Vice expands in Japan

Vice Media has signed an agreement with Docomo that will see the youth media company’s shows become available on the Japanese mobile operator’s services.

Vice’s Shane Smith

Docomo Digital will carry original, locally produced shows from Vice, which in return will gain customer-acquisition, marketing and payment services from the mobile operator.

The partnership starts in Japan and will extend into the Asia-Pacific region, with Vice’s global content also becoming available.

Hosi Simon, Vice global general manager, said the partnership “will offer even more access to the stories we tell every day and will allow us to reach even more young people across all screens.”

Vice has operated digital channels in Japan since 2012 covering news, technology, fashion, food and arts programming.

The firm has been expanding rapidly over the past year, hiring former Sky and BBC execs to lead the programming side of Viceland in the UK, Ireland and France.

The channel has already launched in the US and Canada and plans to expand into more than 50 new territories.

Vice Media CEO Shane Smith used the MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at last month’s Edinburgh Television Festival to slam mainstream media’s approach to attracting younger viewers, and predict a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the industry.