AMC Networks Intl. has pacted with beIN Media Group, the ambitious Qatar-based broadcaster that bought Miramax this March, for five AMC channels to be carried by beIN on its pay-TV platform in the Middle East and North Africa.
AMC will be offered exclusively to beIN subscribers in HD in the region. Other AMCNI channels which will launch on beIN’s platform are CBS Reality, a joint venture with CBS Studios Intl.; the Extreme Sports Channel; the Outdoor Channel; and pre-school channel Jim Jam.
The deal for AMC Worldwide to debut the scripted anthology drama series “The Terror” has also been extended to the Middle East-North Africa region.
“We look forward to bringing beIN viewers our newest original series ‘The Terror,’ where it will join a lineup of outstanding, dramatic and bold programming on AMC,” said Ed Palluth, executive vice president of global distribution at AMCNI.
AMC will also offer its original productions “Fear of the Walking Dead” and “The Night Manager” on beIN.
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The AMC-beIN partnership marks another international channel deal for AMCNI as it continues to roll out its overseas channel carriage business. Last month, AMCNI Iberia teamed with Machinima to launch an exclusive channel for Spain and Portugal.
The deal also marks the latest move by beIN to branch out from sports programming into movies and general entertainment. Whereas Dubai-based OSN used to be the only paybox offering movies, original programming and general entertainment in the Middle East, it now has a competitor in the beIN Media Group, whose pay-TV platform launched branded movie channels last November and carries premium channels such as Fox Movies, Star Movies and National Geographic.
“beIN’s foray into entertainment content has been extremely successful as the platform has been able to attract a number of high-quality global and premium content partners during the course of the last few months,” said Yousef Al-Obaidly, deputy CEO of beINMedia Group.
