Endemol, RealNetworks in Reality TV Deal

SEATTLE/LOS ANGELES, May
20: The digital entertainment services company RealNetworks has reached a deal
with Endemol USA to offer subscribers of its SuperPass on-demand service
full-length episodes of reality shows from the U.S. and Europe that are no
longer airing on prime-time TV.

Totaling 80 hours, many of
the shows are already available for instant viewing via SuperPass, with the
full lineup debuting over the coming weeks. These shows include Anything for
Love, previously on FOX, which
provides viewers an inside look into reunions, blind dates and marriage
proposals that ultimately reveal how far people will go in the name of love; Chains
of Love, a dating show that
previously aired on NBC and UPN and sees people literally chained to each
other; I Want to Be a Hilton, a
former NBC series that follows 14 young contestants as they vie for the
opportunity to live the lifestyle of high society; and The People's
Champions, a comedic game show
that previously aired on FX and is centered on feats of human endurance in
strange and obscure challenges. Rounding out the slate of shows that have
previously aired in the U.S. is Under One Roof, formerly on UPN, which sees five families with
teenage children compete for their own slice of paradise under the Polynesian
sun.

The lineup also includes
several shows that have never been televised before in the U.S., including Fool
Around With…, a British show that
sees a single girl looking for love and some cash move in with five guys, and The
Salon, which offers a sneak peek
into the world of hair salons.

Earlier this year, Real
offered an eighth straight season of exclusive 24/7 access to live video feeds
from inside the Big Brother
house as part of CBS’s Big Brother: ‘Til Death Do You Part. Subscriptions to SuperPass are $14.99 per month.

"We are excited to
expand our relationship with RealNetworks, as SuperPass has proven to be a
successful distribution model for us since we started offering Big Brother on the service a few years ago," said Jon
Vlassopulos, the senior VP of digital media and branded entertainment at
Endemol USA. "With this new slate of programming, we are extending our
reach and providing Real's network of subscribers access to top-quality shows,
many of which have never been seen before in the U.S."

—By Irene Lew