Sundance TV 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. 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. As of July 2015, the channel is available to approximately 60.668 million households with television in the United States.
After negotiations during 1994 broke down to turn Robert Redford into a partner in AMC Networks predecessor Rainbow Media's Independent Film Channel, Redford launched Sundance Channel in February 1996 as a joint venture between Showtime Networks, NBC, and Redford. The channel was initially launched on five cable systems in New York City; Los Angeles; Alexandria, Virginia; Chamblee, Georgia; and Pensacola, Florida. 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. The acquisition of Sundance Channel by Rainbow Media was completed in June 2008. On July 1, 2011, Rainbow Media was spun off from Cablevision into a separate company, which was renamed AMC Networks. 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, 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. On March 4, 2013, Sundance began airing AMC's Breaking Bad, to which the channel has exclusive syndication rights, on Monday nights. In October of that year, the channel became fully ad supported.
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. 2014 featured the channel's fourth miniseries The Honourable Woman, the channel's second solely owned original scripted series The Red Road, the new reality series Loredana, ESQ, and the second seasons of Rectify, The Writer's Room, and The Returned.
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.
Canada – On March 1, 2010, a Canadian version of Sundance Channel was launched by Toronto-based media companyCorus 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. The channel was closed on March 1, 2018.
Asia
Malaysia – Astro B.yond, ceased broadcasting on July 1, 2016
France – Sundance Channel launched in France in September 2009 on Numericable, 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.