s Delicious (with Action Bronson), Weediquette (with Krishna Andavolu), Balls Deep (with Thomas Morton) and many more.
Shane Smith, VICE co-founder and CEO said: "This is the biggest move yet in our long love affair with our British and Irish audience. VICELAND is going to give them a whole new way to experience VICE content—on their own televisions, around the clock. And partnering with Sky gives us their deep expertise in the market, and the ability to reach over 10 million households across the UK and Ireland.
“For us at VICE, this is the just the latest top-level partnership to establish the VICE presence on all screens, at all times, in all places. And as our reach grows, we're pushing our own limits and committing to telling the world's most compelling stories in new and ever better ways. We couldn't be more thrilled."
Stephen van Rooyen, Chief Marketing, Sales & Digital Officer, Sky commented: “We are really excited about what Shane and the VICE team have planned for VICELAND. VICE has become synonymous with fresh and original content which has huge appeal for younger audiences. At Sky we are committed to bringing exciting new shows from all around the world to ensure Sky and NOW TV households have a real breadth of content to enjoy whenever and wherever they choose.”
VICE has developed an outstanding global reputation for producing the gold standard of video content for young people, forging innovative distribution partnerships with A+E Networks, HBO, YouTube, Snapchat, Live Nation, 20th Century Fox, Verizon, Spotify and more to take its programming to young people everywhere.
Sky Media - Sky’s advertising sales division - will handle ad sales for the new channel, while working closely with VICE, utilising the youth media brand’s extensive relationships with advertisers.
For further information, please contact:
VICE
Dan Miller
Email: dan.miller@vice.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 749 7810
Alex Detrick
Email: alex.detrick@vice.com
Telephone: 001 917-273-9553
Sky
Robin Tozer
Email: robin.tozer@sky.uk
Telephone: +44(0)20 7032 0620
Follow us on twitter @SkyCorporate
About VICE Media
VICE is the world’s preeminent youth media company and content creation studio. Launched in 1994, VICE now operates in over 30 countries and distributes its programming to hundreds of millions of viewers each month across digital, linear, mobile, film and socials. VICE includes an international network of digital channels; a television and feature film production studio; a magazine; a record label; an in-house creative services agency; a book-publishing division; and a newly launched TV network called VICELAND.
VICE's award-winning programming has been recognised by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Peabody Awards, Sundance Film Festival, Broadcasting Press Guild, Cannes Lions, Frontline Club, British Journalism Awards, British Media Awards, Broadcast Digital Awards, and AOPs and amongst others
About Sky
Sky is Europe's leading entertainment company, serving 21 million customers across five countries: UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria and Italy. We offer the best and broadest range of content, deliver market-leading customer service and use innovative new technology to give customers a better TV experience, whenever and wherever they choose.
Sky has annual revenues of over £11 billion and is Europe's leading investor in television content with a combined programming budget of £4.9 billion. The group employs 30,000 people and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SKY).
For more information visit www.sky.com/corporate
About NOW TV
NOW TV lets you watch the latest movies, TV shows and live sport online. There’s no contract, so you can dip in and out whenever you like. You can watch anytime, anywhere on the web with a Mac or PC, or on over 60 devices with the app, like your tablet, mobile and more.
Sign up and start watching instantly, with a Sky Movies Month, Entertainment Month or Sports Day, Week or Month Passes. Add more passes at any time however you can only have one Sky Sports Pass on your account at any one time.
You can also watch any NOW TV Pass on your TV (via HDMI) with the NOW TV Box (£14.99).Our clever box turns your TV into a smart TV and also gives you catch up TV from BBC iPlayer, All 4 and more. Plus awesome apps, like YouTube, Facebook and Spotify (separate subscription required).
•Entertainment Month Pass (£6.99 per month) –access to over 250 Box Sets and 13 channels not on Freeview, Sky 1, Sky Atlantic, Sky Living, Sky Arts, Discovery, MTV, Comedy Central, GOLD, Disney, FOX, Nickelodeon and Nick. Jnr, plus ITV Encore. Watch the latest TV shows live, on demand and on catch up. Plus a 14 day free trial for new customers.
•Sky Movies Month Pass (£9.99 per month) - access to over 1,000 movies on demand, including up to four new Sky Movies premieres each week. Plus a 14 day free trial for new customers.
•Sky Sports Day Pass (£6.99), Week Pass (£10.99) or Month Pass (£31.99 per month) – A day, week or month’s access to the biggest live matches and events on all 7 Sky Sports channels. Catch exclusive action from the Barclays Premier League, Sky Bet Football League, International Cricket, and World Darts Championship and loads more.
NOW TV Boxes connects via HDMI (cable supplied) and Month Passes renew automatically unless cancelled. Customers can stop renewal at any time and a NOW TV pass and account required to activate a box, 18+.
•Follow us on Twitter @NOWTV and @NOWTVSport
•Join the conversation at Facebook.com/NOWTV
•Visit us at Youtube.com/nowtvofficial
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