Spike Buys Star Wars TV Rights
Source: Variety
October 19, 2005
Spike TV has engineered the biggest movie purchase in the net's 22-year history, ponying up between $65 million and $70 million for a six-year exclusive deal covering all six of Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" movies, reports Variety.
The blockbuster in the deal was Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, which Spike TV will get in the first network window in April, 2008. That's the earliest window a cable network has ever landed to a "Star Wars" movie; the first five titles began their TV life on the Fox Network.
Two more recent "Star Wars" pics -- "Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "The Phantom Menace" (1999) -- have had runs on Fox but have never shown up on cable before. Spike TV will get them and the original three films in April, 2008.
The original "Star Wars" trilogy has played on a number of broadcast and cable networks over the past two decades. But Spike TV expects to chalk up lots more Nielsen numbers through heavily promoted stunts and marathons.
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I wish they'd quit calling 4-6 the "original" trilogy since George has altered them. The original trilogy is the one we won't see.
With so many people already having these movies on VHS or DVD, I can't believe the amount Spike paid just to show these. Wow.
Source: Variety
October 19, 2005
Spike TV has engineered the biggest movie purchase in the net's 22-year history, ponying up between $65 million and $70 million for a six-year exclusive deal covering all six of Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" movies, reports Variety.
The blockbuster in the deal was Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, which Spike TV will get in the first network window in April, 2008. That's the earliest window a cable network has ever landed to a "Star Wars" movie; the first five titles began their TV life on the Fox Network.
Two more recent "Star Wars" pics -- "Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "The Phantom Menace" (1999) -- have had runs on Fox but have never shown up on cable before. Spike TV will get them and the original three films in April, 2008.
The original "Star Wars" trilogy has played on a number of broadcast and cable networks over the past two decades. But Spike TV expects to chalk up lots more Nielsen numbers through heavily promoted stunts and marathons.
--------------------------------------------------
I wish they'd quit calling 4-6 the "original" trilogy since George has altered them. The original trilogy is the one we won't see.
With so many people already having these movies on VHS or DVD, I can't believe the amount Spike paid just to show these. Wow.
