Bell Media Acquires Canadian Rights to the Picard Show
Hot on the heels of yesterday’s news that Amazon Prime Video won the exclusive global streaming rights to Law and Order: Special Picard Unit outside North America, today we have news that Canadian broadcaster Bell Media has won the distribution rights in Canada.
Deadline brings us the story that the deal between CBS and Bell Media is the first to come out of the LA Screenings, which kick off this week.
From the piece: “The deal for the Patrick Stewart-fronted show was struck with CBS Studios International and includes the exclusive linear television and SVOD [or streaming video on demand] rights in English and French. It will launch day-and-date with the U.S. on Bell’s cable networks Space and Z as well as digital platform Crave.”
Canadian fans will note that, unlike the Amazon deal overseas, the Bell Media deal means that the Picard show will run on the same networks as Star Trek: Discovery.
Armando Nunez, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Global Distribution Group said of the deal: “Bell Media has been a terrific home for Star Trek: Discovery, so we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with the next original series in the franchise, and one that is based on a beloved Star Trek character. [...] This new series will deliver CBS’ world-class production auspices and the considerable talents of Sir Patrick Stewart, further exciting Canadian fans who have always been passionately ‘engaged’ in the world of Star Trek.”
The Picard show is currently in production and expected on small screens - around the world - this Fall.
