SBS2 rebrand signals the end of a troubled era

Australia's SBS Viceland has in the last few days rebranded (back) to SBS2. The new(ish) name promises "entertainment with bite" with "culturally curious and seeking programming that is smart, surprising, sexy and different". The rebrand marks the end of an era for the beleaguered brand, as the Australian version of Viceland is the last to close down.

The "Viceland" brand was introduced by the American media company Vice Media in February 2016. Viceland's content is geared towards a young adult and millennial audience with a focus on gritty documentaries and current affairs. Within a few months of launching in the US, Vice Media had reached deals with broadcasters and distributors in 44 countries and territories to carry local versions of the Viceland brand.

The first of these to launch was in Canada (which launched simultaneously with the US) followed by the UK and Ireland in September 2016 on Sky and on Virgin in the summer of 2018. Viceland failed to capture an audience in the UK and was plagued with low ratings from the start. Ratings were so dire, in fact, that occasionally the channel's viewing figures registered zero on official data. The channel only lasted a couple of years on Virgin and eventually closed altogether in 2021.

Viceland launched in Australia in November 2016 under a partnership deal with the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), replacing SBS TWO. The new channel would feature Viceland original programming as well as programmes originally under the SBS TWO umbrella. The Australian version would be the longest running of all the international versions of Viceland, lasting almost a full decade.

Only the original US version remains, which quietly rebrand as Vice TV in December 2019. It now focuses on sports programmes and loses an average of about 10% of its audience annually. Vice Media filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023. One of its co-founders quickly left the company to found the far-right "Proud Boys" group.