Scripps Networks Interactive’s Asia Pacific managing director, Derek Chang, is taking a major free-TV bet in Australia. The new output deal and licensing agreement with SBS adds to an existing linear deal with Fetch TV and gives Scripps content its highest profile ever in Australia. Financial details of the new deal have not been disclosed.

While other free-TV options are being explored, Chang says pay-TV continues to “be our primary method of distribution” in the region. Scripps’ lifestyle channels “have deep roots in the pay-TV industry”, he says. At the same time, in cases where “our traditional points of entry may be closed or diminished... we will seek alternatives”.

Neither SBS nor Scripps has disclosed how many hours are involved in the deal to power SBS’s new 24/7 food-focused free-TV digital channel, scheduled to launch in November.

Genres will cover cooking competitions, culinary adventures and home entertaining. Scripps produces more than 2,500 new hours of original content a year.

SBS’s chief content officer, Helen Kellie, mentioned developing new programmes for the channel, but gave no details.

The service, which remained unnamed at press-time, will include a linear channel as well as online catch up via SBS On Demand.

SBS and Scripps say the new service will be Australia’s first free-to-air channel for “everyday food lovers”.

The channel – SBS’s fourth free-to-air service – will also carry food-inspired travel programming. Titles have not yet been disclosed.

SBS managing director, Michael Ebeid, said the 24/7 channel was an opportunity to extend SBS’s Thursday night food block “all day, every day, for free”. Ebeid said “as we face finding pressures and an increasingly competitive market, we need to find new ways to bring audiences the best content from around the world and create a commercial return to continue to fund high-quality Australian programmes on our main SBS channels”.

He added that the food channel builds on SBS’s success “bringing movies acquired from around the world to Australian audiences through subscription channel World Movies”.

Scripps’ Chang, called Australia a “key driver of growth for our business in the region”. Launch specifics have not been disclosed.

Updated on 7 October 2015