Sony selling DTV in the Middle East..................................
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Production Deals
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Sony Sign Mid-East Output Deal
Sony software has inked a major film and TV output deal with the Viacom and Kuwait-backed Showtime bouquet over the Middle East. Showtime, broadcasting from PanAmSat's Indian Ocean-located PAS-4 craft, operates a bundle of eight digital channels in the region (including MTV, VH-1, Paramount, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Style and The Movie Channel).
Showtime was understood to be in a bidding battle with Rome-based Orbit, who operates its own Middle East bouquet. Financial terms of the deal had not been disclosed by press time, but they are understood to provide Sony with an equity stake in The Movie Channel. Plus the deal is expected to have Sony add its own Asian channel (Sony Entertainment Television-SET) to the Showtime bundle. SET is a Hindi-English-language channel primarily targeted at Indian viewers.
The Middle East has many expat Asians working in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates.
Programming within the deal includes "Seinfeld," "Mad About You," "Ricky Lake," "The Young and the Restless," "Early Edition," "Days of our Lives" and the "Jeff Foxworthy Show." These programmes will be distributed amongst the existing Showtime channels. Showtime launched in mid-1996 and now claims more than 50,000 subscribers "to one or more channels."
Until the end of August, Showtime operated alongside an Arabic bouquet, 1st Net, comprising the main channels from Sheikh Saleh Kamel's Arab Radio & Television organisation. However, 1st Net quit PanAmSat on August 31, in favour of digital space on the ArabSat 2a, claimed to be the Middle East's "Hot Bird." |
