Vice opens up shop in Indonesia

American hipster media group Vice has launched “a full-scale operation” in Indonesia.

Vice will create local content and offer creative agency services, targeting the 100 million young people – 50% of the entire population – in the territory.

Multiplatform partnerships with news net Jawa Pos TV and Google will see linear and digital programming debuting locally, with shows offered in English and Indonesian.

Vice cited statistics claiming there were more mobile phones than people in the territory thanks to an explosion in mobile, linear and digital markets; and that the average person spent five hours on the internet every day.

“This demonstrated thirst for multi-platform content opens the door for Vice to fill the void and reach young people on whatever platform they consume content,” the company said in a statement.

Vice is already present in the Asian region in Japan, China and South Korea, and offices are soon to open in India and the Middle East. Last month, Viceland-branded programming blocks launched in 18 southeast Asian territories, including Indonesia through a deal with media group MultiChannels Asia. This was part of global distribution agreements across 44 territories that hugely expanded Viceland’s reach on linear TV.

Vice Indonesia will be based in Jakarta, and will focus on working with local producers, editors, creative and talent to produce content in the culture, food, music, technology and sports.

The agreement with Jawa Pos will see Vice’s HBO daily news show airing nightly in a primetime slot on the Indonesian channel.

“I am constantly fascinated by the Vice point of view and unique stand in the media world, and thrilled that Vice’s content is now available to experience through our very own Jawa Pos TV,” said Maesa Samola, CEO of Jawa Pos.

“Indonesia is a great fit for Vice: a beautiful, turbulent, and progressive country with an engaged young audience hungry for a media company that speaks their own language,” said Vice Indonesia managing director Mo Morris. “By partnering with Jawa Pos TV and Google, we will be able to meet young people on whichever screen they are consuming content.”