LIONSGATE PARTNERS WITH USA NETWORK TO MAKE "THE DEAD ZONE" AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC SELL-THROUGH ON iTUNES
LIONSGATE PARTNERS WITH USA NETWORK TO MAKE "THE DEAD ZONE" AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC SELL-THROUGH ON iTUNES
New York, NY � June 29, 2006 - USA Network, in partnership with Lionsgate, the industry's leading independent film entertainment studio, have made available episodes of THE DEAD ZONE for purchase on iTunes. This is the first of myriad platforms being considered jointly for electronic sell-through opportunities around the hit series, which debuted its fifth season Sunday, June 18. The show's season five episodes will be made available for purchase on iTunes the day after their broadcast premieres. This announcement was made today by Jeff Wachtel, USA's executive vice president of original programming.
Season five of THE DEAD ZONE is currently on sale at USA Network's online iTunes store, located at http://www.usanetwork.com/series/thedeadzone/downloads/itunes/index.html. Each Monday, the episode that aired the previous night will be available for download. By the end of the summer, all 67 episodes from seasons one through four will be available on the site for fans to download.
"iTunes is the place to go to sample and download some of the best shows and best characters on television," said Wachtel. "THE DEAD ZONE has built such an extraordinary fan base over the past four years, we hope people will jump at the chance to catch some of their favorite episodes again."
"We've had tremendous success with THE DEAD ZONE on USA," said Kevin Beggs, Lionsgate's president of television programming and production, "and this exciting new partnership with iTunes is an important next step in expanding viewership for the series."
THE DEAD ZONE, based on characters from the Stephen King novel, stars Anthony Michael Hall ("61*," "The Pirates of Silicon Valley," "Sixteen Candles") as Johnny Smith. Season five of THE DEAD ZONE currently airs on USA Network on Sundays at 10:00PM ET/PT.
Also starring in the ensemble cast are Nicole deBoer ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"), Chris Bruno ("Another World"), John L. Adams ("Pacific Blue") and David Ogden Stiers ("Curse of the Jade Scorpion").
Produced by Lionsgate and CBS Paramount International Television in association with Piller Sqaured and The Segan Company, THE DEAD ZONE is a psychological thriller blending action, romance, the paranormal and a continuing quest for justice. In one of the most demanding roles on series television, Hall stars as Johnny Smith, a man injured in a near-fatal car crash, who emerges from a six-year-long coma with psychic powers that allow him to see into the past and future through visions triggered by touch.
For photos of THE DEAD ZONE, as well as all USA Network projects, please log on to the NBC Universal Media Village at http://www.nbcumv.com/.
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio. It won the Best Picture Academy Award for CRASH this year, has generated more than 300 million dollars at the domestic theatrical box office for two consecutive years, has built a 500 million dollar-a-year home entertainment business and has numerous primetime television series slated to air in fiscal 2007. It is a premier producer of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Lionsgate's prestigious and prolific library of more than 5,500 titles is a stable and reliable source of recurring revenue and serves as an important foundation for the continued growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality product in markets around the globe.
Seen in 90 million homes, USA Network is cable television's leading network of original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, network shows and blockbuster theatrical films. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com. Characters Welcome.
USA Network is a program service of NBC Universal Cable a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience.
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