Vice Continues Online and TV Expansion, Plans Additional Channels
During a brief newfront presentation today in New York City, Shane Smith, Vice Media's founder and CEO, celebrated his company's strong year and looked ahead to more growth. Vice will launch 6 online channels covering health, gaming, travel, LGBTQ, money, and sustainability. The company already runs 11 channels. Vice also plans to launch up to 20 additional TV channels around the world. It currently operates Viceland cable channels in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and France.
Smith celebrated that the 63-day old Viceland channel is "the fastest growing network in the f------ history of TV." Vice's press statement corrected this to say the 67-day-old Viceland is the "fastest aging down of a network in the history of television." In the U.S., Viceland occupies the spot formerly held by H2.
Earlier this week, Vice struck a deal with ESPN that will have Vice Sports creating an exclusive short form series for ESPN, while gaining that networks 30 for 30 series for Viceland. Vice plans to pursue additional multi-platform deals such as this one.
The presentation began with Smith flat on the stage ("I'd like to preface the evening by saying that I've had a few ales."), before rousing himself to speak for around five minutes on Vice's successes and coming plans. He then joined a house band (which included Nick Zinner and Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jaleel Bunton of TV on the Radio, and producer Money Mark) to belt out "If the Kids Are United." Today's Vice newfronts are tomorrow's legends.
Shane Smith, resting
Shane Smith, rocking
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