Vice announces 20 TV channel ambitions

Vice Media CEO Shane Smith said that the company would launch 20 TV channels around the world this year, at company’s Digital Content NewFronts event in New York on Friday.

Smith, who began his short speech by lying on the floor and concluded it by singing a cover of Sham 69’s 1978 punk hit If The Kids Are United, reportedly said he planned to make Vice the “fastest-growing network in the fucking history of TV”.

He also said that Vice is due to launch six new digital verticals covering the topics of travel, health, gaming, money, LGBTQ and sustainability.

The first four of these brand channels were previously confirmed by Vice’s chief creative officer Eddy Moretti at MIPTV in April.

Vice launched its Viceland TV channel the US and Canada in February and has already confirmed plans to roll it out to the UK and Ireland via Sky in September, and to launch a French version of the channel with Canal+ this autumn.

A horizontal @shanesmith30 announces 7 new @VICE verticals at the #NewFronts pic.twitter.com/yWiawPycm9

— iab (@iab) May 6, 2016