Sundance TV

Sundance TV (formerly known as Sundance Channel) is an American pay television channel owned by AMC Networks that launched on February 1, 1996. The channel is named after Robert Redford's character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and, while it is an extension of Redford's non-profit Sundance Institute, the channel operates independently of both the Institute and the Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance TV
LaunchedFebruary 1, 1996 (1996-02-01)
Closed1 July 2016 (Malaysia)
Owned byAMC Networks
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
HeadquartersNew York City
Formerly calledSundance Channel (1996–2014)
Sister channel(s)AMC
BBC America
IFC
We TV
Websitewww.sundancetv.com
Availability
Satellite
Orby TVChannel 109
Dish NetworkChannel 126
DirecTVChannel 557
Cable
Available on some American providersChannel slots vary on each cable operator
Izzi Telecom (Mexico)Channel 226 (HD)
IPTV
Verizon FiOSChannel 235 (SD)
Channel 735 (HD)
AT&T U-VerseChannel 798 (SD)
Channel 1798 (HD)
Streaming media
PhiloInternet Protocol television
YouTube TVInternet Protocol television
Sling TVInternet Protocol television
FuboTVInternet Protocol television
Amazon Videowww.amazon.com
(requires subscription to access content)

Originally, Sundance was devoted to airing documentaries, independent feature films, short films, world cinema, and coverage on the latest developments from each year's Sundance Film Festival. The channel has since incorporated both original and acquired programming and became fully ad-supported in 2013, with programming being edited for content soon thereafter.[1]

As of July 2015, the channel is available to approximately 60.668 million households with television (52.1% of all subscribers) in the United States.[2]

History
Further information: List of programs broadcast by Sundance TV
Sundance Channel logo 2008–2014

As Sundance Channel (1996–2014)

After negotiations during 1994 broke down to turn Robert Redford into a partner in AMC Networks predecessor Rainbow Media's Independent Film Channel,[3] Redford launched Sundance Channel in February 1996 as a joint venture between Showtime Networks (then a division of Viacom, later owned by CBS Corporation and subsequently by ViacomCBS), NBC, and Redford (who also served as the creative director of the network).[4]

The channel was initially launched on five cable systems in New York City; Los Angeles; Alexandria, Virginia; Chamblee, Georgia; and Pensacola, Florida.[5] It originally operated mainly as a premium channel, commonly packaged with Showtime and its sister networks The Movie Channel and Flix.

On May 7, 2008, the Rainbow Media subsidiary of Cablevision, owners of rival network IFC, announced that it had purchased Sundance Channel for $496 million.[6] The acquisition of Sundance Channel by Rainbow Media was completed in June 2008.[7] On July 1, 2011, Rainbow Media was spun off from Cablevision into a separate company, which was renamed AMC Networks.[8]

Since the sale, Sundance would expand into original programming. 2012 saw the premieres of two new unscripted series in the form of Get To Work and Push Girls, before the channel's second miniseries, Restless,[9] premiered in December. Restless went on to receive two Emmy Award nominations. It was also announced that Sundance had picked up its first solely owned original series, and former developmental project from sister channel AMC, Rectify, and its third miniseries Top of the Lake. Much like AMC, the channel's original programming garnered critical acclaim.[10]

Sundance TV President Sarah Barnett at the 73rd Annual Peabody Awards with Peabody for ‘The Returned (French: Les Revenants)’

On March 4, 2013, Sundance began airing AMC's Breaking Bad, to which the channel has exclusive syndication rights, on Monday nights.[11] In October of that year, the channel became fully ad supported.[1]

As Sundance TV (2014–present)

On January 27, 2014, it was announced that the Sundance Channel would rebrand as Sundance TV on February 1, 2014.[12] 2014 featured the channel's fourth miniseries The Honourable Woman, the channel's second solely owned original scripted series The Red Road,[13] the new reality series Loredana, ESQ, and the second seasons of Rectify, The Writer's Room, and The Returned.[14]

International

Over time, Sundance Channel has expanded its international distribution in the Americas, Asia, Middle East and Europe.

Americas
  • Hispanic America – Sundance Channel was launched in September 2013. It was renamed Sundance TV in January 2016.
  • Brazil – In the second half of 2014 a Brazilian version will be released of a channel fully dubbed in Portuguese.[15]
  • Canada – On March 1, 2010, a Canadian version of Sundance Channel was launched by Toronto-based media company Corus Entertainment. AMC Networks did not own any stake in the Canadian service, but maintained a brand licensing agreement with Corus Entertainment to allow the use of the Sundance Channel brand as well as access to programming from the U.S. service.[16] The channel was closed on March 1, 2018.

