ProSiebenSat.1 Group, SPTI in VOD Deal

MUNICH, July 24: Sony Pictures
Television International (SPTI) has signed a deal to provide a slate of feature
films to maxdome, ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s VOD platform that launches this week,
delivering titles such as The Da Vinci Code and Spider-Man.

Under the terms of the contract,
Sony Pictures productions will be made available on maxdome shortly after their
general DVD release. In addition to The Da Vinci Code and Spider-Man, titles
on offer will include The Fog, Men in Black and Men
in Black II and Terminator 3: The Rise of the Machines, among
others. Titles are delivered to PCs over a broadband connection or to
television sets via a set-top box

“Germany is the biggest broadband
market in Europe, so it’s an ideal territory to begin experimenting with new
media propositions, and our longstanding relationship with ProSiebenSat.1 make
them ideal partners in this venture,” noted Stuart Baxter, the senior VP of
European sales distribution for SPTI. “We believe it’s essential to get
involved early with many of these initiatives so that we can learn what, how
and when consumers will view content over the Internet. Our new Digital
Initiatives team, working with broadcasters, ISPs and Telcos, is focused on VOD
and Electronic-Sell-Through and this is just
the first in a series of announcements from across Europe that we expect to
make over the next few months.”

ProSiebenSat.1 is currently in
negotiations with other major Hollywood studios. Deals have already been
concluded with Paramount Pictures Global, Constantin Film and Kinowelt.
ProSiebenSat.1 Group also holds video-on-demand rights from the KirchMedia
library, and the platform will also deliver content from Sat.1, ProSieben,
kabel eins and N24. Formed as a venture with United Internet earlier this year,
maxdome launches July 27.