Cable news is about to get a lot hipper.
Vice has confirmed it will take control of a cable channel owned by A+E Networks, a major step for the youth-focused media outlet that has made little mystery of its ambition to expand beyond online video.
[seealso slug=http://sale-online.click/2014/08/11/buzzfeed-looks-to-kickstart-video-to-avoid/%5D%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EVice had been linked to a variety of deals to give the company a dedicated channel, with many expecting the move to be a matter time after A+E spent $250 million for a 10% stake in the millennially minded media upstart.
A+E will be handing over H2, which had originally been created as an international version of the History Channel, according to a report from the New York Post.
H2 currently reaches about 71 million households, according to Nielsen estimates. Currently, its runs programs like "America's Book of Secrets: Ancient Astronaut Cover-Up," "Most Extreme Airports" and "Ghost Planes."
Vice could launch the new channel by early 2016, according to the Post.
The addition of a dedicated cable channel is another big step in the rapid growth of Vice beyond its roots as a magazine and website. About a year ago, Vice launched a news vertical aimed at bringing the company's on-the-ground style to breaking stories. It also went on a fundraising spree in 2014 that netted $500 million, money that CEO Shane Smith joked would be dedicated to achieving "total media domination."
Or maybe it wasn't a joke.
Vice's growth into the lucrative world of traditional, linear TV began with its weekly show on HBO. That relationship recently depend with an expanded partnership that will include a daily newscast from Vice. Vice already has a deal to get on Canadian TV with a partnership reportedly worth $100 million. It's also exploring the movie industry with 20th Century Fox.
Now, with a cable channel, Vice will be one of the most ubiquitous media brands in the world. But just getting a channel is no guarantee of success.
Cable news is competitive and difficult to dominate. Just ask Fox Business, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera America (formerly the ratings-bereft Current TV), and CNBC, which have all struggled to gain a significant audience. Even CNN and MSNBC have suffered as the overall cable news audience has declined.
Vice and A+E did not respond to requests for comment.
UPDATED May 1 5:18 pm EST to reflect that Vice has confirmed the new channel.