Nat Geo to Bring New Wild Brand to the U.K.

LONDON, December 7: National Geographic’s new wildlife
channel brand, first introduced in Asia this summer, is heading to Europe, with
a U.K. rollout slated for March.

Nat Geo Wild will launch in the U.K. on March 1 on the Sky
and NTL/Telewest platforms, replacing Adventure One. At launch, the channel,
broadcast for 18 hours a day, will be available in some 12 million homes
throughout the U.K., and on selected platforms across Europe, Israel and South
Africa. Further expansion is expected later in 2007.

George Jeffrey, the MD of NGC UK and Europe, noted, “Nat Geo
Wild allows us to expand our commitment to quality wildlife and natural world
programming—to create a specialist channel on the genres at the very
heart of our brand. We are famous for our commitment to the natural world and
now that programming can get the space it deserves. The time is right to launch
this new channel that will cater to the growing public appetite for wildlife
and environmental programming.”

Programming will come from a variety of sources including
National Geographic Television, co-productions with U.K. and other European
independents and British terrestrials, and third-party acquisitions. At launch,
programming will include new episodes of Hunter Hunted, blue-chip wildlife specials like Eye of
the Leopard from renowned filmmakers Dereck
and Beverly Joubert, and new series like Rogue Raiders and Infested.

National Geographic Channels International launched the Wild
brand in Hong Kong in August, followed by a Singapore launch in September.