HDNet Expands with Sony Films, TV

[Gregg Lengling]

Fri April 25, 2003 05:50 AM ET
By Jesse Hiestand
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - HDNet has reached a distribution agreement with Sony Pictures Television to bring more than 250 feature films and several TV series to its growing number of high-definition channels, sources said Thursday.

The deal, terms of which were not available, marks the third such distribution agreement that HDNet has reached with a major Hollywood studio in the past four months. All are intended to help HDNet expand from its original one channel to four channels.

HDNet offers two channels, HDNet and HDNet Movies, through satellite service DirecTV and portions of Charter Communication's cable networks.

The films and TV series largely originated in 35mm, making it relatively easy to transfer them to the HD format, which offers a sharper picture and sound than standard television, company officials said. Some of the Sony films and programs are already showing on HDNet's channels.

HDNet executives confirmed the deal but declined further comment. Sony representatives could not be reached for comment.

Among the movies are "Taxi Driver," "Tootsie," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Ghostbusters," "Groundhog Day," "Lawrence of Arabia," "The Mothman Prophecies" and "Philadelphia."

The TV series include "Charlie's Angels," "Square Pegs" and "Bette."

Several miniseries are also part of the deal, including "Final Descent" and "First Daughter."

HDNet, co-founded by Mark Cuban, has reached similar deals with Paramount Domestic Television and Warner Bros.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter