Sky Arts Revamps, Makes Raft of Commissions

LONDON: There are a number of changes being implemented across Sky Arts channels, bolstered by an increased investment in home-grown TV and arts projects.

Sky previously committed to increase its annual investment in home-grown programming to £600 million by 2014; Sky Arts will see its programming budget increase three-fold. Building out its breadth of content, Sky Arts has upcoming projects that include Playhouse Presents, featuring Emma Thompson, David Tennant, Stephen Fry and Sir Tom Jones, among others. Sir Michael Parkinson returns to British TV with a new format for Sky Arts. The channel is also bringing back The South Bank Show, hosted, edited and produced by Melvyn Bragg. Flagship series such as The Book Show, In Confidence and Tim Marlow On… return for new runs as well. 

There are also a number of efforts to support arts within the U.K. and Ireland. The Sky Arts Ignition Series enables Sky Arts to back certain works of art as well as emerging talent. The first project to born from the effort will come in September at the Liverpool Biennial, in partnership with Tate Liverpool and contemporary artist Doug Aitken.

Sky Arts channels are moving up to higher positions on the Sky channel guide. Sky Arts 1 is also being made available through Sky Go. Overall, the Sky Arts channels will be supported by a new look and brand identity.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s chief executive, commented: "At Sky, we’re committed to providing our customers with the very best entertainment available anywhere. Sky Arts is already a major success story, reaching around 3 million viewers each month. We believe Sky Arts has a very bright future, and by increasing our investment on- and off-screen, we can make it even bigger and better."

James Hunt, the director of Sky Arts, added: "I’ve always said I’ve got the best job in TV—and our plans for 2012 only confirm this for me. It’s hard to know what to be most excited by—the thrilling talent we now have coming to the channel, the raft of fantastic ideas we have for programs or the enormously exciting work that’s happening off air. We’re delighted to be able to offer our customers this kind of content, and the unique opportunity to experience what we do off screen as well as on. Needless to say, we’re also thrilled that, in our new home, it’s even easier for them to find us, and to find more of what they love."