HBO inks exclusive five-year Russian output deal

Russian producer and pay TV channel operator Amedia has inked an exclusive five-year output deal with HBO. The agreement covers the US premium programmer and channel operator’s scripted series and movies and documentary output.

Amedia will take exclusive rights to shows including The Newsroom, Girls, Game of Thrones, and Boardwalk Empire. The deal covers new and past seasons of the HBO series as well as guaranteeing Amedia all new HBO shows over the life of the deal.

“We are very excited to begin this new relationship with Amedia, bringing our programming to Russian audiences through their premium services,” said Charles Schreger, president, programming sales, HBO.

Amedia runs the Amedia 1 and AMedia Premium HD channels and its own VOD platform, which delivers content to TV sets and connected devices.

Amedia started out as a producer and is one of the largest programme-makers in Russia. Among other shows, it has made the local versions of Western formats The Nanny, Ugly Betty and Married with Children.

It is part of Access Industries, the privately held conglomerate run by Ukrainian-born US businessman Len Blavatnik.