 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry |
|
| Founded | 1996; 29 years ago (1996) |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Services | |
| Parent | NBCUniversal Media Group |
| Website | imediadistribution |
International Media Distribution (IMD) (formerly International Networks), a division ofNBCUniversal, is an American provider of in-language networks which facilitates the distribution of Asian, European, Middle Eastern and Hispanic channels andVideo On Demand services across all platforms including, cable, satellite and OTT.
Originally launched asInternational Channel Networks in 1996, the company was owned byLiberty Media (which was the majority owner with a 90% stake) and JJS II Communications, LLC (which owned the remaining 10% share).[1] They owned and operatedThe International Channel or I-Channel, which was a basic cable channel that launched in 1990[2] and featured multilingual, multi-ethnic programming to audiences in the United States. The channel offered programming from Europe, Asia & the Middle East in over 25 languages. In 1998, the company began offering a tier of premium networks featuring various channels from around the world. This tier has since grown and currently consists of over 50 networks. In 2000, they added channels in the Persian, Russian and Japanese languages. Around that time, more cable head-ends were carrying at least The International Channel and some of its premium networks.[3]
In July 2004, as part of a larger deal, International Channel Networks was sold toComcast. In 2005, Comcast re-branded the International Channel asAZN Television, a channel catering to Asian Americans and featuring several original programmes. Its non-Asian programming was removed, redirecting viewers to its distributed premium channels.[4] The company was subsequently renamedInternational Networks.
On April 9, 2008, AZN Television ceased operations as Comcast decided to shut down the channel due to distribution and advertising difficulties.[5]
On March 10, 2009, Comcast decided to rename the company asInternational Media Distribution. The re-brand was undertaken to reflect the growth of the company and to emphasize the focus which is now on the distribution of premium international channels from around the world.[6] In 2011, Comcast completed its purchase ofNBCUniversal,[7] thereafter IMD was reorganized under the international television distribution arm of NBCUniversal rather than the Comcast Entertainment Group.
International Media Distribution’s portfolio includes over 50 networks from across the world including:
Arabic
Chinese
Filipino
French
German
Greek
Italian
Korean (Television Korea)
Polish
Russian
South Asian
Spanish
Vietnamese
Formerly distributed
International Channel Networks is the trade name of International Cable Channels Partnership, Ltd. (a company 90% owned by Liberty Media Corporation [NYSE: L and LMC.B] and 10% owned by JJS II Communications, LLC).
The company programs and distributes a basic cable television channel, International Channel. This service provides programming from around the world in more than 20 Asian, European and Middle Eastern languages. Programming includes news, sports, movies, music and general entertainment programs. International Channel is available to more than 8 million cable television subscribers in the United States. The channel launched in 1990.