Vice Media has announced a major expansion of its activities in Central and Eastern Europe, working in partnership with Antenna Group.
Already present in Greece, Serbia and Romania, it will launch new editorial and production operations to create and distribute its programming in Russia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia.
Commenting on the development, Shane Smith, co-founder and CEO of Vice, said: “Vice has found an incredible market in Eastern Europe. Why? Because young people there want the kind of content that matters to them—whether it’s news or lifestyle or documentary—framed in the way they see the world. And very few outlets are offering it to them. Antenna Group is the perfect partner to work with because they’re experts on the nuances of the local media landscape, and they completely get what we do here at Vice.”
Theodore Kyriakou, shareholder and chief executive of Antenna Group, added: “Our partnership with Vice is a real success, this media company has a unique appeal and acts like a magnet in attracting young audiences. We bring complementary strengths and have built large audiences quickly. Through our Amplifier unit, we provide a one stop shop for digital companies that want to expand into Eastern Europe and scale up quickly and successfully.”
Vice and Antenna Group first partnered in 2014 with the launch of Vice Greece. A similar venture between the two launched November 2014 in Serbia and, as in Greece, was profitable in its first year.
