Nine cuts historic A$500m output deal with Warners

Australian free-to-air broadcaster Nine has renewed its output deal with Hollywood Studio Warner Bros in a deal that local reports suggest is worth up to A$500 million (US$397.9 million) over five years, starting in 2011, which would make it the richest in the history of Australian TV.

The deal gives Nine rights to a host of ongoing and new TV series and movies from Warners. The studio’s slate of new product, just shown to international buyers at the LA Screenings, includes medical drama Miami Trauma, action series Human Target and political thriller Rubicon.

As well as securing rights to shows for the main Nine network, the deal gives Nine’s owner, PBL Media, online and cell phone rights to the content.

Nine will also be launching digital channels as DTT rolls out in Australia and will use the Warners content to program these. The broadcaster also has an output deal with Sony. Its main rival Seven has output deals with the program sales arms of Disney and NBC.