Bon Appétit! Bell Media Acquires Gusto Brand to Launch its First Food and Lifestyle Channel

– Launching later this year, foodie channel also features modern and stylized home design, fashion, and travel series –
– Original Canadian programming, all in 4K, includes A IS FOR APPLE, ONE WORLD KITCHEN, and FISH THE DISH –

TORONTO, May 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Bell Media announced today that it is acquiring the Gusto brand to launch a new food-centric cooking and lifestyle network later this year, its first-ever foray into this genre. Bolstering the company's already successful suite of English and French-language specialty channels, the new network's slate of exclusive programming will feature a delicious mix of creative cooking and food programming paired with exciting home design, fashion, travel, and lifestyle shows.

Gusto will also feature appetizing homegrown hit programming, all in 4K, as well as some of the highest-rated, first-run food and lifestyle series from around the globe.

The new Gusto network will join Bell Media's leading specialty channel portfolio, which delivers more weekly reach, both full-day and primetime, than any other broadcaster for total viewers and all key demos. The lifestyle brand is the perfect complementary ingredient to Bell Media's vibrant slate of specialty networks catering to women, including Bravo, E!, Animal Planet, and Investigation Discovery.

In addition to launching the new channel, Bell Media has also secured a production arrangement with industry veteran Chris Knight to supply exclusive programming for the network through Gusto Worldwide Media. This includes ONE WORLD KITCHEN currently airing in more than 30 countries. ONE WORLD KITCHEN shines a spotlight on five global cuisines that are arguably just as "Canadian" as tourtière and poutine. The production commitment will allow Bell Media to grow Gusto's roster of hit series with new original Canadian programming, all in 4K.

"We're delighted to enter the food and lifestyle television space with Gusto," said Tracey Pearce, Senior Vice-President, Specialty and Pay, Bell Media. "We look forward to showcasing this brand to Canadians via the Bell Media megaphone, and working with Chris Knight  on developing new, highly stylized, culinary and lifestyle Canadian programming that appeals to both viewers and advertisers."

"Gusto's unique blend of experiential and creative programming will provide new opportunities to develop dynamic and innovative partnerships with brands, especially those that target both female and millennial viewers," said Darryl Coburn, Vice-President, National Television Sales, Bell Media. "We are looking forward to presenting this entertaining channel to long-time clients as well as new potential advertisers."

"We are thrilled to be working with Bell Media to ramp up production on a new slate of creative and engaging lifestyle and culinary programming – all in stunning 4K," said Chris Knight, President and CEO, Gusto Worldwide Media. "Our team includes some of the best non-fiction producers in this country, and we look forward to crafting Canada's next favourite lifestyle show!"

Bell Media will license Gusto Worldwide Media's existing creative cooking and food series, including marquee original Canadian series:

• ONE WORLD KITCHEN: This series shines a spotlight on five global cuisines (Indian, Thai, Italian, South American, and Japanese) and features five passionate and Canadian cooks, each with a unique background and culinary expertise to share.
• A IS FOR APPLE: This series explores the world of food and ingredients by challenging chefs to create recipes based on letters of the alphabet
• CRATE TO PLATE: This creative and entertaining series meets the people whose lives are shaped by the food that others grow, sell, and eat
• FISH THE DISH: A playful and delicious 30-minute series following Chef Spencer Watts as he cooks up some of his favourite seafood dishes

There will be no changes to the current Gusto TV channel until the transition is complete. Additional announcements about Gusto will be made in the coming weeks.

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About Bell Media
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's #1 television network; 34 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada's most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home, one of Canada's most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 30,000 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with premium subscription on-demand streaming service CraveTV, as well as its innovative GO video streaming services including CTV GO, Discovery GO, TMN GO, and TSN GO; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; holds an equity stake in digital startup Hubub; is partners in Cirque du Soleil Media, a joint venture with Cirque du Soleil; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.

Source: Numeris

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Sara McLaren, Entertainment Specialties, Bell Media, 416.384.6104 or [email protected]