El Rey Network Strengthens Ties with Celestial for Martial Arts Classics

AUSTIN/HONG KONG: El Rey Network has signed a long-term programming deal with Celestial Pictures to gain access to 255 iconic martial arts titles from the Shaw Brothers library.

A new five-year deal between the two kicks off on October 1, extending their current program licensing agreement. Through the pact, El Rey secures the rights to broadcast such titles as The Five Deadly Venoms, Mad Monkey Kung Fu, The Brave Archer trilogy and Have Sword Will Travel. El Rey and Celestial are also in discussion on new original programming concepts based on the Shaw Brothers' films.

Robert Rodriguez, El Rey Network's founder and chairman, said: "These iconic films have really resonated with our viewers and we are excited to be the American home of this incredible library. As a kid, I found this kind of content wildly entertaining and these dazzling, kinetic and epic spectacles are still a great inspiration in the work I do to this day."
 
Kristen Tong, the COO of Celestial Pictures, added: “We are delighted to build on our strong relationship with El Rey and Robert. The network has already proven to be a great platform to showcase our classic titles to a new audience, and we look forward to pursuing further exciting opportunities together.”