MUMBAI: ION Television has acquired a new feature film package from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD), which includes exclusive windows for The Departed and Ocean’s Thirteen.
The movies will air immediately beginning this month, with broadcast runs as far out as 2010.
This announcement underscores ION Television’s continued positioning as a leading network destination for A-list feature films. This movie package expands upon ION’s current roster of hit films from WBDTD, which will now boast nearly 70 titles. In addition to The Departed and Ocean’s Thirteen, the new WBDTD film package features a dozen hit movies, including Heat, starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, and directed by Michael Mann; The Matrix Reloaded, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Ann Moss, written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, and produced by Joel Silver; The Perfect Storm, starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; Passenger 57, starring Wesley Snipes; and Assassins, starring Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas and Julianne Moore, produced by Joel Silver and directed by Richard Donner; among others.
ION Media Networks executive vice president, programming Leslie Chesloff said, "We have built a strong momentum in acquiring hit films from all the major studios, with this being the fourth recent acquisition from Warner Bros. This deal reinforces our mission to bring our viewers a prime time programming mix that combines compelling first run and top network series with major theatrical titles, including exclusive windows for features. We are confident that as viewers continue to gravitate toward ION’s positively entertaining programming, we will maintain and expand the level of dramatic audience growth that has been a signature of our success since last year’s re-launch."
"We are thrilled to continue our close relationship with ION, which has provided a very strong television home for our films. Theatrical motion pictures continue to deliver strong ratings, providing networks with powerful programming options that come with high awareness, built-in audience and the ability to recruit new viewers," added WBDTD president Ken Werner.