Asia
  • Malaysia – Astro B.yond,[17] ceased broadcasting on July 1, 2016
  • Singapore – SingTel's Singtel TV,[17] ceased broadcasting on March 11, 2017
  • South East Asia, South Korea – Sundance Channel launched in 2013[18] on KT and Skylife[17]

Middle East

Arab World - beIN Channels Network

Africa

Africa – DStv.[19]

Europe
  • Belgium – Telenet (ended 30 September 2017)[17]
  • France (and Belgium, Switzerland) – Sundance Channel launched in France in September 2009 on Numericable,[20] also available on Free, SFR, Orange and Canal+. It closed on 8 February 2020.
  • Greece – Sundance Channel launched in Greece on July 18, 2011 as a linear channel on Cosmote TV and broadcasts in HD via satellite as Sundance Channel HD. (not any more)
  • Netherlands – Film1 Sundance launched in the Netherlands in March 2012, replacing the movie channel Film1 Festival.[17] Film1 closed Film1 Sundance on 31 August 2017. Film1 wants to focus more on its video-on-demand services.[21]
  • Poland – Sundance Channel launched in Poland on April 16, 2010, on UPC Polska [17]
  • Portugal – NOS, ended on 31 March 2019 and replaced by Sundance TV on Demand.
  • Romania – Sundance Channel was launched in March 2012 with subtitles and closed on February 1, 2019.
  • Spain – Sundance Channel, launched on 1 June 2011 on Movistar TV. On 1 October 2014, it was launched on other TV providers replacing Cinematk.[22]
gollark: Or... attention?
gollark: Perhaps brain scans.
gollark: Hmm, interesting question.
gollark: People like to *say* "O NOES, Google has done [EVIL AND/OR ANNOYING AND/OR HOSTILE TO USER ACTION 1051259172589]" but so few actually do anything about it.
gollark: Perhaps Google is experimenting to see how much they can annoy users without a significant amount actually leaving.

References
  1. Thielman, Sam (24 March 2013). "Sundance Channel Goes Ad-Supported Next AMC?". Ad week. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  2. "List of how many homes each cable network is in as of July 2015". TV by the Numbers. Zap2it. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  3. Brown, Rich (January 23, 1995). "Redford, Showtime form movie channel". Broadcasting & Cable. HighBeam Research. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2011.(subscription required)
  4. "Showtime Networks, Inc. – Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Showtime Networks, Inc". referenceforbusiness.com. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  5. "Sundance readying for February debut". Broadcasting & Cable. HighBeam Research. December 4, 1995. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2011.(subscription required)
  6. Stelter, Brian (May 7, 2008). "Cablevision Unit Buys Sundance Channel". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  7. Stelter, Brian (June 18, 2008). "Cablevision Buys Sundance". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  8. AMC Networks Goes Public With Hot Shows, And Analysts Looking For A Sale Deadline New York July 1, 2011.
  9. "'Restless,' With Charlotte Rampling, on the Sundance Channel". December 6, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  10. "Sundance Channel Goes Back to School on October 7 with the Premiere of 'Dream School'". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  11. Goldberg, Lesley. "'Breaking Bad' Lands on Sundance Channel in Syndication Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  12. "Sundance Channel Rebrands As SundanceTV; Unveils New Logo". Deadline Hollywooid. January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  13. Team, The Deadline (2014-01-27). "Sundance Channel Rebrands As SundanceTV; Unveils New Logo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  14. Andreeva, Nellie. "TCA: Sundance Channel Picks Up Season 2 Of French Drama 'The Returned', Renews 'Writers' Room'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
  15. "In the second half of 2014 will be released a Brazilian version of the channel fully dubbed in Portuguese" (Press release).
  16. "Sundance Channel Rises in Canada" (Press release). Corus Entertainment. December 8, 2009. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  17. Briel, Robert (October 7, 2010). "Sundance expands international distribution". Broadband TV News. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  18. "Sundance Channel, WE tv expand across Asia". Realscreen.com.
  19. "Sundance TV launches on DStv in South Africa" (Press release). Broadboad TV News. May 23, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  20. Briel, Robert (March 25, 2009). "Sundance Channel debuts on Numericable". Broadband TV News. Retrieved October 8, 2012.
  21. "Film1 Sundance stopt; Film1 focust op on demand-aanbod". MediaMagazine.nl. 4 July 2017.
  22. Dziadul, Chris (September 23, 2014). "AMC to rebrand Spanish channel". Broadband TV News. Retrieved September 8, 2017.
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