Vice Media is set for a major expansion across eastern Europe.
In partnership with Antenna Group, the company will launch editorial and production operations to create and distribute its programming throughout Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Slovakia and Croatia, adding to its current reach in Greece, Serbia and Romania.
Shane Smith, co-founder and CEO of Vice, said, “Vice has found an incredible market in eastern Europe. Why? Because young people there want the kind of content that matters to them − whether it’s news or lifestyle or documentary − framed in the way they see the world. And very few outlets are offering it to them.
“Antenna Group is the perfect partner to work with because they’re experts on the nuances of the local media landscape, and they completely get what we do here at Vice.”
The two companies, which first partnered in 2014 with the launch of Vice Greece, combined to create local video production operations for news, culture and lifestyle programming.
Theodore Kyriakou, shareholder and chief executive of Antenna Group, said, “Our partnership with Vice is a real success, this media company has a unique appeal and acts like a magnet in attracting young audiences.
“We bring complementary strengths and have built large audiences quickly. Through our Amplifier unit, we provide a one stop shop for digital companies that want to expand into eastern Europe and scale up quickly and successfully.”
Vice content has now aired across the region on four of Antenna’s TV channels: Antenna TV (Greece), Prva TV (Serbia), B92 TV (Serbia), and Prva TV (Montenegro).
