US cable channel HBO eyes move into UK market

by Sam Matthews, Brand Republic 20-Jan-06, 08:45

LONDON - HBO, the US cable channel behind 'Sex and the City' and 'Six Feet Under', is once more considering launching a UK channel.

Simon Sutton, HBO International's president, told an audience at the Oxford Media Convention that the broadcaster was mulling a move into the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy or Japan.

"We are investigating a presence in those six markets," he said.

HBO, which stands for Home Box Office, currently runs channels in Eastern Europe, Latin America, India and South-East Asia.

An HBO channel in the UK could threaten broadcasters such as Channel 4, which has enjoyed ratings success with HBO imports US including 'The Sopranos' and 'Six Feet Under', and Sky One, which broadcast 'Deadwood'.

The BBC may also suffer, because hit Ricky Gervais show 'Extras' and the costly historical drama series 'Rome' were among its co-productions with HBO last year.

However, during his speech Sutton added that the potential launches "would not cut out the networks" in the UK.

It is not the first time HBO has considered the idea of a UK channel. Almost three years ago, HBO chairman and chief executive, Chris Albrecht, said that a UK channel was something he would love to see.

"I'd entertain anybody who has any ideas about how to put that together. But it's a hard road for us," he said at the time.

However, he added then that the problem was finding a partner to help launch the channel and to persuade enough people to pay for it.

In the US, around 40m households subscribe to the ad-free subscription channel HBO or its sister channel Cinemax.

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