Spike, the US pay-television brand that features a variety of martial arts properties, is to launch in the UK market following parent media company Viacom’s takeover of UK commercial broadcaster Channel 5.
Spike will replace general entertainment channel Viva on digital service Freeview next spring, with Viva continuing to be available on pay-television services.
Viacom is also hoping to secure more carriage deals for Spike on other platforms, with the channel’s advertising sales being handled by BSkyB subsidiary Sky Media.
“Having Channel 5 join us has made it possible for us to accelerate the deployment of this brand starting here,” Viacom president and chief executive Philippe Dauman said. “It will be on Freeview and managed on Channel 5 and will begin with a combination of fact-based and reality programming from Channel 5 and Spike in the US. Our intention is to expand the Spike brand around the world, so it will become a major global brand.”
Viacom struck the £450m (€572m/$729m) deal to acquire Channel 5 from the Northern & Shell Media Group in May. The transaction has since received regulatory approval from the European Commission.