The agreement between the companies, both public, combines both channels into one, allowing flexible language tailoring and market localization. The new channel will be called Private Spice.
“The deal reflects Playboy TV International’s successful development of its distribution and channel management in Europe and places the new channel in a market position second to none,” said Mark L. Rudolph, Playboy TV International’s managing director.
Under the terms of the agreement, Playboy TV will operate, distribute and market the new channel and Private will provide content, brand and marketing support.
There currently is little overlap between the two channels and the new channel will significantly increase the distribution in the region, Rudolph said.
Playboy TV International, a unit of Playboy Enterprises Inc., owns The Adult Channel, Spice Extreme, and Climax 3 in the U.K. and Europe, as well as an interest in Playboy TV Japan, Channel Ruby and Playboy TV Latin America and Iberia. The company also operates branded networks in Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, South Korea, New Zealand, Poland, Scandinavia, Taiwan and Turkey.
The Playboy TV-owned Spice Platinum channel in Europe reaches subscribers in more than 15 countries via cable and satellite. It was launched in 2001.
Private distributes content in more than 40 countries.
The company’s Private Gold channel, launched in 2000, is distributed via cable and satellite in Europe and Latin America.