VICE & Rogers End Canadian JV Partnership

VICE Canada has acquired full ownership of its studio business and VICELAND content library, following the end of its joint venture with Rogers Media.

Rogers Media previously held a minority position in VICE Studio Canada. VICELAND will cease broadcasting on March 31 on Rogers, though VICELAND content will continue to be available to Canadians on VICE.com.

“VICE will continue to grow in Canada in 2018,” said Ryan Archibald, president of VICE Canada. “We have a lot of opportunity ahead of us and will be announcing some new exciting partnerships soon. As we build VICE into the preeminent home for today’s most impactful storytellers and bring those stories to viewers across the world through digital, mobile, and our award-winning studio, keeping VICELAND alive as a showcase of the content and people that shape our culture is a priority for us.”

Continued Archibald, “Rogers Media’s initial investment helped to establish our studio as a leading producer of some of the most engaging Canadian content out there and we thank them for their partnership.”

Rogers said in a comment: “In this crowded content universe and as audience habits change, we continue to evolve our strategy to deliver unique content to Canadians.

“We plan to redirect our Canadian content funding to other Canadian content initiatives that better align with our portfolio and brands. Content ownership remains a core part of our strategy and we will be actively exploring new content opportunities that appeal to a broad audience.

“We are excited to work with Canada’s talented creative sector to create compelling Canadian content that resonates with viewers here at home and around the world.”