Viceland launching in UK, Ireland on Sky

Vice Media’s new linear TV channel is launching in the UK and Ireland on pay TV platform Sky in Spetember on a non-exclusive basis.

The 24-hour Viceland will be offered to Sky’s basic tier customers live, on-demand and through mobile TV service Sky Go, and through SVOD offer Now TV.

Selected Viceland programmes will be made available to Now TV subscribers 24 hours before their linear debuts, and ahead of launch customers of the new Sky Q service will be able to access Vice channels Vice.com, Vice News, Motherboard and Munchies in the online video section.

The launch in the UK comes after Vice chief Shane Smith indicated in October last year the network would launch in 12 territories in Europe. It debuted in the US in Canada last month.

Vice has become one of the most significant media brands for young adult audiences, and already has linear presence on HBO as a programming block.

Viceland, which counts director Spike Jonze as co-president and creative chief, offers original programming such as Gaycation, Huang’s World, Noisey, F*ck That’s Delicious, Weediquette and Balls Deep.

“This is the biggest move yet in our long love affair with our British and Irish audience,” said Smith, co-founder and CEO of Vice. “Viceland is going to give them a whole new way to experience Vice content – on their own televisions, around the clock.”

In the US, Vice operates the Viceland channel with one of its shareholders, A+E Networks, which dropped existing brand H2 in order to create space for the new network.

Another of its shareholders, 21^st Century Fox, controls Sky through a 39.1% shake, though this relationship was not cited as a reason for the platform partnership.