Vice, HBO Strike Deal That Includes Daily News Program

Through an eponymous weekly series, Vice maintains a regular presence on HBO. Now, a new deal will expand the alternative news publication’s partnership with the premium cable channel. In what HBO is calling its “most expansive content deal ever,” it will team with Vice for a daily newscast, four more seasons of the weekly Vice program, and more than 30 additional specials.

The centerpiece of the deal is the daily news program, which will include five half-hour episodes per week across 48 weeks of the year. The show will be the first show of its kind ever broadcast by HBO, but Vice has already begun experimenting with long-form serial content; in February, it launched On The Line, an hour-long weekly show the streams live on the Vice News YouTube channel.

The deal also includes a four-year expansion of Vice, which debuted in 2013 and was renewed a year later. Each half-hour episode of the Emmy-winning weekly program, which airs Fridays at 11 PM EST, tackles topics from around the globe that otherwise do not get the attention they deserve. The new seasons will increase Vice’s episode count two-and-a-half-times over, from 14 up to 35 per year.

The third part of the deal is a collection of Vice-produced specials that will air on HBO. Through 2018, 32 of those specials will be produced.

“This deal, simply put, allows VICE the freedom to go after any story, anywhere we find it – and to do so with complete independence,” said Vice CEO Shane Smith in a release. “This deal is a tremendous gift and a tremendous opportunity, and we at VICE realize this.”

No release dates have been revealed for any of the upcoming programs.