SBS Dishes Up Australia's First Free Channel For Everyday Food Lovers

SBS Dishes Up Australia's First Free Channel For Everyday Food Lovers

SBS is set to launch Australia's first free-to-air television channel dedicated to the world of food. Australian audiences have been coming to SBS for years to discover and explore the world and its cultures through its distinctive food programming. With the launch of this new channel, SBS will bring Australians unprecedented access to a smorgasbord of food, cooking and travel programs inspired by food, handpicked from around the world, alongside some of the network's much-loved, locally made shows.

The channel will become SBS's fourth free-to-air channel when it launches on SBS 3 in November, joining the portfolio of SBS, SBS 2 and NITV.

SBS Managing Director, Michael Ebeid, said: 'SBS's unique purpose, to inspire all Australians to explore and appreciate the diverse world we live in, is at the heart of this exciting new channel. 'The channel will take one of our strongest and well-known genres to new heights. We know how much audiences love to be taken on a journey of culinary and cultural discovery with our food shows every Thursday night. This new channel is an opportunity to extend that offering with a world of food programming available all day, every day, for free."

'SBS's Charter drives all the decisions we make. As we face funding pressures and an increasingly competitive market, we need to find new ways to bring audiences the best content from around the world and create a commercial return to continue to fund high quality Australian programs on our main SBS channels.

'This channel also builds on our success bringing movies acquired from around the world to Australian audiences through our subscription channel, World Movies."

SBS Chief Content Officer, Helen Kellie added: 'Whether you're passionate about food, or just take pleasure in family cooking and eating with friends, our new channel will be a daily destination for your love of everyday food. As well as bringing some of the world's most popular programs in the genre to local audiences, the new channel will help SBS to continue discovering and nurturing Australian talent and developing new programs. It's an exciting new extension to SBS's food, travel and culture offer for audiences."

SBS has entered in to a major output deal and licensing agreement with Scripps Networks Interactive, the world's leading producer of high quality engaging lifestyle content. Scripps Networks will supply programming from across the food category including cooking competitions, culinary adventures and home entertaining.

'Australia is an important market for Scripps Networks and a key driver of growth for our business in the region," said Derek Chang, Managing Director, Asia-Pacific, Scripps Networks Interactive.

'SBS already has a long history of delivering great food content to Australian audiences – and this collaboration is a strategic move to bring together two powerful brands to deliver even more engaging and entertaining food programming from around the world to more homes across the continent," Chang added.

Scripps Networks' global lifestyle media portfolio includes popular brands Food Network, Cooking Channel, Asian Food Channel, HGTV, DIY Network, Fine Living Network, Travel Channel and Great American Country. Scripps Networks reaches more than 300 million homes in 175 countries and territories around the world and produces more than 2,500 new hours of original programming each year.

The new channel will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and will be available on SBS 3. Content from the channel will also available to catch up online on SBS On Demand. The channel launch date, channel name and schedule of programs, will be revealed in the coming weeks.

With a background as Australia's multicultural broadcaster, SBS holds a unique place in the Australian media landscape. As described in the SBS Charter, SBS's principal function is to provide multilingual, multicultural and Indigenous radio, television and digital media services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians, reflecting Australia's diverse society. SBS carries out this function through an everincreasing number of distribution platforms including free-to-air television channels, subscription television, analogue and digital radio, online, and via mobile devices and apps. SBS inspires all Australians to explore, appreciate and celebrate our diverse world, and in doing so contributes to a cohesive society. For more information visit www.sbs.com.au.

Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI) is one of the leading developers of engaging lifestyle content in the home, food and travel categories for television, the Internet and emerging platforms. The company's lifestyle media portfolio comprises popular television and Internet brands HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel and Great American Country, which collectively engage more than 190 million U.S. consumers each month. International operations also include TVN, Poland's premier multi-platform media company; UKTV, an independent commercial joint venture with BBC Worldwide; Asian Food Channel, the first pan-regional TV food network in Asia; and lifestyle channel Fine Living Network. The company's global networks and websites reach millions of consumers across North and South America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, please visit http://www.scrippsnetworksinteractive.com.