Blaze Increases U.K. Footprint

A+E Networks UK has launched its entertainment channel Blaze on Virgin TV in the U.K. and Ireland.

The channel, dedicated to factual entertainment, adds a further 4.1 million homes to its footprint with the Virgin TV carriage. Blaze is already available in more than 21 million households on Freeview and Freesat across the U.K. and Ireland.

Among the shows airing on the network are Mountain Men, Billy the Exterminator, Vikings, Hardcore Pawn, Homicide Hunter, Forged in Fire and, coming up in September, the drama Texas Rising.

Heather Jones, the U.K. general manager at A+E Networks, said: “Blaze has quickly established itself as a fun and entertaining must-watch channel. We are very pleased to have secured distribution with Virgin Media to further cement the strong collaboration between our companies. Our brand is a great addition to A+E Networks’ portfolio and reflects our strength as a global media company.”

David Bouchier, the chief digital entertainment officer at Virgin TV, said: “We continue to bring our customers closer to the TV they love and we are delighted to bring the Blaze channel to our platform.”