Narrative makes Great! Sony decision

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir will feature on the POP channels

London-based Narrative Entertainment, part of US investment firm Narrative Capital, is rebranding its recently acquired Sony channels under the Great! banner.

Last week Narrative revealed its acquisition of Sony Pictures Television’s portfolio of free-to-air channels in the UK, comprising Sony Movies, Sony Movies Action, Sony Movies Classic, Sony Channel, POP, Tiny POP and POP Max – along with digital assets such as the POP AVoD service.

The Sony-branded channels will be renamed Great! Movies, Great! Movies Action, Great! Movies Classic and Great! TV. POP, Tiny POP and POP Max will retain their original names.

Remy Minute, Narrative Entertainment’s CEO, said: “We are thrilled to be launching the Great! network of channels in the UK, making them the first choice for free-to-air blockbusters, cult classics and TV hits.

“Our aim is to curate and celebrate great film and TV that brings everyone together and makes them feel great. The channel brands will also provide great opportunities for strategic partnerships with businesses that share Great!’s vision and values.”

Narrative says the movies and kids portfolios it has acquired collectively offer more than 6,400 hours of content available on Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat.

The POP channels feature established brands such as Pokemon, My Little Pony and Care Bears, along with shows such as Alvinnn!!! & the Chipmunks, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and PJ Masks. The POP audience is aimed at kids aged 6-10, Tiny POP is for preschoolers 3-6 and Pop Max is for boys 6-10.

The movie and entertainment portfolio offers a combined 5,000-plus hours of licensed programming across the channels, including Blade Runner 2049, Fury, Prometheus, Baby Driver, Unstoppable, The Graduate and Our Man in Havana.