The Weinstein Company (TWC) has signed an exclusive deal with digital pay-TV operator Sky Italia to distribute its films in Italy.

The deal is the latest piece in TWC's international free and pay-TV jigsaw that already includes Star TV in Asia, Canal+ in France, ARD in Germany, Village Roadshow in Australia and Rai in Italy. TWC's Michal Podell brokered the deal with Luisa Borella from Sky Italia.

Earlier this week TWC signed a seven-year domestic pay TV deal with Showtime Networks that kicks in with the launch of TWC's 2009 slate.

'Sky Italia is one of the largest and most heavily subscribed pay services and we could not ask for a better partner to share our films with global audiences' Harvey Weinstein said. 'This strategic deal perfectly complements our current partnerships in other key markets across the world and we look forward to continuing to grow our international imprint.'

'The Weinstein name is as close as you get to a guarantee for productions of remarkable quality and success,' Sky Italia's general manager of programming Kathryn Fink added.