Television
October 6, 2004
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution Signs Its Largest Ever Deal In Russia With TV Channel Russia
(October 6, 2004 – Cannes, France) - Warner Bros. International Television Distribution has signed an exclusive, multi-year free television deal with Russia’s state broadcaster TV Channel Russia (formerly called RTR), it was announced today by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, and Anton Zlatopolskiy, General Director, TV Channel Russia.
The deal calls for TV Channel Russia to get the terrestrial television rights to a slate of current and upcoming feature films, including “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Troy,” “The Last Samurai” and “Ocean’s 12.” Also included in the deal is “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” which recorded the highest ever box office for a U.S. film in Russia during its theatrical release.
In addition, TV Channel Russia will have access to Warner Bros. Pictures’ extensive range of library titles, as well as new television series, including “Friends’” spin-off “Joey” and new dramas “Veronica Mars” and “Eyes,” television movies, mini-series and animation.
“We’ve enjoyed a great relationship with RTR, now TV Channel Russia, and are very pleased to be extending it on a more exclusive level with our largest ever deal in the dynamic Russian market,” said Schlesinger. “Our product has done very well on their network and I’m pleased that Russian viewers will continue to have access to our world-class films, television and animation.”
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. It licenses some 45,000 hours of programming dubbed or subtitled in more than 40 languages, to telecasters and cablecasters in more than 175 countries.
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