Scripps boosts Travel investment
October 8, 2012
Chris Forrester@Mipcom
Scripps Networks International used the MIPCOM programming market to introduce its new MD for EMEA, Jon Sichel, just 3 weeks into the job and clearly finding his feet. Sichel said that Travel Channel was attracting 3.8 million unique viewers per month and had achieved the No 1 spot in Lifestyle programming in the UK.
He told journalists that since acquiring the UK-based Travel Channel earlier this year they had upped investment into the channel, first by acquiring five top series from its US counterpart, and also investing in fresh content for the channel. For example, an Asian production, Destination Weddings, which follows six couples as they plan their dream wedding in an exotic location. Destination Weddings will air starting December 3rd.
Scripps announced a bevy of new carriage agreements for its global lifestyle brands Food Network, Fine Living Network, Food Network Asia and Travel Channel International. The multiple deals reinforce the company’s commitment to international growth and include channel launches with leading distributors in seven new countries and expansions through new cable and broadband system partnerships in seven countries.
Breaking new ground, Food Network has debuted in Latvia, Georgia, Romania and Serbia. The lifestyle channel can now be found on one of Latvia’s largest cable providers, IZZI, in Georgia on leading cable provider Super TV, in Romania on Intersat, and in Serbia on Targo Telekom.
In Cyprus, Food Network has strengthened its presence in the country through an expansion agreement with PrimeTel, one of the main providers of managed IPTV services on the Mediterranean island republic. PrimeTel launched Food Network in high definition in June 2011 and has now added a standard definition version of the lifestyle channel to its basic tier offering.
“These new commissions build on Scripps Networks International’s global hit line-up and reinforce our commitment to offering high quality, locally-produced programming to international audiences,” added Sichel.