Olswang has advised Viacom International Media Networks on a five-year extension of its commercial partnership with Sky in the UK and Ireland. The arrangement ensures Viacom's popular pay TV channels - including Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and VH1 - will continue to be available via Sky under extended affiliate arrangements.

The agreement also extends the companies' advertising sales relationship to include Channel 5 and its associated channels, following Viacom's 2014 acquisition of Channel 5. Since 1 June, Channel 5's suite of channels, which includes Channel 5, 5 USA and 5*, has been available to the portfolio of 17 Viacom channels already sold by Sky Media, Sky's advertising sales division. Channel 5's sponsorship, digital and on-demand sales is also sold by Sky as part of the partnership.

Olswang Partners John Enser and Victoria Gaskell led on the advertising sales arrangements and the affiliate deals respectively and were assisted by Associates Tomos Jones and Alvin Chan.

John Enser commented: "We were pleased to advise our long-standing client Viacom on its latest commercial endeavour. Having worked with the company for nearly 30 years, we understand its history and ambition for expansion in the UK market, and we were delighted to work with them on this latest partnership agreement. We look forward to supporting them in the UK television market as they look to expand in both free-to-air and paid services."

Olswang first advised the US media giant in 1987 when it established MTV UK in 1987. Throughout the years, Olswang has supported Viacom on strategic commercial deals and advised the company on joint ventures, advertising sales agency arrangements and carriage deals across a range of distribution platforms as well as on a host of other matters concerning its channels and services, including MTV, VH1, Viva, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. Most recently it acted for Viacom on commercial and regulatory aspects of Channel 5 acquisition.