TORONTO and LOS ANGELES – E! Entertainment Television will return to Canadian airwaves this month thanks to a partnership between CTV and Comcast International Media Group (CIMG).
The companies said Monday that CTV’s Star! channel will be rebranded as the new Canadian E! channel beginning November 29. Dedicated exclusively to all aspects of the entertainment industry, E! will immediately be available in more than 6.2 million Canadian households.
“E! is a specialty brand for a specialty service. It’s a hot network that has seen dramatic year-over-year ratings growth,” said Susanne Boyce, president of creative, content and channels for CTV, in the announcement. “The time is right to refresh our own entertainment channel so it can achieve its potential for viewers and advertisers. E! is a dynamic complement to what we’ve built with ETALK, Canada’s #1 entertainment source.”
The arrangement between CTV and CIMG will see access to current programming on E!; access to E!’s array of digital media assets in Canada, including mobile and video on demand; a Canadian-managed website, eonline.ca, eventually featuring both E! and original digital content and allowing for integration of Canadian ad sales; and a commitment to create new, original Canadian programming.
“We’re delighted to bring E! back to audiences in Canada as we enter this new partnership with CTV,” added Duccio Donati, EVP of CIMG. “E!’s signature content has been a long-time favourite with TV viewers in the market and the network’s robust line-up of entertainment news programming, hit reality series and red carpet coverage, complement the channel’s localized programming, as part of an E! branded 24/7 channel.”
One of the world’s most popular entertainment brands, E! is a primary source on American television for celebrity and entertainment news and continues to rank as a top five network in the U.S. for both A18-49 and A18-34, according the press release.
Independent specialty service operator Channel Zero purchased E!-branded CHCH TV Hamilton and CJNT TV Montreal from Canwest Global in June 2009. Canwest either closed or sold the three remaining stations.
