Netflix and Lionsgate announced a multiyear syndication deal to stream up to seven seasons of the TV series “Mad Men” to Netflix members.
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Netflix and Lionsgate Unite for Exclusive Syndication Arrangement to Stream Up to Seven Seasons of Acclaimed Series “Mad Men” to Netflix Members
First Four Seasons of “Mad Men” Will Be Made Available To Watch Instantly Streaming From Netflix on July 27, 2011
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 5, 2011 — Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows, and Lionsgate (NYSE :LGF), a leading global entertainment company, today announced a multiyear syndication deal in which Lionsgate has licensed the first four seasons of its Emmy Award-winning series “Mad Men” to be watched instantly by Netflix members starting July 27, with additional seasons being added annually after they complete airing on their respective seasons on the AMC network.
Under a separate agreement, the first four seasons of “Mad Men” are already available to watch instantly streaming from Netflix in Canada.
“Mad Men has been and continues to be a representation of TV at its best and Netflix is proud to be the syndication home for this acclaimed series,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer at Netflix. “This deal secures long term instant access to an iconic show for Netflix members for years to come.”
“We’re delighted to partner with Netflix to begin our syndication of ‘Mad Men,’ said Lionsgate President and Co-Chief Operating Officer Steve Beeks. “We have ensured ‘Mad Men’s’ value for years to come by layering today’s unique syndication deal with a leading digital distribution partner on top of last week’s licensing agreement with AMC. The innovative structure of our distribution plan underscores the tremendous value of producing and owning content in a digital world where demand for content continues to grow and pathways for reaching consumers continue to diversify. We will announce our transactional digital plans and other elements of our syndication strategy for ‘Mad Men’ shortly.”
Lionsgate announced last week that it has entered into a new three-year agreement with “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner to continue as showrunner and “Mad Men” will return to AMC for Seasons 5 and 6 with the expectation of a seventh season as well.
When “Mad Men” debuted in July 2007 it quickly became one of the most talked about series on television. Set in 1960s New York, “Mad Men” is a sexy and provocative original drama that follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising. Produced, distributed and owned by Lionsgate, “Mad Men” has made television history as the only cable series to win the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama and the Golden Globe for Best Television Series-Drama for three consecutive years.
Mad Men’s award-winning ensemble cast includes Golden Globe-winner Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks, John Slattery, Jared Harris, Rich Sommer, Aaron Staton, Robert Morse and Kiernan Shipka.
About Netflix: With more than 20 million members in the United States and Canada, Netflix, Inc. [Nasdaq: NFLX] is the world’s leading Internet subscription service for enjoying movies and TV shows. For $7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch unlimited movies and TV episodes streamed over the Internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PS3. consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, Internet-connected TVs, home theater systems, digital video recorders and Internet video players; Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 200 devices that stream from Netflix are available in the U.S. and a growing number are available in Canada.
About Lionsgate: Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution and new channel platforms. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming through Debmar-Mercury and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as “Mad Men,” “Weeds,” and “Nurse Jackie” along with recent series such as “Blue Mountain State” and the syndication successes “Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne,” its spinoff “Meet The Browns,” “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Are We There Yet?.” Its feature film business has generated more than half a billion dollars at the North American box office in the past year, fueled by such hits as THE EXPENDABLES, which was #1 at the North American box office for two weeks, THE LINCOLN LAWYER, THE LAST EXORCISM, TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, KICK ASS and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. The Company’s home entertainment business has grown to more than 7% market share and is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand remains synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.