Vice, Pulse link up

US multimedia firm Vice Media has signed a partnership deal with London prodco Pulse Films to co-develop a host of new projects.

The agreement will see Pulse grow its US arm and increase the amount of scripted and non-scripted TV shows it produces, with some of those shows then airing on Vice’s own internet-based channels.

The partnership comes after Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox bought a 5% stake in Vice for US$70m (£45m) in August, in a deal that valued the youth-skewed company at US$1.4bn.

Vice began life as a music magazine but moved into online content, and recently made headlines for its self-titled news programme produced for HBO, which saw basketball star Dennis Rodman travel to North Korea. The firm is also launching new digital channels, following the arrival of Thump, an electronic dance music net, in April.

Pulse currently develops and produces films and scripted TV shows such as Katy Perry: Part of Me 3D and The Road to Red Rocks. The firm also worked with Vice on music documentary Shut Up & Play the Hits.