SBS2 to be 'home of domestic football' and 'binge' TV
SBS will push into the young-skewing digital TV space by re-launching its SBS2 digital channel with a raft of edgy new shows and A-League football.
That digital space has been transformed in the last two years following the launch of the commercial digital TV channels Go, 7Mate and Eleven.
SBS managing director Michael Ebeid is confident SBS2 can slice into that space with an expanded offering while remaining faithful to SBS's core values.
The new channel would be a "bold, provocative channel" aimed at a 16 to 39-year-old audience.
At an industry launch, SBS's director of TV and online content Tony Iffland announced a new schedule for SBS2, focusing on edgy shows including the US comedy
Community and the British series
Russell Howard's Good News.
Mr Iffland said the channel would also carry a 15-minute evening news bulletin with 30-second news headlines integrated to the channel's online offering.
The shorter, bite-sized news service would be pitched at the channel's audience who "do not engage with a traditional 30 minute bulletin," he said.
Mr Ebeid said SBS was "close" to securing a newsreader for the channel, as well as key presenters.
The channel would also carry SBS's A-League coverage, including a flagship weekly game in a 7.30pm timeslot on a Friday.
"That blockbuster Friday night game will be on SBS2. This channel will be the home of domestic football," Mr Iffland said. "This is a fabulous defining piece for this channel."
In a dramatic departure from traditional television scheduling, Mr Iffland said the channel would offer every episode of three key series after the broadcast of the first episode on the "linear" channel.
He said SBS was aiming that move at the segment of the audience who liked to "binge" on TV content.
"This is how they like their television," Mr Iffland said. "What else are they going to do? They'll go to Bit Torrent."
He said it was not something SBS would do with every show but something they would offer with "key titles".
The three series which will be available in their entirety via SBS On Demand are the edgy Canadian comedy
Bullet In The Face, the travel/adventure series
Don't Tell My Mother and the documentary series
The Tale of Nights.
"This audience wants their media consumption in a new and different way," Mr Iffland said.
The re-vamped channel launches 6pm on April 1.
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