iZombie invades Canuck Netflix rival

New Canadian SVOD service Shomi has acquired exclusive streaming local rights to Rob Thomas’s upcoming drama iZombie.

The series will launch on US broadcast network The CW in the 2014-15 season, following the exploits of a young female medical student who becomes a zombie after being attacked at a party.

It will be available on Shomi thanks to a wide-ranging new and library series content agreement with Warner Bros. International Televison Distribution.

Shomi has also secured all past seasons and new episodes of The Vampire Diaries spin-off series The Originals, which is also for The CW in the US.

Second window rights included in the pact are for teen drama One Tree Hill, crime series Southland, post-apocalyptic drama Revolution, teen hit Veronica Mars, Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, animated show Baby Looney Tunes, Batman: The Animated Series, the original and new versions of Scooby Doo, DC Comic-inspired toon Teen Titans, X Men: Evolution and classic Tom and Jerry Tales episodes.

Film titles include Blade Runner, Two Weeks Notice, Ocean’s Eleven and The Goonies, plus the Batman and Superman movie series, the Lethal Weapon films, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Eyes Wide Shut, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Shining

“When we announced shomi in August, we made a commitment to deliver the best selection of television series and movie to Canadians,” said Marni Shulman, head of content and programming, shomi. “This deal with Warner Bros International Television delivers on that promise, and we’re just getting started.”

Canadian media giants Rogers and Shaw partnered to create Shomi earlier this year.

Many saw the move as traditional TV’s response to SVOD service Netflix’s growth in the region, but Shomi and Netflix are now partnering to create a local scripted series, Between.

Shomi, which launches next month, will premiere the six-part thriller series ahead of Netflix in Canada. Netflix will premiere it on its international services outside of the territory.