Barcelona-based Manga Films has inked a five-year partnership with Admira (Telefonica Media) TV holdings Via Digital and Antena 3.
Admira had originally intended to buy out a 60% stake in Manga, a deal which fell through last summer. In its stead the new agreement, developed over several months, will see Manga provide feature films for both the pay digital satellite platform Via Digital and free-to-air Antena 3 for the next five years. The deal is rumored to be worth some Euros 50m.
Antena 3 will also use Manga as preferential distributor of contents on video and DVD. Via and Antena 3 will further support marketing and publicity of Manga theatrical releases, incorporating Antena 3 in-theater advertising company Movierecord, while Manga agrees to invest in publicity through Admira's various media holdings.
Manga president Luis del Vals says having assured TV sales in Spain offers the company the financial stability needed to carry through on plans to grow into a commercial distributor of 10-15 films annually. Del Vals does not discount the possibility of renegotiating a share sale to Admira in the future or, alternatively, to an international partner. Splendid Medien at one time was interested.
The deal was negotiated by various executives at Antena 3 and Admira, including Admira executive president Juan Jose Nieto. Nieto recently defined his strategy as one of ridding the company of "non-strategic" interests and building greater synergies across its three main business areas, including traditional media (TV and radio), content creation and management, and pay TV and new technologies.
Among the titles included in the new deal are the forthcoming Gangs Of New York, Ali, Driven, Heist and Avenging Angleo, as well as recent hits like Traffic, Thirteen Days and Dr. T And The Women. While Manga has traditionally eschewed long-term output deals it maintains steady distribution relationships with companies such as IEG, Franchise, Beacon Pictures and Intermedia.
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