E1 Entertainment inks digital distribution deals with ITV and ContentFilm

PORT WASHINGTON, NY, May 27 /CNW/ - E1 Entertainment has announced North American digital distribution deals with two major content producers - ITV Global Entertainment for over 185 hours of classic British TV series and miniseries, and ContentFilm for distribution via iTunes of more than 100 hours of TV series, miniseries and films.

E1 is expanding its digital operations by securing rights across all media platforms for content it acquires for its extensive library. The two deals follow recent agreements that E1 entered with Porchlight Entertainment (Jay Jay the Jet Plane) and Peace Arch Home Entertainment, both of which include North American digital distribution rights.

E1 Entertainment U.S. President Michael Rosenberg comments, "We are pleased to add both ContentFilm and ITV to our growing roster of content partners for whom we provide digital distribution services, offering their quality programming to our digital customers. Along with our well-established physical distribution network, we have developed a significant digital infrastructure and will continue to drive digital growth through agreements like these and by securing rights across all media platforms as we acquire content for our library."

Part of ITV Worldwide, ITV Global Entertainment is one of the largest and most successful commercial television distributors in Europe. They distribute programmes to over 3,500 broadcasters and home entertainment partners in more than 350 territories worldwide. ITV Global Entertainment is part of major media company ITV, which includes the UK's leading commercial broadcaster ITV1 and the largest commercial TV production company in Britain. Among the titles which E1 Entertainment will be digitally distributing in North America for ITV are: Maigret (complete series starring Michael Gambon), the PD James collection, Twelfth Night (Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson and Joan Plowright), Hedda Gabler (Diana Rigg), The Old Man and the Sea (Anthony Quinn), Catherine Cookson's The Cinder Path (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and 1960s cult series The Baron.

ContentFilm is a London-based film and television sales company that owns or controls a significant library of film and television rights and assets, including over 3,000 hours of television and over 100 feature films. Among the titles E1 will distribute are: Michael Moore Hates America, P.U.N.K.S., Phantom of the Opera, Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady, Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls, Cracking the DaVinci Code, and Illuminating Angels and Demons.

Through its extensive networks in the U.S., E1's distribution arm delivers physical and digital content to more than 3,000 retail partners. Along with leveraging this network to market E1's own extensive library of film, television and music content, the business provides third-party distribution services to a wide range of content producers including the major Hollywood studios. Along with home video, VOD, digital and TV sales, E1 also manages limited theatrical releases for select films in the U.S. market.

About E1 Entertainment

E1 Entertainment (AIM: ETO) is a leading independent entertainment content enterprise that acquires and exploits world-class film, television and music properties around the globe. Its four primary businesses units (E1 Television, E1 Films, E1 Music and E1 Distribution) operate in Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, France, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Belgium, providing extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production and distribution, kids programming, and merchandising and licensing. E1's growing content library, which currently includes more than 5,000 feature films, 2,400 hours of original television programming and 45,000 music tracks, is distributed across all media formats in more than 190 countries.

For further information: Tom Sargent, At [phone] x250, [email protected]