Vice Media’s ascent continues with a major traditional media milestone — its own linear cable channel. I’ve learned that A+E Networks will be rebranding H2 into Vice. The move follows the $250 million deal last August, spearheaded by A+E Networks topper Nancy Dubuc, in which the company acquired a 10% stake in Vice Media. No one is commenting, but Vice co-founder Shane Smith had spoken of his desire to have a Vice-branded cable channel, eying Time Warner as a partner before that deal fell through, opening the door for A+E, and Dubuc has been looking for new ways to boost A+E’s portfolio of networks.
Vice’s target young male demo had been seen as a perfect match to complement A+E-owned History. Launched in 1996 as a companion channel to History, H2 mainly has been repurposing History programming, along with new episodes of the former History series and original specials. It is available in more than 71 million homes. This would be the second A+E Networks channel to be relaunched since Dubuc took over the company, following the rebranding of Bio as FYI.
Vice Media also has a deal with HBO, which was recently expanded and extended through 2018. It focuses on news content and includes a daily Vice newscast as well as new seasons of the the Emmy-winning weekly documentary show and specials.
Vice continues to shock and awe like “60 Minutes” of yesteryear used to. I can’t wait to see what another dozen correspondents can rake up. I’m all in on this.
Whatever happened to AJ Benza?
Vice is a bubble that will soon pop. Their HBO show masquerades as real journalism and can barely hold an hour. The word is that they’ll be producing much of their own content in house. Not sure how they’ll program a whole night or week let alone a network. This won’t be pretty.
I won’t be tuning in. H2 ends then I will be just with AHC and Smithsonian Channel. I quit seeing the main History Channel. I don’t know who Vice is and what they do and don’t care. Got enough channels doing news or whatever Vice does.
AHC, Smithsonian, Mysteries at the Museum on the Travel Channel and the occasional program on National Geographic. That’s where I go to get what History Channel and H2 used to provide.
Terrible news for H2 fans like me. I got Smithsonian. Vice won’t be educational and I don’t need them for news. Well I won’t tune in.
Expect quality fare like Vice presents Pawn Stars of communist North Korea