Lionsgate Looks to Acquire Content for TV Guide Network, FEARNet

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK: At MIPCOM, Lionsgate executives will not only be selling award-winning series such as Mad Men, Weeds and the new FOX comedy Running Wilde as well as feature films, but the studio will also be looking for programming for the TV Guide Network and FEARnet channels.

"We have equity positions in four networks, including TV Guide Network and FEARnet," explains Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate Television Group’s president. "TV Guide Network, which we have owned in partnership with JPMorgan’s One Equity Partners for a year and a half, has continued to successfully expand its pipeline of content and distribution footprint. This fall, TV Guide Network will be airing three cutting-edge comedy strips, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ugly Betty and Weeds, which will premiere right after MIPCOM.”

“TV Guide Network celebrates Hollywood, its stars and the shows fans are buzzing about,” adds Diane Robina, the executive VP of production, programming and marketing."

“FEARnet, a suspense and thriller portal for all things horror-driven, has been a very successful cable and internet VOD offering, and will soon launch as a linear service,” states Beggs. Horror guru, Peter Block is the president and general manager of FEARnet.

“At MIPCOM, we’ll be on the lookout for targeted programming that we can steer to Robina and Block," adds Rand Stoll, the executive VP of domestic sales for Lionsgate. "We are interested in cost-effective programming that can air in its current form or be reformatted for either TV Guide Network or FEARnet.”

“For TV Guide Network, we are looking for entertaining series, documentaries, films and specials that are either celebrity-focused or pop-culture driven,” says Robina, who is working closely with Beggs and Stoll.

“For FEARnet we are particularly interested in films, documentaries or series within the thriller, suspense and horror genre,” Block notes.

One of Lionsgate’s main strengths has been identifying segments of audiences worldwide that have been underserved, one of which is the fan base for horror movies. The horror/thriller/suspense genre has, in fact, become an increasingly important genre for the company, and the Saw franchise is one of its key components.

“It’s the highest-grossing horror franchise in history and now we are coming out with Saw 3D,” Stoll comments. “We recently released The Last Exorcism, grossing over $40 million domestically, Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, will be released September 24, to be followed by Saw 3D on October 29. We absolutely have a major foothold in the growing horror genre.”