SUN TV concludes film deal with Buena Vista

Southern India's major regional channel SUN TV has just concluded a multi-year agreement for sourcing films from the library of Hollywood studio Buena Vista.

K. Maran, chairman and managing director, SUN TV, and Steve Macallister, senior vice president and managing director, Buena Vista International Television - Asia Pacific (BVITV-AP) announced this development on Thursday.

Under this inaugural deal, Indian audiences across south India will have access to international box office hits, including 'Mission to Mars', 'Pearl Harbor' and 'Billy Bathgate'. These titles will be aired on SUN TV's multi-dialect channels including Sun TV/KTV, Gemini TV and Surya TV and be broadcasted in Tamil, Telegu and Malayalam.

"Our successful track record and continuity at the international box office over recent years reflect the strength and contemporary nature of our features library," commented Macallister. "The Indian market has a tremendous appetite for entertainment and we are thrilled to be working with SUN TV, in its first-ever deal with a major Hollywood studio, in delivering world-class titles to their audience," Macallister said.

"This deal marks a significant milestone for SUN TV as we move into a new strategic direction of diversifying and further expanding our programme mix to fulfill the increasingly sophisticated tastes of Indian viewers," Maran added. "Establishing this partnership with BVITV reaffirms SUN TV's leadership position in delivering premium content to viewers across Southern India."

Some of the most prolific actors and recognised names in Hollywood will be featured in the movie-fest. These include: Tom Cruise in 'Cocktail'; Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman and Bruce Willis in 'Billy Bathgate'; and Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte in 'I Love Trouble'.

© 2004 agencyfaqs!