Viacom, Endemol Partner for Female-Skewing Network

LONDON/WARSAW: Viacom Blink! is a new entertainment brand for women aged 16 to 49 that launches this summer in Poland, with further expansion targeted for Central Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.

A joint venture of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) and Endemol, Viacom Blink! will initially be available to more than 1 million homes on Multimedia Polska and N Platform, as well as other local distributors. Content will be drawn from the deep Endemol catalogue, with the channel having access to more than 4,000 hours of programming. The deal guarantees approximately 800 hours of premium premiere hours in the first year and about 650 hours in following years. The slate will include Hot in Cleveland, Make Me a Supermodel, Home and Away, The Secret Life of Us, Fear Factor US and other Endemol titles. Plus, VIMN is in talks with to acquire feature films for the channel. The development and roll out of the channel is being led by Bhavneet Singh, managing director and executive VP of emerging markets at VIMN.

"The launch of Viacom Blink! adds to our unrivaled offering alongside our premier powerhouse of global brands such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Viva and COLORS," said Bob Bakish, president and CEO of VIMN. "A Viacom partnership with Endemol taps into the strengths of Endemol’s content and Viacom’s worldwide footprint as well as our expertise in global brand development to deliver an exciting new brand experience for our consumers and business partners.”

Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO at Endemol, added: “VIMN is one of the world’s most dominant players in entertainment and we are extremely excited to be joining forces with them. This international venture will provide a significant platform for thousands of hours of Endemol’s programming across a wide range of genres. We are looking forward to working with VIMN to make Blink! a big hit with its target audience worldwide."