London, 9 March 2015: Horror Channel, which is owned and operated by the CBS AMC Networks UK Channels Partnership, announced today that it is launching on the UK’s most-watched digital TV service, Freeview on Friday, 13th March. It will be available on Freeview channel number 70 and is currently carried on Sky channel 319, Freesat channel 138, and Virgin channel 149.
The launch will result in a 90% DTT coverage in the UK, making Horror Channel available in 17 million Freeview homes*. Horror Channel is already the second largest free to air movie channel in cable and satellite homes**.
Recent Horror Channel premieres include Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, while iconic series such as the channel’s highest-rated series*** the classic Doctor Who and The Incredible Hulk remain firm favourites. The spring line-up will include the “Apocalypse season” on Horror Channel with Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror and Stephen King’s The Stand.
Tanya Gugenheim, Chief Business Development Officer, AMC Networks International – Zone said: “Horror Channel has become the third channel in the CBS AMC Channel portfolio to launch on Freeview within a year, joining CBS Reality and CBS Action and underscoring the demand for our content offering. The channel already boasts a loyal fan base, and we’re pleased to introduce it to a broader audience through Freeview.”
Guy North, Managing Director at Freeview said: “We’re excited to welcome another member of the CBS AMC Channel portfolio to Freeview. Horror Channel will provide the bravest of our viewers with plenty of thrilling programmes alongside cult classics and fantasy favourites for the more faint-hearted.”
Mike Finchen, Director, Digital Terrestrial Television at Arqiva said: “We are delighted to welcome Horror Channel to the Freeview platform. Arqiva is committed to broadcasting a variety of content to offer viewers the best possible channel and programme choices – Horror Channel is a great addition.”
Horror Channel, the UK’s first thematic TV channel dedicated to the dark side of cinema and TV, launched in November 2009 and offers an eclectic mix of ground-breaking and genre-defining content including niche, cult and box office smash movies along with fantasy, sci-fi and supernatural series. Popular shows include the iconic Star Trek series from CBS, Stephen King adaptations The Langoliers and The Stand, TV series Tales from the Darkside, The Invaders, Wonder Woman and classic Doctor Who; a movie portfolio spanning all horror genres featuring some of the most controversial films made in the history of horror.
* there are 19 million (main and second set) Freeview homes in the UK as of March 2015, Freeview
** amongst Horror Channel’s key 16-44 age group, based on average 000s, day part 0900-2829, BARB-Tech Edge
** within the last 2 years – so far 3 million adults have tuned in to see Who on Horror, BARB-Tech Edge
***ENDS***
Notes to Editors
About CBS AMC Networks UK Channel Partnership
The CBS AMC Networks UK Channels are a portfolio of six entertainment channels owned by the CBS AMC Networks UK Channels Partnership established in September 2009 between CBS Studios International and AMC Networks International – Zone (formerly Chello Zone).
The channels include CBS Reality, CBS Reality +1, CBS Drama, CBS Action, Horror Channel and Horror Channel +1 and feature a broad assortment of drama, reality and long form content from CBS’s extensive television library, complemented by entertainment programming from third party suppliers. CBS Chello Zone Channels reach viewers in more than 25 million homes throughout the UK via the Sky, Virgin Media, Freesat and Freeview platforms.
AMC Networks International – Zone is a business unit of AMC Networks International, a leading producer and distributor of television channels distributed to more than 390 million households in 140 countries and spanning a range of genres, including movie, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, children’s and factual. AMC Networks International is an international programming division of AMC Networks.
CBS Studios International is the leading supplier of programming to the international television marketplace, licensing to more than 200 markets in more than 30 languages across multiple media platforms. The Studio participates in international channel ventures, currently comprised of 17 channels in 22 languages across 90 territories, reaching more than 60 million international households. CBS Studios International also exports a diverse lineup of formats for local production around the world. The division distributes content from CBS Television Studios, CBS Television Distribution, Showtime, CBS News, CBS Films and a library of more than 70,000 hours of programming. CBS Studios International is a division of CBS Corporation.