MGM scoops Stargate, movie sales

Hollywood studio MGM has inked a raft of programming deals following the MIP TV market including the sale of its latest Stargate franchise to Sky One.

Sky One, the entertainment channel run by the News Corp-owned pay TV broadcaster BSkyB, has picked up the free-to-air and pay TV rights to SGU: Stargate Universe, the sequel to the successful sci fi series Stargate. The new series, which stars Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush, part of a team of explorers that find the ancient spaceship Destiny, is set to launch on the NBC Universal-owned cable network Sci Fi Channel later this year.

The deal also includes the digital rights to the entire Stargate library, which will allow Sky to launch it via its video-on-demand and download-to-own services.

Meanwhile, MGM has also inked an exclusive volume deal with Dutch broadcaster SBS. The ProSiebenSat.1-owned broadcaster will air a raft of movies and series including the latest James Bond movie

Quantum of Solace, Tom Cruise fronted Valkeryie and the final Rocky movie. The deal, which covers the broadcaster’s three channels – Net5, SBS6 and Veronica, will also air the animated Spaceballs series as part of the agreement.