Studios Launch New Rival To Showtime, HBO

Los Angeles Times:

Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Lionsgate today announced a joint venture to create a premium television channel that will draw on their extensive libraries and on new feature-film and TV production.

The as-yet-unnamed venture, scheduled to launch in September 2009, will take advantage of the fact that the studios all will be contractually free of obligations to other networks or premium-TV distributors, according to Philippe P. Dauman, chairman of Paramount's parent company, Viacom Inc.

Dauman, in an interview today, called the opportunity "unique" because the output of other major studios is contractually tied up for years to come. The venture will include the work of five studios: Paramount and its Paramount Vantage affiliate, MGM and its United Artists affiliate and Lionsgate.

Read the whole story: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[gevan]

I can only watch one at a time anyway. I don't see a need for someone else to come along to try and pick my pocket.

[loki]

I cant understand this. does HBO and Showtime really make money? Most people I know wont waste the money on the premium movies channels like HBO. You want to see a movie use Dish on Demand, or something similar, or just go rent one. Its cheaper in the long run. I guess if you do nothing but watch tv 24 / 7 you might justify premiums, but really, who has the time to justify the extra cost? Then again, I guess its like bragging rights. Kind of like having the Jaguar while renting a section 8 apartment.

[Stretchumall]

Out of the 3 or 4 hundred channels available, only a handful are worth watching, and that includes premium and ppv.