Lions Gate Entertainment to Purchase 332 Titles From Modern Entertainment Library
Lions Gate Entertainment to Purchase 332 Titles From Modern Entertainment Library
Accretive, Strategic Acquisition Reflects Lions Gate's Continuing Strategy of Building Library Core Asset
Sweden, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lions Gate Entertainment (NYSE:LGF) Toronto, the premier independent filmed entertainment producer and distributor, and Modern Entertainment, Ltd., a subsidiary of European pay and free-to-air TV broadcaster Modern Times Group (MTG), today announced that Lions Gate has entered into an asset purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the Modern Entertainment library. The acquisition is subject to customary conditions to closing. This acquisition will add to what is already one of the largest libraries in the entertainment industry. The announcement was made by Lions Gate Entertainment President Steve Beeks.
The acquisition includes the rights held by Modern to leading titles from Vestron, Dino DeLaurentiis and other libraries within the Modern Entertainment family, including CONAN THE BARBARIAN, HALLOWEEN II and III, RAGTIME, DEAD ZONE, AND GOD CREATED WOMAN, AMITYVILLE II, EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE, HERCULES IN NEW YORK and EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY.
"This will be an accretive, strategic acquisition that meets all of our transactional criteria and reflects our commitment to continue growing our library base as a source of stable, reliable cash flow," said Beeks. "The Modern Entertainment library contains a broad range of quality content and brings valuable long-term VOD and TV rights that are consistent with our ongoing strategy of transitioning our core asset into a library of the future."
Beeks pointed out that many of the titles to be acquired have been purchased by Modern in perpetuity, more than 95% include television rights and a majority of the titles include VOD rights, further positioning Lions Gate's library to exploit future technologies.
Lions Gate also noted that the acquisition will unite all rights to the Vestron titles under one roof, including all rights to one of Lions Gate's major franchises, DIRTY DANCING. Lions Gate still sells over one million DVD units of DIRTY DANCING annually, released a new theatrical film last year, is considering a reality television series, has a new musical stage play touring Australia and Japan and is planning a 20th anniversary theatrical and DVD rerelease of the original film in late 2007.
The deal was negotiated for Lions Gate by Beeks, Jim Gladstone, SVP Legal, and Jon Ferro, EVP Television.
Lions Gate is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion picture, television, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on- demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library is one of the largest in the entertainment industry. The Lions Gate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality product in markets around the globe.
www.lgf.com
For further information, contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
Lions Gate Entertainment
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lgf.com
The matters discussed in this press release include forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results in the future could differ materially and adversely from those described in the forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including risk factors set forth in Lions Gate's 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 29, 2005. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect any future events or circumstances.
Source: Lions Gate Entertainment
CONTACT: Peter D. Wilkes of Lions Gate Entertainment, +1-310-255-3726,
pwilkes@lgf.com
Web site: http://www.lgf.com/
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