MUMBAI: AMC/Sundance Channel Global, which is AMC Networks’ international division, has signed agreements with premier Pay TV platforms across multiple key markets in Europe and Asia for new launches of its international television networks and video-on-demand (VOD) services.
Demonstrating both expansion and the growing demand for its unique brand and programming, Sundance Channel has recently secured additional carriage and is launching for the first time in Portugal while gaining increased distribution through new deals with key cable and broadband systems in Belgium, Poland, France and Taiwan.
Sundance Channel founder Robert Redford said, “It has long been a hope of mine that audiences internationally could experience the creativity and great filmmaking that comes out of Sundance, so I am happy to see the expansion of Sundance Channel Global. Our programming is designed to be inspiring and broaden people‘s perspectives and I‘m looking forward to the channel’s continued international growth over the coming year.”
As announced by AMC/Sundance Channel Global president Bruce Tuchman, Sundance Channel ended the year with a first time ever launch in Portugal with Zon Multimédia, Portugal’s biggest pay TV operator, and is being broadcast in HD and versioned into Portuguese.
It was also announced that Sundance Channel in Belgium is now available on the country’s leading IPTV service, Belgacom TV, which is owned by the country’s largest telecommunications company, Belgacom Group.
The Belgian Sundance Channel is subtitled into versions for both the country’s Flemish and French speakers, and has been made available since 2010 to cable subscribers through the country’s biggest cable TV provider, Liberty Global backed Telenet.
In Poland, the Channel launched on 1 January on IPTV service, SGT S.A., with a 24/7 HD linear broadcast complete with Polish subtitles.
Virgin in France plans to add Sundance Channel to its Virgin Box. Customers will be able to watch a French versioned 24/7 HD channel. Other French consumers already have access to Sundance Channel via Free, Numericable and SFR, among other outlets.
In Asia, the channel is launching on Veetime in Taiwan as a 24/7 linear offering with Mandarin subtitles which represents the third key local platform to carry the channel following deals in the second half of 2011 with the country’s leading IPTV provider, Chunghwa Telecom, as well as Dish TV’s DTH system in Taiwan.
In a follow up to a major deal secured with Telefonica of Spain in 2011, Tuchman also announced that an HD version of its localised Sundance Channel will launch in Spain in mid-January which will be available in addition to the standard definition of the Channel which launched across the country in the fall of last year.
Tuchman said, “These new distribution partnerships reflect the strong appetite for high quality, globally renowned entertainment from audiences and content distributors alike. We are thrilled to offer the outstanding programming of Sundance Channel and WE tv on a wide variety of cutting edge multimedia platforms all over the world and have been especially proud of the performance of the key films that we have offered to our Pay TV subscribers on an on-demand basis during these films’ theatrical exhibition windows.”
Established by Robert Redford, Sundance Channel offers audiences independent films, documentaries and original programmes. It is available to Pay TV operators as a standard and high definition linear television channel, VOD service and via mobile and online authenticated streaming. Additionally, select VOD program offerings are available during theatrical windows so audiences can watch films in the comfort of their own home while films are still in theatres.
AMC/Sundance Channel Global also offers WE tv in Asia, a women’s lifestyle network.
