CBS in talks with Netflix over Lat Am, Canada deals

CBS is in talks with online video service and DVD firm Netflix to strike a number of international programming deals in Latin America and Canada.

The move would be a significant deal, marking the first major US content provider to strike international deals with Netflix, which has announced an aggressive international roll out plan.

Les Moonves, president and chief executive, CBS, told investors on its latest financial results call: “We are in very serious discussions with Netflix about doing a deal in Latin America, doing a deal in Canada, and those deals might happen fairly quickly.”

Netflix operates a TV and movie streaming service in the United States and Canada and announced last month that it was looking to launch in two international markets or more per year from 2012.

The Hollywood studio, which operates the eponymous US broadcast network, production arm CBS Studios and international distribution division CBS Studios International, produces series including Hawaii Five-O, The Good Wife and NCIS as well as the CSI franchises, all of which have sold well internationally.

Moonves also said that as a result of its current schedule performing well it was able to reduce the number of pilots that it produced this year. He said that it produced six or seven less pilots than in previous years as a result of the success of the aforementioned shows.