Press Releases

CANNES, FRANCE (October 03, 2011) - MIPCOM NEWS: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) today announced new deals for three of its most popular scripted formats, further cementing SPT's leadership in this arena.

In Israel, SPT has licensed the scripted format for Married…with Children to Keshet, with 50 episodes of the show to air on Channel 2. Married…with Children is one of SPT's most successful scripted formats with local versions produced in Argentina, Armenia, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Hungary, Turkey, Russia and Spain.

In Russia, SPT Productions Russia has concluded a deal with broadcaster CTC to produce 40 episodes of sitcom The King of Queens. The series will transmit from December and the deal marks SPT's first local language version of the format.

In Bulgaria, SPT has broken new ground with its first scripted format deal in the territory following an agreement with Viasat to license Married...with Children. The deal will see Viasat produce 120 local episodes of the sitcom for its Bulgarian network, Nova, with SPT providing consultancy alongside.

Jeff Lerner, senior vice president, international scripted development and production at SPT said: "The significant growth in SPT's scripted formats business demonstrates how, with the right expertise, the best story telling translates into any culture or language. Through SPT's production network around the globe, there is a wealth of opportunity to explore as we bring proven scripted hits to new audiences."

Married…with Children, first launched in America in 1987, revolves around a dysfunctional family based in Chicago and its universal appeal quickly won an army of fans in the US and around the world.

The King of Queens originally aired in the US in 1998 and is based on the lives of blue-collar couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan who live with Carrie's oddball father, Arthur. The sitcom was a staple of the CBS comedy line-up for nine years.

ENDS

ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers. It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform: broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution. In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms. Internationally, SPT is a leader in local language productions around the world, some of which are co-produced with local partners, and sells SPE-owned formats in approximately 70 countries. To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with 120 channel feeds, which are available in 159 countries reaching more than 500 million households worldwide. SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle. Additionally, SPT owns Dutch entertainment company 2waytraffic, production company Embassy Row and Sony Movie Channel, and is a part owner of cable channel GSN, new 3D channel 3net, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc. SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States. SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

For further information, contact:

Mark Macdonald
mark_macdonald@spe.sony.com
+44 20 7533 1363 or at MIPCOM on +44 (0)7714 412 037

Kerry Parker
kerry.parker@premierpr.com
+4420 7292 8346