AETN Takes BET Series

NEW YORK: The first three seasons of American Gangster, a new series from BET that spotlights notorious criminals, have been acquired by AETN International, which now holds the worldwide sales rights and will air the program on its Crime & Investigation Network (CI).

American Gangster, narrated by actor Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible), profiles a selection of American crime figures using witness accounts, courtroom documents, archival footage, photographs and interviews. The series not only looks at the life and crimes of these criminals, but also how their actions have affected the public at large. It joins CI’s slate of more than 1,500 hours of programming, which spans a variety of genres, including real life, forensic, justice and crime profiles, with highlights such as The First 48, Manhunters and Crime 360.

“With its compelling story lines and high-quality production value, American Gangster is the perfect complement to the rich CI library of investigative fare,” said Sean Cohan, the senior VP of international for AETN. “We are confident that the broadcast community will respond well to the series and are very pleased to represent it worldwide.”

“American Gangster is one of BET’s most critically acclaimed and thought-provoking series, and we’re extremely proud of the success the show has enjoyed on our network,” added Michael D. Armstrong, the senior VP and general manager of BET International. “We’re excited that it will be reaching a new worldwide audience through this landmark deal with A&E.”