Viacom Sky Italia channel boost
August 3, 2015
Further to Viacom International Media Networks’ (VIMN) deal with Sky Italia for the sale of its MTV Italia DTT channel to the pay-TV operator, it has extended its partnership with Sky, further enriching its offering of TV channels and multimedia content for Italian audiences.
As part of a new multi-year arrangement with Sky Italia, Viacom will add two new pay channels to its portfolio, which already includes Comedy Central, MTV (MTV Hits, MTV Music and MTV Rocks) and Nickelodeon branded channels (Nick Jr and Nickelodeon), on the Sky Italia platform: Teen Nick, a Nickelodeon channel targeting teenagers, is expected to launch by the end of the year; and MTV Next, a new MTV branded channel featuring a heavily interactive component, launched on August 1st 2015 in the entertainment section of Sky, number 133.
As a result of this partnership, Viacom also expects to launch in 2016 authenticated Nickelodeon and MTV branded apps in Italy, allowing users to watch content, play games and interact with cast and characters. A selection of Viacom content will also be available on Sky On Demand and a number of its channels are expected to be launched on OTT service Sky Go in Italy by the end of the year.
Viacom will offer more targeted and flexible services in Italy to super-serve key demographics, particularly younger audiences, who increasingly expect to be able to access and interact with their favorite TV shows at a time and place and on a device of their choosing.