Mad Men Moves to Sky

LONDON: BSkyB is launching a new entertainment channel in early 2011 that will air HBO series like Boardwalk Empire, as well as season five of Mad Men, the critically acclaimed AMC show that has been airing on the BBC.

Sky Atlantic HD will air all of HBO’s new series exclusively in the U.K. and Ireland, following the platform’s multi-year output deal with the U.S. premium channel. Boardwalk Empire is due for a February 2011 rollout in the U.K. Sky Atlantic will also broadcast from HBO Game of Thrones, Luck, Mildred Pierce and Treme, plus future seasons of existing shows such as Entourage and Big Love. The network will also air previous HBO hits like The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under and The Pacific.

In a deal with Lionsgate Television, meanwhile, Sky Atlantic HD has scored the exclusive British rights to the new season of Mad Men. Exclusive British content will also find a home on the channel.

Sophie Turner Laing, Sky’s managing director for entertainment, news and broadcast operations, said: “Sky Atlantic HD will be an extraordinary TV channel. It will have compulsive television that pushes creative boundaries and tells great stories. The addition of Sky Atlantic completes a fantastic portfolio of entertainment channels including Sky 1 HD, Sky Arts, Living and Sky Movies. Together, our channels will bring customers high-quality programming that is worth paying for.”

Stuart Murphy, director of programmes for Sky1 HD, Sky 1, 2 and 3, adds Sky Atlantic HD to his remit. Turner Laing commented, “In just over 12 months Stuart has made a tremendous impact at Sky, creating a really strong brand identity for Sky 1 and producing some truly original, talked about television. His passion, commitment and expertise will be integral to Sky Atlantic and Sky’s entertainment portfolio.”