MIPCOM 2010 – CANNES. Sundance Channel continues to expand internationally, with launches on France’s SFR, the Netherlands’ Caiway and South Korea’s KT, formerly Korea Telecom.
The announcement was made by Rainbow Media CEO, Joshua Sapan, during a press conference attended by Sundance Channel founder Robert Redford. Also in attendance were cast members of Mad Men. The award-winning hit series will launch on Sundance Channel France in February 2011, marking the French HD premiere of Season One. Rainbow Media owns and operates Sundance Channel.
This month Sundance Channel celebrates the first anniversary of the network’s launch in Europe, when it was launched on Numericable nets in France and Belgium. “Sundance Channel is a brand that resonates with audiences across the globe, and we are delighted with the momentum of our first year of international expansion,” said Ed Palluth, senior VP, Rainbow Media Global Distribution, in a statement.
Sundance Channel founder Robert Redford noted, “My vision for Sundance Channel is driven by a desire that it continues to entertain, to provoke thought and to nurture free artistic expression. It’s especially gratifying to watch that vision play out on a growing international stage via this distribution expansion.”
Sundance Channel’s carriage on SFR represents its third launch in France, where the channel is already carried on Numericable and Free. Beginning October 21, subscribers to the operator’s neufbox can access Sundance Channel in both HD and SD as part of the Bouquet Grand Spectacle EXB.
Sundance Channel’s launch on Caiway marks its first distribution in The Netherlands; subscribers can watch Sundance Channel as part of the operator’s HD pack. KT further expands Sundance Channel’s reach in South Korea, where it is also carried by Skylife. KT is offering Sundance Channel in HD as part of its QOOK TV service.
Sundance Channel’s global affiliates now include SFR, Numericable and Free (France); Telenet (Belgium); Caiway (the Netherlands); UPC Polska (Poland); Skylife and KT (South Korea); SingTel’s mio TV (Singapore); and Corus Entertainment (Canada).
