NBCUniversal International Networks
NBCUniversal International Networks, formerly NBC Universal Global Networks and Universal Networks International, is a part of NBCUniversal., owned by Comcast.
Overview
When NBC Universal was formed in 2003, it owned many entertainment television channels in Europe and Latin America. These were mostly a few international versions of the Sci Fi Channel, three action and suspense series channels in Europe, the Italian Studio Universal channel and the Latin American version of the USA Network.
In 2007 NBC Universal acquired Sparrowhawk Media Group, which at the time was a British private equity-backed media company managing a collection of digital television channels, and integrated it into NBC Universal Global Networks.[1][2] The purchase more than doubled the number of international channels in NBC Universal's portfolio. Sparrowhawk's crown jewel was an international network of drama channels available on most continents under the Hallmark Channel brand, but Diva TV, Movies 24, and KidsCo channels were also available.
On 5 October 2009, it was announced that the venture would be renamed Universal Networks International and focus its attention on five channel brands, all with "Universal" in their name:[3]
- Universal Channel
- 13th Street Universal
- Syfy Universal
- Diva Universal
- Studio Universal
Altogether, the company broadcast about 70 different channels by 2009.[4]
The overhaul started in late 2009 and progressed during 2010. Most of the international Sci Fi channels were rebranded as Syfy Universal. The Hallmark Channel brand was also phased out in most markets during 2010. Typically, it was replaced by the Universal Channel brand in markets where that brand wasn't available before. In many markets where Universal Channel was already present, Hallmark Channel was replaced by either Studio Universal, Diva Universal or 13th Street Universal.
Following the merger of NBCUniversal and Comcast in 2011, the following channels are also operated and distributed by NBCUniversal:
Channels
Australia and New Zealand
- 13th Street
- Bravo (New Zealand only)
- CNBC Asia
- E!
- Style Network
- SYFY
- Universal TV
- Euronews
- Sky News
Former:
Europe
United Kingdom and Ireland
- Universal TV
- DreamWorks Channel
- SYFY
- Movies 24
- Movies 24 +
Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Switzerland
Former:
France
- 13ème Rue Universal
- SYFY France
- IDF1 (joint venture with Groupe JLA)
Italy
- Studio Universal Italy
- Class CNBC Italy (joint venture with Class Editori (60%) and Mediaset (20%))
Former:
- Steel
- Syfy (branded block on Steel)
- Diva Universal
Spain & Portugal
- Calle 13 only in Spain
- SYFY (Spain)
- SYFY (Portugal)
Poland
Former:
Romania
Former:
Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, and Macedonia
Future
- Universal Kids UK (+1, HD)
- DreamWorks Channel UK (+1, HD)
Former channels in Europe
- 13th Street Universal Benelux
- Syfy Universal Benelux
- Universal Channel (Hungary)
- Universal Channel (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
- Movies 24 Poland, Romania, Hungary
- Universal Channel (Russia)
- Diva Universal (Russia)
- KidsCo Europe
Middle East and North Africa
- E!
- CNBC Arabiya
- CNBC Europe
- DreamWorks Channel
- SYFY
- MSNBC (Displays in most of the time on OSN News)
- Euronews
Latin America
- Universal Channel
- Universal Channel Brazil (joint-venture with Globo)
- Studio Universal (joint-venture with Globo)
- Syfy
- Syfy Brazil (joint-venture with Globo)
- E!
- Telemundo Internacional
- Golf Channel
- Euronews
Japan
- Nikkei CNBC (joint venture with Nihon Keizai Shimbun, TV Tokyo, and Jupiter TV)
- Sky News
South Korea
- SBS-CNBC (joint venture with SBS Medianet)
- DreamWorks Channel
- Euronews
- Sky News
Southeast Asia
- CNBC Asia
- CNBC Hong Kong
- CNBC Singapore
- CNBC Indonesia (joint venture with Trans Media)
- Diva
- Golf Channel (HD)
- E! (HD)
- DreamWorks Channel
- Euronews
- Sky News
Former:
South Asia
- CNBC-TV18 (joint venture with TV18)
- CNBC Awaaz (joint venture with TV18)
- CNBC Prime
- CNBC Bajar
- E! (HD)
- Golf Channel
- Euronews
- Sky News
Former:
- CNBC Pakistan (franchisely operated by Vision Network Television Limited)
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Universal Channel Africa
- Studio Universal Africa
- SYFY Africa
- MSNBC Africa
- CNBC Europe
- Telemundo
- CNBC Africa (franchisely operated by Africa Business News)
- E!
- Euronews
- Africanews
- Sky News
United States and Canada
- CNBC
- CNBC World
- MSNBC
- SYFY
- E!
- E! Canada (available in Canada, franchisely operated by Bell Media)
- Bravo!
- Golf Channel
- Euronews
- Universal Kids
- Telemundo
- Sky News
High Definition
On the January 26, 2009, Sci Fi became the first of the NBC Universal Global Network channels to begin broadcasting in High Definition within the UK. It will provide a simulcast of the Sci Fi Channel exclusively on Sky+HD channel 214, and will air UK HD premieres such as Eli Stone and Flash Gordon.
Video on demand
NBCUniversal International introduced Hayu in March 2016 in the United Kingdom. The subscription video on demand service offers reality programs such as Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Real Housewives.[5]
References
- ^ "NBC Universal agrees to buy Sparrowhawk Media". Reuters. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "NBC Universal buys 18 Hallmark channels outside the U.S. - International Herald Tribune". www.iht.com. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
- ^ "NBC Universal in content and branding push". Broadcast. October 5, 2009.
- ^ "Universal Networks to focus on 5 channels". Broadband TV News. October 5, 2009.
- ^ Tribbey, Chris (March 28, 2016). "New NBCUniversal On-Demand Service Seeks Niche in U.K.". Broadcasting & Cable: 16–17.
External links