CBS Studios International and Spain’s Movistar+ have entered an exclusive licensing agreement for linear and SVOD rights to all future Showtime-owned series, as well as some current series and select library titles. Movistar+’s new role as the official home of Showtime programming in Spain follows similar deals the U.S. pay-TV network has made with Canada’s Bell Media, Australian streaming service Stan, and a pan-European pact with Sky which are all part of the brand’s global expansion. The Spanish agreement will kick off with Billions in November, followed by Jim Carrey-produced comedy/drama I’m Dying Up Here; the return of Twin Peaks; and Daniel Craig-starrer Purity. Further programming covered includes The Affair, Ray Donovan, House Of Lies, Penny Dreadful, Californication, Dexter and Nurse Jackie.
Banijay
Zodiak Media UK, Belgium and Netherlands CEO, Rod Henwood, is stepping down from his position following the merger of Banijay Group and Zodiak Media earlier this year. Henwood joined Zodiak in 2014 and has been chief of the division that’s made up of RDF, IWC, Touchpaper Television, Bwark, Comedy Unit, Zodiak Belgium and Zodiak Netherlands; also overseeing Mumbai-based production company Sol. During his tenure, the division’s output and profitability saw significant growth across all genres, pre- and post-merger. The executive will continue in his current role until the end of November; organizational changes will be set shortly following.
Keshet International has picked up global distribution rights to Croatian newsroom/crime drama, The Paper. The upcoming series is produced by Drugi Plan and will air on HTV1. A 12-part tale of political corruption, power struggles, crime and betrayal, The Paper has scored strong reviews as it’s screened at some European festivals over the summer. KI will be selling it at Mipcom as a finished subtitled series and format. The series is created by Ivica Djikic, Nebojsa Taraba and Miodrag Sila and directed by Dalibor Matanic (The High Sun).
