Sky Deutschland Signs Package Deals With German Independents

COLOGNE, Germany – Rupert Murdoch-controlled German pay player Sky Deutschland has signed a trio of licensing deals with three of Germany’s top independent distributors, securing exclusive rights to around 30 films through 2014.

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The deals, with German indies Telepool, Tobis and Splendid include pay TV, VOD and SVOD rights to French comedy blockbuster Untouchables, George Clooney’s Oscar-nominated The Ides of March and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s upcoming actioner The Last Stand.

Among the other titles included in the deals are Anne Hathaway-starrer One Day, Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables 2 and Gerard Butler/Jessica Biel comedy Playing the Field.

This independent supply will help fill the gap left by Sky’s decision late last year to cancel its studio output deal with Paramount Pictures.

Sky, which is controlled by Murdoch’s News Corp., is increasingly looking to independent suppliers to stock its film library shelves. The group has agreements with Herbert Kloiber’s Tele München Group, French-owned Wild Bunch and Munich-based Seven One. Sky hasn’t abandoned Hollywood however. Last month, the group extended its licensing deal with Warner Bros. through to 2015.