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Tag: HBO Canada

  • Bell Media to become sole operator of HBO in Canada across all platforms

    Bell Media to become sole operator of HBO in Canada across all platforms

     

    BENGALURU:  Canadian communication company BCE announced yesterday that its mass media subsidiary Bell Media will expand The Movie Network (TMN) into a national pay TV service and become the sole operator of HBO Canada, as Corus Entertainment winds down operations of its Movie Central and Encore Avenue pay TV services in Western and Northern Canada to focus on its core national media brands.

     

    Under the comprehensive, long-term agreement, the first of its kind for HBO in Canada, Bell Media will have the ability to deliver current-season, past-season, and library HBO programming exclusively on its linear, on-demand, and over-the-top (OTT) platforms in English and French. The agreement also marks the first time HBO has granted exclusive subscription video on demand (SVOD) rights for first-run programming throughout Canada. As a result, Bell Media will have the flexibility to provide current HBO content such as Game of Thrones, Girls, and Veep over-the-top in Canada on its platforms.

     

    “Bell Media now has the national scale required to create, negotiate and deliver more premium TV programming to Canadian consumers, across more platforms and more quickly than ever before,” said Bell Media President Mary Ann Turcke,. “Our extensive new content agreement with HBO for both traditional TV and next-generation platforms like CraveTV and with significant original co-production opportunities, is a great example of the benefits for Canadian viewers nationwide.”

     

    BCE will pay Corus a consideration of $211 million, $195 million net of tax benefits, to support the national expansion of TMN and HBO Canada, equivalent to a valuation multiple of approximately 5.6x fiscal 2015 EBITDA of Movie Central and Encore Avenue after operational synergies are applied.

    Bell Media is a multimedia company with assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media, including Canadian television network CTV, and has the Canada’s most-watched specialty channels.

     

    Bell Media is a Canadian multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and digital media, including CTV, Canada’s #1 television network, and gas Canada’s  most-watched specialty channels.

     

  • HBO to premiere ‘Game of Thrones’ simultaneously in 170 countries

    HBO to premiere ‘Game of Thrones’ simultaneously in 170 countries

    MUMBAI: In an unprecedented move, Game of Thrones will premiere in over 170 countries and territories across the globe simultaneously with HBO’s US airing on 12 April.

     

    The entire fifth season of the Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody-winning series will be simulcast to HBO branded networks and broadcast partners across the world, creating a global television event week after week throughout the season’s 10-episode run.

     

    “We are thrilled to see our international partners jumping on board to bring Game of Thrones, one of the most universally loved television shows in the world, to global audiences at the same time it airs on HBO in the US. It’s going to be a great season,” said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo.

     

     Indian fans too can rejoice as it is one of the 170 countries across the globe where the upcoming season of the hit series is going to premiere simultaneously with HBO’s U.S. airing on 13 April at 6 30 am IST on HBO Defined, with following episodes on subsequent Mondays at the same time. The repeat telecast of the fifth season will be on Monday’s at 10 pm on HBO Defined.

     

    HBO India managing director Monica Tata commented “We are thrilled to bring Season 5 of Game of Thrones, one of the most iconic HBO Original TV shows, to Indian audiences at the same time as the U.S. airing,”. Tata added that it was their way of thanking the premium subscribers of HBO Defined for supporting them in making the channel a success.

     

    Among those participating are the HBO branded networks: HBO Asia, HBO Canada, HBO Europe, HBO Latin America, HBO Netherlands and HBO Nordic.

     

    Also included are international “Home of HBO” services including: Africa/M-Net, Australia/Foxtel, Belgium(Flemish)/Telenet, France/Orange, Iceland/365 Media, Israel/DBS, Sky Deutschland, Sky Italia and SKY New Zealand.  

     

    HBO licensing partners in the simulcast include: Belgium(French)/Betv, Greece/Intervision, Russia/Amedia and Spain/DTS.

     

    Since its debut Game of Thrones has become a worldwide phenomenon and the most popular series in HBO history. Last year, the series was the most searched television show worldwide on Google and the #1 most talked about show on Facebook in the US.

     

    Game of Thrones is based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy series A Song Of Ice and Fire, where political and sexual intrigue abound as seven noble families fight for control of the mythical land of Westeros. The epic series, with storylines of treachery and nobility, family and honor, ambition and love, and death and survival, has captured the imagination of fans globally and become one of the most popular shows on television.