Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) and Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) announced that they have reached an agreement for PHEI to distribute the entire UPIE home entertainment product slate in Spain.
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Unedited press release follows:
Paramount Home Entertainment International and Universal Pictures International Entertainment Announce New Distribution Agreement in Spain
UPIE home entertainment titles to be distributed by Paramount in Spain beginning January 2011
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. and LONDON, Sept. 15 — Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE) and Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) today announced that they have reached an agreement for PHEI to distribute the entire UPIE home entertainment product slate in Spain. The announcement was made by Eddie Cunningham, President, Universal Pictures International Entertainment and Dennis Maguire, Worldwide President of Paramount Home Entertainment.
Under the five-year agreement beginning 2nd January 2011, PHEI Spain will distribute all of Universal’s home entertainment product in the country, including film and TV releases on DVD and Blu-ray from Universal Pictures and other UPIE partners. The agreement covers the operations, finance, sales and marketing functions for all UPIE product distributed in the territory. The first titles to be released under the new arrangement will include recent box office successes Despicable Me and Get Him to the Greek.
“Despite challenges in the home entertainment market in recent years, Spain remains an incredibly important territory for us. We are keen to create a customer-focused distribution agreement with PHEI in order to invigorate growth potential in the local home entertainment market,” said Eddie Cunningham, President, UPIE. “This agreement allows us to operate more effectively in the market and provide enhanced customer services.”
“We are pleased to launch this distribution agreement with UPIE. We have an extremely efficient organization in place in Spain that will be able to seamlessly integrate the addition of Universal’s home entertainment products,” said Dennis Maguire, Worldwide President, PHE. “Universal has a diverse array of quality content that complements our existing portfolio allowing our Paramount Spain team a wider breadth of opportunity in the marketplace.”
About Paramount Home Entertainment International
Paramount Home Entertainment International (PHEI) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHEI is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.
About Universal Pictures International Entertainment
Universal Pictures International Entertainment is part of NBC Universal – one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi.