Lionsgate, a leading independent filmed entertainment studio, has opened an office in Australia and entered into distribution alliances with three of the top blue-chip partners in the Australian market – Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Hoyts and The Movie Network.
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Lionsgate has also entered into a bilateral agreement with Hoyts, a leading Australian distributor of filmed entertainment product throughout Australia and New Zealand. Recent Lionsgate titles include hits such as Saw IV and the critically acclaimed hit 3:10 To Yuma, starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.
Under the agreement, national distribution of Hoyts’ theatrical and back catalogue titles on DVD will be undertaken by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, with whom Lionsgate also has a longstanding relationship in the territory. This agreement serves to consolidate Lionsgate’s distribution business in the Australian marketplace.
Lionsgate has further bolstered its Australian growth initiative by forging a pay television deal with The Movie Network for all of Lionsgate’s feature films and some of its television programming.
According to Lionsgate President and co-Chief Operating Officer Steve Beeks, “Our distribution of current releases and library product in key English-speaking territories is an important component of our strategy for growing our margins and expanding our reach.”
