OSN Extends Partnership with NBCUniversal

E! Entertainment Television HD exclusively on OSN

Dubai, UAE; November 12, 2013: OSN, the region’s leading pay-TV network, has struck new multi-year licensing agreements with NBCUniversal (NBCU) for exclusive pay-TV rights in the MENA region. The deals give OSN access to NBCU’s premium content, including the latest blockbusters, popular series, news and talk shows.

As the unrivalled home for all NBCU content in the region, the partnership gives OSN first pay-TV rights to the studio’s latest movies. This means that OSN subscribers will be among the first in the region to enjoy Universal films such as the Academy Award®-winning Les Misérables; the animated sequel Despicable Me 2; the blockbuster hit Fast & Furious 6; Oblivion, the sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise; and 47 Ronin, the upcoming action-adventure fantasy film shot in 3D and starring Keanu Reeves.

Content covered by the new agreements will be available to OSN subscribers through its eight movie channels, three series channels and through its ‘On Demand’ service in true HD. OSN subscribers with 3D compatible equipment will also have access to select titles in 3D.

Via a separate agreement, E! Entertainment Television will continue to be exclusively available on the OSN platform. The agreement with E! also grants OSN live streaming and catch-up rights for key shows on OSN Play, the region’s first online viewing platform.

David Butorac, OSN CEO, said: “We are delighted to extend our long-standing relationship with NBCUniversal. This partnership is key to our strategy of providing viewers a diverse range of world-class original and premium content before anyone else in the region so subscribers see it first and exclusively on OSN. These deals not only strengthen our content offering, but also establish OSN as the network of choice for leading international studios and entertainment companies.”

Belinda Menendez, President, NBCUniversal International Television Distribution & Universal Networks International, added: “We are pleased to extend the partnership between NBCUniversal International Television and OSN; these new deals for our compelling TV series, films and branded channels ensure that OSN subscribers will continue to have access to the hit films and high-calibre programming that we are so proud of.”

These multi-year licensing deals also cover exclusive broadcast rights for NBCU’s critically acclaimed television series, including the multiple award-winning Downton Abbey; Chicago Fire; Grimm; Bates Motel, starring Oscar® and Emmy® award nominee Vera Farmiga and Critics Choice Award winner Freddie Highmore; and the upcoming drama series Dracula, starring Golden Globe® Award winner Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Additionally, popular talk shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and news programs like The Today Show and NBC Nightly News will be telecast exclusively on OSN.

Khulud abu-Homos, SVP Programming and Creative Services of OSN, added: “This is an industry-defining partnership. NBCUniversal’s premium entertainment portfolio is hugely sought after. By joining hands, we have not only strengthened our competitive advantage, but are also demonstrating our commitment to bringing premium television experiences first and exclusively to our customers.”

About OSN:
OSN is the ultimate destination for the widest choice of brand new premium Western, Arabic, South Asian (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam and Tamil) and Filipino entertainment in the Middle East and Africa. OSN is the home of nearly 140 channels filled with great value entertainment, offering viewers in the MENA region exclusive access to the latest blockbuster movies, top rated series, sports, documentaries, news, kid’s entertainment and live talk shows. The movie offering includes over 100 uncut and uninterrupted movie premieres a month so viewers can watch them the way they were meant to be watched.

OSN boasts the most comprehensive portfolio of exclusive rights from all the major studios including Warner Brothers, Paramount, Fox, Disney, Sony, MGM, NBCUniversal, HBO and DreamWorks and offers access to the world’s leading television brands including Disney channel, Sky News, Discovery Network and Nat Geo.

Launched in August 2013, OSN Pehla brings the best of Bollywood movies and premium cricket, including exclusive telecast rights of international tournaments such as the ICC Cricket World Cup and Indian cricket, through leading sports channels OSN Sports Cricket HD and Ten Cricket.

As the leader in innovation, OSN has changed the TV viewing experience by bringing quality entertainment through 36 High Definition channels and is currently the only network offering a full HD bouquet of channels as well as 3D entertainment in the region. OSN was the first to launch the DVR, the OSN DVR HD; the regions first online TV platform, OSN Play; the regions first 3D, HD, internet enabled satellite receiver and recorder, OSN Plus HD and the region’s first VOD service, OSN on Demand offering viewers the opportunity to watch over 1000 movies and 52 latest seasons of the top series, all available in full HD quality and Dolby Digital sound.

September 2012 saw the launch of OSN’s rewards programme, OSN Privileges, offering subscribers money can’t buy experiences, special offers and premium prizes all year round.

The OSN platform is owned and operated by Panther Media Group Limited; a company registered in DIFC, and is owned by KIPCO and Mawarid Group Limited.

About NBCUniversal International Television Distribution:
NBCUniversal International Television Distribution, a division of NBCUniversal, is responsible for the distribution of NBCUniversal product to all forms of television and new media outside of the U.S. and Canada.  This includes a rich library of more than 4,000 feature films and 75,000 television episodes, including current and classic titles, non-scripted programming, sports, news, long-form and short-form programming, and locally produced content from around the world. 

About Universal Networks International:
Universal Networks International, the international channels division of NBCUniversal, is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 176 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, Syfy, 13th Street, Studio Universal, E! Entertainment Television, The Style Network, DIVA Universal, Telemundo and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe. 

Universal Networks International also operates Movies 24 and has a controlling interest in the KidsCo joint venture. Further, NBCUniversal News Group, one of the most influential and respected portfolios of on-air and digital news properties in the world, operate CNBC and NBC News internationally.
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Universal Networks International is a division of NBCUniversal, 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. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.