Sinclair, QYOU launching TBD channel
December 7, 2016
Sinclair Broadcast Group, a US owner/operator of television broadcast stations, has announced the upcoming launch of ‘TBD,’ a new over-the-air TV network that will deliver digital-first programming into millions of US homes aimed at a millennial audience.
TBD, Sinclair’s second multicast launch, include web series, short films, fashion, comedy, lifestyle, eSports, music, and viral content, all curated through partnerships with creators, including some of the biggest content companies in the digital world – Jukin Video, Legendary Digital Networks (Nerdist & Geek and Sundry), Whistle Sports, Kinonation, Zoomin’ and Canvas Media Studios, among others. With a vast library of varied content under license, and the immense universe of digital content always expanding, TBD’s entertainment promise is always ‘To Be Determined’.
Sinclair will be retaining The QYOU, the leading curator of online video culture for television, to programme the network and to provide creative support. The channel will launch in early 2017.
“Our recent focus has been on expanding our business with new digital multicast networks that leverage our broadcast spectrum and household reach,” said Chris Ripley, recently named President & CEO of Sinclair. “Much of the multicast market today focuses on classic TV and movie content, with little aimed at audiences for whom fresh and relevant pop culture content is important. With the launch of TBD, we aim to pair the very best premium digital-first content with the unmatched branding power of traditional television.”
“It’s a myth that millennials don’t watch TV; they do, but they want it on their terms,” said Scott Ehrlich, Co-founder and CEO of The QYOU. “TBD sets out a different model, showing it’s possible to meet the needs of this generation by delivering the type of content they connect with in a way that’s easy to consume on the range of devices that make up their multiscreen world. To me, as a producer of premium digital content, TBD marks a significant endorsement of what I see as the world’s most vibrant creative community on the biggest stage in television, free to air, which is now more properly seen as ‘free to consumer.’”