DirecTV rescues Damages

DirecTV has ordered new episodes of legal drama Damages, which previously aired on Fox’s FX channel. The two-season order will give the show’s producer and distributor Sony fresh episodes of the show to take to the international market.

US pay TV platform operator DirecTV has invested in original content before, teaming with broadcast network NBC for the third season of American football drama Friday Night Lights. That deal saw the show debut on NBC before then transmitting on DirecTV’s The 101 Network.

The Damages deal is different in that The 101 Network will have exclusive rights to the new episodes. It will also air the first three seasons of the show, which stars Glen Close as a hard-nosed lawyer.

Patty Ishimoto, general  manager of The 101 Network and vice president of entertainment for DirecTV said the deal was a “great step forward for DIRECTV as we  continue to build our growing portfolio of exclusive, award winning  programming.“

“FX was very proud to have developed one of the best scripted series on  television, but, in order to have a future, the show needed DirecTV and  we are thrilled they stepped in,” added John Landgraf, president &  general manager, FX Networks.

Sony’s SPE produces the show and its programme sales arm, SPE, distributes and has sold it to numerous international broadcasters including the BBC in the UK, ProSiebenSat.1 in Germany, M6 in France, and Nine Network in Australia.