Sundance Channel locks new Euro and Asia deals

Virgin in France plans to add the Sundance Channel to its Virgin Box with customers able to watch a French versioned 24/7 HD channel and in a follow up to a deal with Telefonica in Spain, an HD version of Telefonica’s localized Sundance Channel will launch in the territory in mid-January

In Asia, the channel is launching on Veetime in Taiwan as a 24/7 linear offering with Mandarin subtitles which represents the third key local platform to carry the channel following deals in the second half of 2011 with the country’s leading IPTV provider, Chunghwa Telecom, as well as Dish TV’s DTH system in Taiwan.

In Poland, the Channel launched on 1 January on IPTV service SGT SA, with a 24/7 HD linear broadcast with Polish subtitles. The channel also launched in 2011 in Portugal with Zon multimedia, Portugal’s biggest pay-tv operator and on Belgium’s leading IPTV service Belgacom TV.

Robert Redford, founder of Sundance Channel, stated: “It has long been a hope of mine that audiences internationally could experience the creativity and great filmmaking that comes out of Sundance, so I am happy to see the expansion of Sundance Channel Global. Our programming is designed to be inspiring and broaden people’s perspectives and I’m looking forward to the channel’s continued international growth over the coming year.”