Fox Launches Digital Channel To Fuel Youth Viewing

Fox International has announced plans to launch its youth television network, Fuel, in Europe offering 13 to 24 year-old viewers a mix of extreme sport, music and entertainment.

The European roll-out of the channel will begin in the last quarter of this year in Italy, where it will be available on Eutelstat. Programming will focus around programming a mix of skate, BMX, surfing and snowboarding shows.

Fuel was first launched in the US last July and now reaches around 10 million homes across the country. It was launched in Australia earlier this year and Fox is currently in discussions with platforms in the UK, Germany, Central Europe, Switzerland, France and Scandinavia.

Commenting on the launch, Marina Williams, vice-president of Fox International Channels Europe, said: “Fuel has been well received in the US and is rapidly expanding its distribution domestically. The first international launch has been in Australia, where the channel is also proving to be hugely popular.”

She added: “The secret of Fuel’s success is the really unique blend of programmes and the level of original material that we invest in. We firmly believe that this channel will become part of the youth lifestyle and culture in Europe where teenagers are under-served in quality life-style entertainment.”

Multi-channel television has been going from strength to strength in the UK and the latest research from the IPA shows that the number of UK homes with digital access reached 11.5 million in the first quarter of this year (see Freeview Pushes UK Multi-Channel Homes To 11.5 Million).

Fox International: www.fox.com

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