Vice plans ‘aggressive move into TV’ next year

Shane Smith

Vice plans to make an “aggressive move into TV in 2016” with channel launches across Europe and in the US.

Ahead of Vice’s IAB Digital Upfront event in London this evening, the youth-skewing digital media brand said that it planned to compliment its position across online and mobile with a push into linear television.

Though Vice founder Shane Smith is due to unveil more details at the Upfront event this evening, he said in interviews with the Guardian and CNBC that Vice plans to launch 12 channels across Europe as well as a Vice Network in the US.

Though specific launch details are not yet clear, Vice said that all planned Vice TV networks across Europe are expected to be produced and programmed exclusively by Vice, using the brand’s network of talent.

However, the firm is reportedly mulling joint ventures, partnerships, or buying networks in different markets.

“Over the past two years, Vice has aggressively expanded its reach by forging partnerships to distribute its programming across all screens and platforms. These partnerships have captured hundreds of millions of new viewers, and have helped fuel Vice’s ascent as one of the industry’s leading news and entertainment studios,” the firm said in a statement.

Vice has already licensed its online content to linear TV for years and produces for companies including HBO, Rogers Cable, Fox Film, Antenna Media (Europe), Channel 4 France and Sky Italy.

In March this year Vice launched a daily news service on HBO in the US and a branded channel on the premium cable company’s OTT service HBO Now

In January 2014 it also partnered with Greece-based Antenna Group to “dramatically expand” Vice’s presence across Greece and Southeast Europe. Vice now claims that nearly 10% of Greece’s population with internet access visit Vice.