owned by showtime networks & nbcuniversal 1996 2008 amc networks 2008 present robert redford 1996 present via sundance group picture format 1080i hdtv 480i sdtv country united states language english headquarters new york new york formerly called sundance channel 1996 2014 sister channel s amc ifc we tv bbc america website www.sundance.tv availability satellite directv us channel 557 hd channel 1557 hd dish network us channel 126 hd sd dishhd taiwan channel 330 hd ote tv greece channel 206 hd cyfrowy polsat poland channel 53 sd channel 143 hd nc poland channel 57 hd sky brasil brazil channel 68 1 268 hd osn middle east & north africa channel 35 hd cable cablelink philippines channel 303 telenet digital tv flanders channel 63 upc poland channel 493 channel 494 hd skycable philippines channel 183 hd vtr chile channel 784 hd destiny cable philippines channel 183 hd digital iptv verizon fios 735 hd 235 sd at & t u verse 1798 hd 798 sd mio tv singapore channel 401 hd channel 402 vod movistar tv spain channel 43 streaming media sling tv internet protocol television playstation vue internet protocol television sundancetv formerly known as sundance channel is an american digital cable and satellite television network that is owned by amc networks . the channel is devoted to airing documentaries independent feature films short films world cinema and original programs such as news about the latest developments from each year s sundance film festival . however in recent years it has incorporated scripted and reality series into its schedule . it has become fully ad supported with commercials in 2013 with content being censored soon thereafter . 1 as of july 2015 the channel is available to approximately 60.668 million households with television 52.1 % of all subscribers in the united states . 2 in march 2015 dish network s sling tv announced it would soon begin making amc channels available to cord cutters including amc bbc america ifc sundancetv and we tv . 3 4 5 contents 1 history 1.1 as sundance channel 1.1.1 as a premium movie channel 1996 2007 1.1.2 sale to rainbow media 2008 12 1.1.2.1 2012 dish network carriage dispute 1.1.3 expansion into original scripted programming 2012 2014 1.2 as sundancetv 1.2.1 rebranding 2014 present 2 international 2.1 americas 2.2 asia 2.3 middle east and north africa 2.4 europe 3 references 4 external links history edit as sundance channel edit as a premium movie channel 1996 2007 edit after negotiations during 1994 broke down to turn robert redford into a partner in amc networks predecessor rainbow media s independent film channel 6 redford launched sundance channel in february 1996 as a joint venture between showtime networks then a division of viacom now owned by cbs corporation nbcuniversal and redford who also served as the creative director of the network . the channel was initially launched on five cable systems in new york city ; los angeles ; alexandria virginia ; chamblee georgia ; and pensacola florida . 7 it originally operated mainly as a premium channel commonly packaged with showtime and its sister networks the movie channel and flix . the channel got its name from 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 sundance institute and the sundance film festival . strictly a movie channel in its early years sundance channel expanded into original programming by the early 2000s . after limited attempts at original programming city of men house of boateng iconoclasts the al franken show the first amendment project . the hill and transgeneration sundance channel expanded its programming in 2007 by ordering one punk under god sin city law and a prime time environmental block called the green . while the first two programs lasted only one season the environmental block lasted until 2009 . sale to rainbow media 2008 12 edit sundance channel logo 2008 2014 on may 7 2008 the rainbow media subsidiary of cablevision owners of amc ifc we tv and news 12 networks and the defunct voom hd networks announced that it had purchased sundance channel for 496 million . 8 the acquisition of sundance channel by rainbow media was completed in june 2008 . 9 on july 1 2011 rainbow media was spun off from cablevision into a separate company which was renamed amc networks . 10 sundance saw a rapid expansion of its documentary and unscripted series slate during this period ; however very few of the shows lasted beyond their first season with the rest being cancelled after their second . 2010 did see the channel s first miniseries carlos which could be credited as the start of the future shift in programming for the channel . 2012 dish network carriage dispute edit further information amc networks dish network carriage dispute expansion into original scripted programming 2012 2014 edit 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 11 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 . sundancetv president sarah barnett at the 73rd annual peabody awards with peabody for the returned french les revenants on march 4 2013 sundance began airing amc s breaking bad to which the channel has exclusive syndication rights on monday nights . 