Fox set for Swedish entrance

Fox International Channels (FIC) is set to launch its main general entertainment channel in Sweden, promising first-run premieres of US series, global FIC productions and local acquisitions.

Fox will be made available to 1.8 million Swedish viewers after the summer, FIC says, through Swedish cable operator Com Hem’s analogue and digital packages.

Programming set to air on the fledgling channel, which is already available in neighbouring Finland and Norway, includes Fox’s forthcoming thriller from M Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Wayward Pines, featuring Matt Dillon and Juliette Lewis.

FIC is also targeting “high-profile acquisitions” and non-scripted entertainment programmes for the channel, alongside European productions and acquired shows specifically selected for Swedish tastes.

The agreement means Fox is now available in 25 European markets, with the Swedish launch part of FIC’s broader European expansion strategy for its flagship brand.

European countries where the channel is currently unavailable include France, Belgium and Czech Republic.

Ase Ytreland, MD of FIC in the Nordics, said: “We expect Sweden to become one of our most important markets so we are already hiring many new staff to be located in the beautiful new Fox offices in central Stockholm.”