Cable network IFC and its new sibling Sundance Channel are dividing the indie-film audience into two pools -- short-attention-span men in their 20s and their art-house parents.
IFC owner Cablevision Systems Co. closed its $496 million deal to buy Sundance three months ago, and observers wondered about redundancies. With IFC aiming at young men and Sundance serving older
"thought leaders," the similar networks are trying to expand without stepping on the other's toes.
Evan Shapiro, IFC network president says, "Both channels are 'independent,' but
there's a difference between being edgy and being authentic." Sundance will have more festival and foreign-language movies, while pulp films aimed at younger audiences will end up on IFC, he says.
Both sell sponsorships and custom-made branded series in lieu of traditional advertising.
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