12 the seven part miniseries top of the lake premiered on march 18 2013 while gaining critical acclaim before eventually receiving eight emmy nominations . rectify then premiered on april 22 2013 and was the third straight original scripted program from sundance to receive critical praise . continuing its push as a destination spot for series on monday nights the second season of push girls followed before leading way to the new talk show the writers room where each episode features a behind the scenes look at the writing staff of a popular television series . october saw the premieres of dream school 13 and the returned and the channel become fully ad supported . 1 as sundancetv edit rebranding 2014 present edit on january 27 2014 it was announced that the sundance channel would rebrand as sundancetv on february 1 2014 . 14 the rebrand also features a new logo . 14 twenty fourteen will feature 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 . 15 this channel also picked up a mini series hap and leonard for 6 episodes based on the series of novels by joe r. lansdale . on june 27 2016 the show was renewed for a second season . 16 international edit over time sundance channel has expanded its international distribution in the americas asia and europe . americas edit brazil in the second half of 2014 will be released this article needs to be updated . please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information . august 2015 a brazilian version of the channel fully dubbed in portuguese . 17 canada on march 1 2010 a canadian version of sundance channel was launched by toronto based media company corus entertainment . amc networks does not own any stake in the canadian service but maintains 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 . 18 asia edit malaysia astro b.yond 19 ceased broadcasting on july 1 2016 singapore singtel s mio tv 19 sri lanka dialog tv south east asia south korea sundance channel launched in 2013 20 on kt and skylife 19 middle east and north africa edit arab countries osn europe edit belgium telenet 19 france sundance channel launched in france in 2009 on numericable 21 also available on free and carried on sfr . 19 greece sundance channel launched in greece on july 18 2011 as a linear channel on ote tv and broadcasts in hd via satellite as sundance channel hd . netherlands sundance channel launched in the netherlands in march 2012 replacing the movie channel film1 festival . sundance is also carried in the netherlands on caiway . 19 poland sundance channel launched in poland on april 16 2010 on upc polska 19 turkey digiturk 19 portugal nos 19 references edit a b thielman sam 24 march 2013 . sundance channel goes ad supported next amc . ad week . retrieved 31 january 2014 . list of how many homes each cable network is in as of july 2015 . tv by the numbers . zap2it . july 21 2015 . retrieved july 21 2015 . newman jared march 4 2015 . sling tv bulks up base package with amc and ifc . techhive . newman jared january 30 2015 . sling tv brings back the linear video element that other cord cutting services lack but could use some polish and a few more features . techhive . paul ian paul february 9 2015 . sling tv s web based live television opens to all cord cutters adds amc to lineup . brown rich january 23 1995 . redford showtime form movie channel . broadcasting & cable . highbeam research . retrieved february 28 2011 . subscription required sundance readying for february debut . broadcasting & cable . highbeam research . december 4 1995 . retrieved february 28 2011 . subscription required stelter brian may 7 2008 . cablevision unit buys sundance channel . the new york times . retrieved october 8 2012 . stelter brian june 18 2008 . cablevision buys sundance . the new york times . retrieved october 8 2012 . amc networks goes public with hot shows and analysts looking for a sale deadline new york july 1 2011 . restless with charlotte rampling on the sundance channel . december 6 2012 . retrieved july 19 2013 . goldberg lesley . breaking bad lands on sundance channel in syndication deal . the hollywood reporter . retrieved august 20 2013 . sundance channel goes back to school on october 7 with the premiere of dream school . the futon critic . retrieved august 20 2013 . a b sundance channel rebrands as sundancetv ; unveils new logo . deadline hollywooid . january 27 2014 . retrieved january 27 2014 . andreeva nellie . tca sundance channel picks up season 2 of french drama the returned renews writers room . deadline . retrieved january 11 2014 . hap and leonard season two renewal for sundancetv series . tv series finale . retrieved 27 june 2016 . in the second half of 2014 will be released a brazilian version of the channel fully dubbed in portuguese press release . sundance channel rises in canada press release . corus entertainment . december 8 2009 . retrieved october 8 2012 . a b c d e f g h i briel robert october 7 2010 . sundance expands international distribution . broadband tv news . retrieved october 8 2012 . sundance channel we tv expand across asia . briel robert march 25 2009 . sundance channel debuts on numericable . broadband tv news . retrieved october 8 2012 . external links edit official website v t e amc networks film distributor ifc films movie theater ifc center us tv networks amc bbc america 49.9 % stake ifc sundancetv we tv amc networks international zone emea amc cbs action cbs drama cbs reality horror channel with cbs studios international extreme sports channel fine living network food network with scripps networks interactive jimjam outdoor channel with intermedia outdoor holdings central europe