SBS rebranding Food Network as SBS Food

SBS has announced it will be rebranding its dedicated free-to-air food channel, Food Network, to SBS Food. The change will come into effect from November 17.

The channel will offer a broader range of programming with a focus on premium Australian distinctive content exploring the world through cooking, cuisine and culinary cultures.

SBS director of TV and online content Marshall Heald said: “SBS Food provides us with an opportunity to build on SBS’s 30-year history in food and, through a refined content strategy, secure a more diverse mix of shows that will give audiences more of what they love to indulge in on the channel.

“SBS Food will feature more famous Australian and global food personalities including some of SBS’s much-loved favourites including Adam Liaw, Poh Ling Yeow, Shane Delia, Peter Kuruvita, Luke Nguyen and for the first time Maeve O’Meara, alongside Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver and Kylie Kwong.

“We’re also excited to continue to discover and nurture homegrown talent and develop new programs following the success we’ve had introducing fresh new local faces to Australian audiences over the last 12 months.

“SBS Food is less reality food and more real food and will continue our commitment to broadcasting multicultural food-related content, introducing and educating audiences about different cultures, going to the core of SBS’s unique purpose.”

SBS Food will continue as a free 24/7 channel alongside SBS, SBS Viceland and NITV. As well as extending the sought-after SBS Food offering available on the SBS website, content from the channel will also be available on SBS On Demand.

SBS’s flagship food programs will continue to air on weeknights at 6pm and Wednesday evenings on the primary channel.

The public broadcaster first launched the Food Network channel in November 2015. The first program to screen was Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals.