Spanish Broadcaster La Sexta And Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Sign New Volume Deal Pact
(March 9, 2010 – Madrid and Burbank, CA) – Spanish broadcast television channel laSexta and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) have signed a new volume deal in which laSexta will acquire free TV rights to first-run theatrical motion pictures and previously released feature films from the Warner Bros. Entertainment collection, new television programs distributed by WBITD, and more. The announcement was made today by José Miguel Contreras, Chief Executive Officer, laSexta, and Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television.
Under terms of the multiyear pact with WBITD, laSexta has secured the rights to the Studio’s new television series, starting with programs from the upcoming 2010–11 U.S. television season; new feature films commencing with 2011 free TV avails; previously released movies from the Warner Bros. Entertainment library; and made-for-DVD releases.
Movie titles in the pact include, among others:
• “Invictus,” starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, and directed by Clint Eastwood
• “Gran Torino,” starring and directed by Eastwood
• “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, directed by Guy Ritchie
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, directed by David Fincher
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the most recent installment of the worldwide blockbuster “Harry Potter” franchise
• “The Hangover,” the hit comedy from director Todd Phillips and starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor and Justin Bartha
• “The Dark Knight,” from director Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman The new agreement continues a relationship between the two companies that was established during the early days of the network in 2006, when laSexta began broadcasting prestigious WBITD–distributed shows such as “The Sopranos” and other worldwide hits like “The Mentalist,” which also became a hit in Spain. The new deal broadens the association to include theatrical and made-for-DVD titles. Contreras said, “For laSexta, this deal with Warner Bros. is a jump ahead in the network’s strategy, as laSexta is committed to keep growing while offering its viewers leading entertainment content. From now on, laSexta’s programming schedule will include an extraordinary collection of leading productions that will be highly appealing for Spanish audiences. Our network always tries hard to offer the best possible treatment in terms of programming and marketing to these stellar audiovisual products, both now and also in the future.” Schlesinger said, “laSexta has done an outstanding job launching and attracting an audience for our shows as a free television broadcast partner in Spain, most recently very successfully with the global hit ‘The Mentalist.’ We believe this network is a great fit for both our current and upcoming series, and are happy to expand our relationship to include the company’s feature films. We look forward to continuing with laSexta to deliver the best U.S. TV series and movies to Spanish audiences for years to come.” Josh Berger, President, Warner Bros. Spain, adds, “With the new television channels to be created after the analog TV blackout, this is an excellent opportunity for our TV shows and feature films, both for those new and also for those included in our collection, to reach a wider audience.” About Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Warner Bros. International Television Distribution is one of the world’s largest distributors of feature films, television programs and animation to the international television marketplace (broadcast, pay cable, basic cable, satellite, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, digital platforms, etc.). It licenses some 50,000 hours of programming (including more than 6,000 features and 70+ current series), dubbed or subtitled in more than 40 languages, to telecasters and cablecasters in more than 175 countries. About LaSexta laSexta is the youngest of all private broadcast television channels in Spain. It was created on March 27, 2006, led by a group of audiovisual entrepreneurs, with a programming schedule based on high-quality entertainment, the best sporting events, a different perspective on information, and the most successful and prestigious international TV series. In March 2010, four years after its creation, laSexta is about to reach 7% TV share, enjoying a consolidated position as the third private television network in Spain.# # #
• “Gran Torino,” starring and directed by Eastwood
• “Sherlock Holmes,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, directed by Guy Ritchie
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, directed by David Fincher
• “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” the most recent installment of the worldwide blockbuster “Harry Potter” franchise
• “The Hangover,” the hit comedy from director Todd Phillips and starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor and Justin Bartha
• “The Dark Knight,” from director Christopher Nolan and starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman The new agreement continues a relationship between the two companies that was established during the early days of the network in 2006, when laSexta began broadcasting prestigious WBITD–distributed shows such as “The Sopranos” and other worldwide hits like “The Mentalist,” which also became a hit in Spain. The new deal broadens the association to include theatrical and made-for-DVD titles. Contreras said, “For laSexta, this deal with Warner Bros. is a jump ahead in the network’s strategy, as laSexta is committed to keep growing while offering its viewers leading entertainment content. From now on, laSexta’s programming schedule will include an extraordinary collection of leading productions that will be highly appealing for Spanish audiences. Our network always tries hard to offer the best possible treatment in terms of programming and marketing to these stellar audiovisual products, both now and also in the future.” Schlesinger said, “laSexta has done an outstanding job launching and attracting an audience for our shows as a free television broadcast partner in Spain, most recently very successfully with the global hit ‘The Mentalist.’ We believe this network is a great fit for both our current and upcoming series, and are happy to expand our relationship to include the company’s feature films. We look forward to continuing with laSexta to deliver the best U.S. TV series and movies to Spanish audiences for years to come.” Josh Berger, President, Warner Bros. Spain, adds, “With the new television channels to be created after the analog TV blackout, this is an excellent opportunity for our TV shows and feature films, both for those new and also for those included in our collection, to reach a wider audience.” About Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Warner Bros. International Television Distribution is one of the world’s largest distributors of feature films, television programs and animation to the international television marketplace (broadcast, pay cable, basic cable, satellite, pay-per-view, video-on-demand, digital platforms, etc.). It licenses some 50,000 hours of programming (including more than 6,000 features and 70+ current series), dubbed or subtitled in more than 40 languages, to telecasters and cablecasters in more than 175 countries. About LaSexta laSexta is the youngest of all private broadcast television channels in Spain. It was created on March 27, 2006, led by a group of audiovisual entrepreneurs, with a programming schedule based on high-quality entertainment, the best sporting events, a different perspective on information, and the most successful and prestigious international TV series. In March 2010, four years after its creation, laSexta is about to reach 7% TV share, enjoying a consolidated position as the third private television network in Spain.