Australia's Nine Network has struck a supply deal with Paramount Pictures, securing the rights to half of the studio's theatrical output from 2000/01 and all of it from the following year.

The Australian network is also gaining access to programming from the Paramount Television group up to the 2001/02 US broadcast season. The TV product is seen as a particular coup as movies are losing their pulling power due to the growth of pay-TV in the last few years.

Paramount, which includes Viacom Productions and Spelling Television, already supplies Nine with Sex And The City, Frasier and Star Trek Voyager. Nine also has output deals covering TV product with Warner Bros, DreamWorks, CBS and Hallmark.