NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ION Television announced today that the network will continue expanding its film library, acquiring over 65 new theatrical titles from Universal Pictures, MGM and Sony Pictures. Today's announcement comes on the heels of a number of significant content investments for ION, including its recent acquisition of the critically-acclaimed drama “Flashpoint” and its fall movie deal for over 85 movies. The new titles will fit into ION's Big Movie Weekend, which has shown +28% increase among A25-54 and +38% increase among A18-49, year-over-year. The newly purchased titles begin airing in March and will continue to roll out on ION Television’s schedule through 2013.
“Proven blockbuster theatrical movies, together with our quality television series, have proven to be a successful entertainment formula with both our male and female audiences,” says Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. “The Big Movie Weekend block is part of an overall strategy that has helped ION register record ratings over the last year.”
ION Television’s studio deal with NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution contains 31 titles from Universal Pictures. Highlights of the premier package include the comedy “Baby Mama,” with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; “Ray,” the biographical film of music legend Ray Charles; the action feature “Fast & Furious” starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker; and the comedy “Couples Retreat,” starring Vince Vaughn and Jason Bateman.
The MGM package includes 22 theatrical movies such as the Academy Award® winning movie “Dances with Wolves,” starring Kevin Costner; the World War II drama “Valkyrie” featuring Tom Cruise; and all five titles from the “Rocky’’ franchise, with Sylvester Stallone.
ION Television also acquires over a dozen titles from Sony Pictures Television including top films such as “A Few Good Men,” starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson; the coming-of-age film “Stand by Me,” starring River Phoenix; and the fantasy-comedy “Jumanji,” starring Robin Williams.
Source: Nielsen Media Research, L+SD Data Stream.
- Movie telecast performance: 12/28/09-12/26/10 vs. 2009 12/29/08-12/27/09; SA-SU 3P-11P only.
- Season to Date rank: A25-54 L+SD AA(000), M-Su 7P-1 A 9/27/10-1/30/11 . Excludes kids, news, and sports cable networks
About ION Television
ION Television (www.iontelevision.com) is a general entertainment network which reaches over 98 million U.S. television households via its nationwide broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Launched in 2006, ION Television features popular TV series and movies from the award-winning libraries of CBS Television, NBC Universal, Twentieth Television and Warner Bros. Parent company, ION Media Networks, Inc., owns and operates the nation's largest broadcast television station group. Using its digital multicasting capability, ION Media Networks has launched the digital TV brands qubo, a channel for children focusing on literacy and values, and ION Life, a channel dedicated to active living and personal growth. It also has launched Open Mobile Ventures Corporation (OMVION), a business unit focused on the research and development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using over-the-air digital television spectrum. For more information, visit www.ionmedia.com.