Vice partners for India expansion

Youth-skewing Vice Media has partnered with media giant The Times of India Group in a bid to expand its operations in the country.

Chanpreet Arora

Vice, which last month named Chanpreet Arora as CEO of its Indian operations and Samira Kanwar as head of content, will offer an array of local programming via its website.

It is also introducing a “significant late-night primetime television block” that will be available via Times of India’s channel portfolio, which includes general entertainment network Zoom.

Vice India has opened offices in Mumbai and Delhi, offering local versions of Virtue Worldwide, its in-house creative agency, and Vice Studio. The latter will focus on producing local news, culture, documentary, film and scripted content for television, SVoD, OTT and digital platforms.

Vice said content would have a “strong focus on culturally relevant topics and experiences of what it is like to be young in India today,” exploring topics such as food, music, politics, sports, sex, identity, nightlife, arts and comedy.

Vice India is also working with Facebook in the country to expand its audience. Further details on multiple platform partnerships are to be announced in the coming months, with content set to emerge from a deal between drinks giant Anheuser-Busch InBev and Vice’s Virtue Worldwide division.

Hosi Simon, CEO of Vice APAC, added: “We are looking beyond urban India, into the regional emerging, aspirational and highly curious youth population, which we believe will own the future of the country very soon.

“We hope to create ground-breaking content and play a significant role in creating and giving a voice to the youth of India, and helping to bring their stories and creativity to all parts of India, and to the rest of the world.”

Rishi Jaitly, CEO of Times Bridge, the investment arm of the Times group, said: “At Times Bridge, we invest in a select set of companies with a high-order commitment to India and the opportunities the market presents from an audience, business and mission standpoint. In Vice, we are proud to work with an inspired, ambitious partner that aspires to engage and immerse across India.”

Vice has had a turbulent 12 months after being hit by claims of misconduct and sexual harassment among staff.

Vice co-founder Shane Smith apologised for “failing as a company” and has since moved into an executive chairman’s role with former A+E Networks chief Nancy Dubuc coming in to replace him as CEO. Dominique Delport joined the company from French giant Vivendi last month as its chief revenue officer.

Broadcast group Rogers Media and Vice also terminated their joint venture in Canada, having only rolled out linear channel Viceland in the country in 2016.