Viacom closes C5 deal, reveals copros

US media giant Viacom has completed its purchase of UK terrestrial broadcaster Channel 5 (C5) and announced initial coproductions between the pair.

The £450m (US$759m) acquisition from Richard Desmond’s Northern & Shell Group was announced in May and completed today following clearance from the European Commission.

As expected, Viacom’s MTV and Nickelodeon channels are already teaming up with C5 on coproductions.

C5 and MTV UK have jointly commissioned reality series 10,000 BC where 20 volunteers will leave the comforts of modern life behind and live as if they were in the Stone Age.

The 10×60’ series is being produced by ITV Studios-owned London prodco The Garden and GroupM Entertainment and will premiere on C5 next year with a 5×60’ spin-off show airing on MTV in the UK.

Nick and C5’s kids brand Milkshake will coproduce animated series Nella the Knight, which will be made in the UK and co-funded by the two broadcasters, who will share rights.

Milkshake and Nick already share broadcast rights for titles including Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom and Bubble Guppies while episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also begin airing on C5.

Philippe Dauman, Viacom President and CEO, said: “Our ownership of Channel 5 will significantly increase Viacom’s investment in British creativity and content.

“We are committed to strengthening Channel 5’s status as one of UK broadcasting’s premier brands, and we will continue to grow the network’s pipeline of original programming with more quality commissions, as well as acquisitions.”

Viacom has confirmed C5’s advertising sales team will be retained following the closure of the deal and will continue to sell the network’s airtime.

C5’s commercial director of sales, Nick Bampton, and chief operating officer Paul Dunthorne, will report separately to David Lynn, executive VP and MD of Viacom International Media Networks UK. They will join his UK senior management team along with C5 programme director Ben Frow.

Viacom completed the deal for C5 having seen off reported rival interest from UK satcaster BSkyB and US factual giant Discovery Communications.

Dauman said at the time that his company’s move into the UK free-to-air space would be a “shot in the arm” for the country’s production industry.

UK trade body Pact has welcomed the arrival of a new player to the market but also voiced some reservations.