Canada’s Bell Media Picks Up Bosch, Manhattan

MUNICH/TORONTO: Bell Media has secured the rights for the crime series Bosch in Canada in a pact with Red Arrow International, while a separate deal with Lionsgate brings the drama Manhattan to its streaming SVOD service.

Bosch is produced by Fabrik Entertainment and is based on Michael Connelly's book franchise. The first season is currently in production for Amazon Studios. Mike Cosentino, the senior VP of programming for Bell Media, said: "Bell Media has a long history of showcasing some of the most acclaimed crime television series in the world, making Bosch a perfect addition to our new SVOD service."

Caroline Kusser, the senior VP for North America at Red Arrow International, added: "Bosch is a must-see for crime lovers for 2015, with an extraordinary team behind the production and scoring top viewer ratings on Amazon for its pilot earlier this year. I'm thrilled that Bell Media has picked it up and I'm certain the Canadian viewers will be hooked!"

Bell Media also scored the first Canadian window for the drama Manhattan from Lionsgate. The series, an original for WGN America, is set in the 1940s. Manhattan joins the half-hour comedy Deadbeat and Bosch on the lineup of the "Project Latte" subscription streaming service.

“Manhattan is the Mad Men of the Atomic Era, and as a result is the perfect serialized drama to launch our ‘Exclusives’ strategy for Project Latte,” said Cosentino. “Strategically, we are proactively serving the strong subscriber appetite for exclusive programming, and we’re proud to start with this incredibly accomplished drama, along with the light-hearted comedy Deadbeat and murder-mystery Bosch.”
 
“We’re delighted to extend and expand our relationship with Bell Media and support the launch of their Project Latte streaming service with shows as diverse as Manhattan and Deadbeat,” said Jim Packer, Lionsgate's president of worldwide television and digital distribution. “This deal underscores our commitment to deliver premium, quality content to online platforms as great partners like Bell Media continue to diversify the choices they offer their audiences.”