or


[09/12/06 - 12:00 AM]
ABC & Warner BroS. Television Reach Agreement Regarding Digital Distribution Rights for "The Nine"

[via press release from ABC]

ABC & WARNER BROS. TELEVISION REACH AGREEMENT REGARDING DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS FOR �THE NINE�

Disney-ABC Television Group's ABC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television announced today that they have reached an agreement regarding the digital distribution of the highly-anticipated new drama, �The Nine.�

Under the terms of the experimental deal, which was brokered by Disney-ABC Television Group's Mark Pedowitz and Jana Winograde and by Warner Bros. Television Group's Craig Hunegs and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution�s Simon Kenny, ABC has the ability to distribute �The Nine� as a non-permanent offering, which includes streaming episodes online and retaining the advertising revenue generated on the ABC.com broadband player. Warner Bros. Television Group will offer permanent, commercial-free digital downloads of series episodes the day after network broadcasts.

�This announcement underscores our desire to find new and inventive ways to create an ABC-branded experience for viewers that goes beyond their television sets,� said Albert Cheng, executive vice president, Digital Media, Disney-ABC Television Group. �The efforts of Mark Pedowitz and Jana Winograde, on behalf of ABC, and our partners in television and digital distribution at Warner Bros. have resulted in an agreement that should provide invaluable insight as we move forward building our digital business.�

�This is a great example of network and studio partners working together to extend and expand the network television business,� said Craig Hunegs, EVP, Business Management Warner Bros. Television Group. �We are pleased to align with ABC to give viewers convenient on-demand access to our terrific new drama.�

Following its October 4 premiere on ABC, episodes of �The Nine� will be available on ABC.com's ad-supported broadband player for approximately four weeks.

Consumers can purchase episodes the day after broadcast on a variety of digital download platforms.

�We�re thrilled to be able to offer this first-rate product in such a timely fashion to our existing EST partners, such as iTunes, Amazon and AOL, and we look forward to expanding distribution beyond to a number of additional online retailers in our continuing effort to make our programming available to consumers where they want it, when they want it and how they want it,� added Simon Kenny, President, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

ABC and Warner Bros. have a history of working together to break new distribution ground. In 2001, the two companies forged a precedent-setting repurposing agreement which allowed ABC Entertainment the ability to immediately rebroadcast episodes of the Warner Bros Television-produced series �The Court� on its cable networks.

This announcement is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group�s overall Digital Media multiplatform business initiative and demonstrates the Group�s ongoing commitment to launching new digital products and working with strategic partners in the digital media space to make its high-quality, informative and entertaining content available to consumers whenever and wherever they choose.

�The Nine� is a complex character drama series that will unravel the mystery of what transpired during a 52-hour hostage situation in chronological flashbacks that open each episode. But the heart of the series is how that harrowing experience impacted the key characters in their present day lives as they continue to intertwine, deepen and complicate the connections to one another. Revolving through police, legal and medical worlds, the series is one of hope and rebirth, as the characters continue to reinvent themselves in a positive way or are haunted by fateful decisions from which they struggle to recover.

The series stars Lourdes Benedicto (�24�), John Billingsley (�Star Trek: Enterprise�), Jessica Collins (�Ghost Whisperer�), Tim Daly (�Wings�), Dana Davis (�Veronica Mars�), Camille Guaty (�Prison Break�), Chi McBride (�Boston Public�), Kim Raver (�24�), Scott Wolf (�Party of Five�) and Owain Yeoman (�Troy�).

�The Nine� was created by the brother-and-sister writing team of Hank Steinberg (�Without a Trace,� �61*�) and K.J. Steinberg (�Beautiful People,� �Judging Amy�).

Hank Steinberg and Alex Graves (�The West Wing�), who directed the pilot, are executive producers and K.J. Steinberg is co-executive producer/writer. �The Nine� is from Sunset Road Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Disney-ABC Television Group is home to all of The Walt Disney Company�s worldwide entertainment and news television properties. The Group includes the ABC Television Network, Disney Channel�s worldwide portfolio of kids� channels, ABC Family and SOAPnet; as well as television production and syndication divisions Touchstone Television, Walt Disney Television Animation, Buena Vista Worldwide Television and Walt Disney Television International. Disney-ABC Television Group also manages the Radio Disney Network in addition to the Company�s equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services, A&E Television Networks and E! Networks.

Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) is one of the entertainment industry�s most respected providers of original content, producing award-winning drama and comedy series, made-for-television movies and miniseries for both network and cable television. With 27 series set to air during the 2006-2007 season, WBTV is the industry�s number one supplier of primetime television programming, with multiple shows on each of the five broadcast networks, as well as numerous cable networks.





  [september 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
     


· 24 (FOX)
· 61* (HBO)
· BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (ABC FAMILY)
· BOSTON PUBLIC (FOX)
· COURT, THE (ABC)
· GHOST WHISPERER (CBS)
· JUDGING AMY (CBS)
· NINE, THE (ABC)
· PARTY OF FIVE (FOX)
· PRISON BREAK (FOX)
· STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE (UPN)
· VERONICA MARS (HULU)
· WEST WING, THE (NBC)
· WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS)





[05/11/26 - 04:58 PM]
Prime Video Orders "Fourth Wing" to Series
Lisa Joy, co-founder of Kilter Films and executive producer of the series, is set to direct the pilot.

[05/11/26 - 04:38 PM]
Prime Video Announces Premiere Date for "The Terminal List" Season Two Starring Chris Pratt
All eight episodes, executive produced by Chris Pratt, Antoine Fuqua, David DiGilio, and author Jack Carr, will premiere on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[05/11/26 - 04:14 PM]
Prime Video Kicks Off 2026 "Thursday Night Football" Season with Lions at Bills, September 17
Today's announcement arrives in advance of the full-season "TNF" schedule, which will be released on Thursday, May 14.

[05/11/26 - 03:15 PM]
Prime Video Confirms Season Three Premiere Date of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power"
The eagerly awaited third season of epic fantasy series will premiere on November 11, 2026.

[05/11/26 - 03:01 PM]
Prime Video Orders "Escorted" to Series
The eight-episode, half-hour single-camera comedy stars and is executive produced, written, and co-showrun by Emmy Award winner Brett Goldstein.

[05/11/26 - 02:46 PM]
Prime Video Orders "Rose Hill" to Series from Temple Hill
The series follows best friends and neighbors West Belmont, a rancher with commitment issues, and brooding record label owner Ford Grant, aka Forbes' "World's Hottest Billionaire," who's long carried a torch for West's sister, Rosie.

[05/11/26 - 02:31 PM]
Amazon MGM Studios Confirms Nia DaCosta to Direct Pilot and Second Episode of "Sex Criminals"
Imogen Poots and John Reynolds star in the project, based on the acclaimed Image Comics title by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky.

[05/11/26 - 02:15 PM]
Prime Video Announces Premiere Date for "Ride or Die" Starring Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham and Releases First Look Photos
From Paramount Television Studios, the fast-paced series will debut all eight episodes globally on July 15, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

[05/11/26 - 12:12 PM]
"The White Lotus" Season 4 Welcomes Ben Kingsley, Max Minghella and Pekka Strang
New company is on the way.

[05/11/26 - 11:42 AM]
ESPN Presents "Last Train to North America," A New Documentary Series Following North America's Road to the 2026 World Cup
Hosted by ESPN's renowned journalist, Martin Ainstein, the nine-episode series follows a unique rail journey across the United States, Mexico and Canada as the three nations prepare to jointly host the biggest sporting event of the summer.

[05/11/26 - 11:37 AM]
Great American Media Renews Beloved Original Series "When Hope Calls: Brookfield" for Season Four
Set in the picturesque town of Brookfield, the series continues to follow the evolving lives of its residents as they navigate love, hardship, and new beginnings together.

[05/11/26 - 11:01 AM]
Video: "Little House on the Prairie" - Official Teaser #2 - Netflix
Independence isn't just a way of life, it's a place to come together.

[05/11/26 - 11:00 AM]
Prime Video Renews Global Hit Series "Reacher" for Fifth Season Ahead of Season Four Premiere
The third season reached 54.6 million viewers globally on Prime Video in its first 19 days and stands as the most-watched season on the service since "Fallout" season one over the same timeframe.

[05/11/26 - 10:53 AM]
Viaplay Announces June Slate - Greek Noir Thriller, Acclaimed Nordic Series & Films
New U.S. debuts include "Save Me" and "Black Sands."

[05/11/26 - 10:31 AM]
Wellness Gets Wild in Amazon MGM Studios' New Reality Series "Reality Retreat," Bringing Together Some of TV's Most Iconic Women
The series will premiere in 2027, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.