The fast-surging UK media concern Redbus Film Group has accumulated a number of studio-level films for its upcoming video-on-demand service through a television package deal struck with German rights broker Intertainment.

Intertainment, which has been busy of late concluding several free TV sales across Europe, announced this week television deals in both France and the UK worth a collective $70m.

The Redbus deal covers free TV rights to films sourced by Intertainment through its own pan-European output arrangements with US producers Franchise Pictures and Original Voices. The titles include The Whole Nine Yards, Battlefield Earth, Art Of War, the Get Carter remake starring Sylvester Stallone, The Pledge, The Whole Shebang and Angel Eyes.

In addition, the deal provides Redbus with the rights it needs for its proposed video-on-demand (VoD) service and covers both the new titles and a stock of older Intertainment pictures. Redbus, which is expected to reveal details soon of an initial public offering (IPO), plans to launch the VoD service later this year.

At the same time, Intertainment has sealed a pact with French broadcaster TF1 covering just free TV rights to a similar package of titles.

In the last month, Intertainment has signed equivalent free-TV deals in Italy with Mediaset worth $20m and another worth $22m with Manga Entertainment in Spain. Intertainment chairman Barry Baeres said "negotiations for additional contracts are also in the final stages."

Intertainment has contracted to buy pan-European rights to some 60 studio-level films from Franchise and Original Voices and has put in place European distribution deals for theatrical and video distribution with Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox.