Canadian broadcasting company Bell Media has signed a licensing deal with HBO that will allow the broadcaster to exclusively air some of the popular TV shows in Canada.
On Thursday, Nov. 19, Bell Media announced the long-term deal, which will allow the company to extend the reach of its pay TV channels that include The Movie Network and HBO Canada, across the country.
"We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring all HBO programming to Canadians on whatever platform they choose," says Mary Ann Turcke, the president of Bell Media. "With this agreement, HBO's incredible premium content will power subscriptions to Bell Media brands for many years to come."
The latest deal will require Corus Entertainment to cede its rights to HBO content in Western Canada and also shut HBO Canada channels and Movie Network. Bell Media will pay an amount of $211 million in cash to Corus Entertainment.
This is the first time in the history of Canada's broadcasting industry that HBO has given exclusive rights for airing current shows. The deal may also mean that Bell can offer HBO's new TV shows to subscribers of CraveTV streaming service. However, Bell Media has not confirmed its plans for the same.
Financial details of the Bell Media and HBO deal were not disclosed. However, the broadcaster will now have exclusive rights to deliver past and current HBO library on-demand and over-the-top platforms.
The latest deal means that some popular TV shows such as "Game of Thrones," "True Detective," "Girls," "Veep" and more will now be available in Canada only via Bell Media.
The first season of "Game of Thrones" hit HBO in the U.S. in April 2011. Since then, the TV show has attracted many viewers. The fifth season of "Game of Thrones" ended in June this year and the sixth season of the TV show is expected to premiere in April or May 2016.
Bell Media will be the only broadcaster to show "Game of Thrones," which means many viewers will be attracted to join Bell Media in the near term.
HBO and Bell Media have also truck a deal for jointly producing made-in-Canada series for the international market. Some projects are already in development.
Photo: Jason Paris | Flickr
