SBS and global youth media company VICE have paired up to bring a brand new lifestyle and culture TV channel to Aussies, with the best programming from VICELAND hitting free-to-air TV on SBS in late 2016.
The new channel will be owned and operated by SBS, but piggybacking on the distinct creativity and experience of both VICE and SBS creative teams. It will be on the SBS 2 channel spectrum and online platforms, available to all Australians for free.
VICE is committed to telling the world’s most compelling stories, featuring a diverse range of talent, filmmakers and and cultural voices. Programming will focus on an immersive style of original lifestyle and culture content for young viewers and will feature Australian produced programs.
Michael Ebeid, SBS managing director and CEO, said, “Exploring diversity through culture is at the heart of SBS’s purpose and we are excited to be partnering with VICE to bring some of the best available content from across the world, never before seen in Australia, in documentary, journalism and inspiring entertainment, free to all Australians on SBS channels and platforms.”
Michael Slonim, VICE Australia managing director, added, “This is a unique partnership that will help catapult VICE further into the consciousness of young Australians. SBS shares our storytelling sensibilities and curiosity about the world, and we’re delighted to be partnering up to bring VICELAND to this market in the biggest way possible.”
Overseen by Oscar-winning film director Spike Jonze as co-president, VICELAND launched to critical acclaim in the US 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.
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.
